What the Living Room Revolution Means to Brands

Download the whitepaper “OTT: What The Living Room Revolution Means to Brands”

Television has been the core medium for the advertising industry for decades. While other media such as web and mobile-based content have eaten into its share of audience attention, it still offers brands the widest reach. Moreover, the audience’s desire to relax on the couch with their families and be entertained by a big HD screen is a unique desirable experience that newer mediums can’t replace.

What is beginning to change, however, is the underlying structure of Television. The idea that TV shows are arranged in linear numbered channels is no longer a technical requirement. A generation is rising that is less receptive to the concepts of expensive bundles, traditional interruptive ad breaks, and being locked into accessing certain content on some screens but not others.

In an on-demand, de-bundled, cord-cut world, the big question is “What now for marketers?”

In this paper we attempt to lay out the current landscape, the promising technologies that are budding, and the exciting future possibilities that lie ahead.

Download the whitepaper “OTT: What The Living Room Revolution Means to Brands”

A Gut Check For 3D Printing

3D printing is one of the most buzzed about tech developments in the last year. From 3D printing candy to guns, it seems that the possibilities are endless. Yet, a new report titled Consumer 3D Printing & Scanning: Service Models, Devices & Opportunities 2014-2018 estimates sales of consumer 3D printers to not exceed one million units until 2018, up from the roughly 44,000 estimated sales by the end of this year. Like most nascent tech, consumer education and a lower price point will be critical to adoption. While we’ve seen some novel executions from the likes of Hasbro and Hershey’s which let consumers print their own versions of toys and chocolates respectively, more utilitarian use cases will catalyze uptake.

Me Want Cookies: Advertisers Pay 3X More For Interest-Based Ads

A study from the Digital Advertising Alliance found that advertisers will pay 3x more for cookie-based ads and 7x more if the cookie is 90 days old. Amidst White House efforts to review privacy implications of Big Data this week, groups like the IAB and DAA are hoping these numbers will position advertising as the lifeblood of the internet. For instance, 60% of small websites ad revenue comes from interest-based ads. Yet, the industry will need to do a better job of being transparent and educating the public on data and targeting if they want to maintain consumer trust. Companies like Enliken are already doing that, providing a service to ad networks and brands which makes it easy for the public to see which consumer segments they have been categorized in.

Flurry & IPG Lab Media Trial: TV Viewing Vs Tablet

IPG Lab and Flurry conducted behavioral focus groups with tablet video watchers. Left alone in our living room, hidden video cameras show that participants watch tablet video very differently than TV, even taking the tablet with them on trips to the kitchen instead of waiting for an ad break, as our TV watchers did. Hear our participants give their opinions on tablet video first-hand, and see it through their eyes via a video camera embedded in their eye-glasses.

 

 

Report: Consumers Prefer Long Form Video

Mobile lends itself to snackable content, right? Not so, according to a new study from Vuclip which finds that consumers prefer long-form movies and TV shows opposed to shorter form content. While the study does not answer how these numbers compare to PC video, it would still be contrary to popular belief. Perhaps this is based on the fact that the majority of mobile consumption occurs at home, not on-the-go.

Report: Majority Of Americans Favor TV For News

It can be easy to get caught up in the latest news feeds and aggregation apps and forget about how the average American still accesses their news: through TV. A new Gallup poll shows that a little more than half of the US still stays informed through TV, compared to 27% who consume news online. Not surprisingly, print has plummeted to just 6-8% of those 64 or younger. Check out the full report for the comprehensive statistics. 

Sticky’s Eye Tracker Measures Ad Attention

Marketers have used impressions and viewability as a proxy for engagement, but the real question remains as to whether or not the consumer actually saw at the ad. Well, it appears eyetracking company, Sticky has created a solution to do just that. By monitoring consumers gaze through a standard webcam, Sticky can quantitatively measure how an ad was viewed. The product has been tested on 350,000 consumers by the likes of P&G among others, and while privacy concerns abound, it could have serious implications for pricing models in the future.

Email Opens On Mobile Nearing Desktop

The growth of mobile does not just refer to mobile penetration, but as mobile as a hub for all media activity, particular for email. Mobile has nearly eclipsed desktop in terms of email holding 41% of all opens, compared with 36% from last year according to a Knotice report. Despite the initial interaction, mobile does not in fact generate as high engagement with click rates well below desktop. As more senders get savvy about optimizing for mobile, that number is likely to rise.

Mobile Shopping On The Rise Among Affluent Consumers

Mobile shopping is taking off among affluent consumers according to a recent study from eMarketer. Stating convenience as the main driver, affluent shoppers who have purchased on mobile increased from 23% in 2011 to 51% in 2012. Shopping apps have certainly aided this surge, but we can’t forget mobile payments for in-store items as well. Both activities place the phone at the center of commerce.