Connected TV emerges as advertising's fastest-growing video segment

SteelHouse Survey Finds 78% of Marketers Plan to Buy CTV Ads in Next 12 Months

LOS ANGELES — Marketers plan to dramatically increase their budget commitments to Connected Television (CTV). In fact, 78% of marketers surveyed plan to buy ad inventory on streaming TV within the next 12 months, according to the latest SteelHouse survey of both brand-side and agency marketing professionals, conducted by independent consulting firm Advertiser Perceptions.

While only 2% of those surveyed said they never used video in their ads, 49% use video frequently, 38% use it occasionally, and 11% use it in all campaigns. An average of 30% of total advertising budgets are allocated to digital video across multiple channels, with 28% of that going to social platforms, 26% to in-stream, 20% to traditional local or national TV, and 13% to in-unit ads. But it was the newest category, CTV, also described as IPTV or OTT, that made the strongest impression, garnering 12% of planned video spend.

“With more than 400,000 people cutting the cord from cable in favor of CTV every month, advertisers are having to rethink how to reach their audience,” said David U. Simon, CMO, SteelHouse. “CTV is a fully addressable, all digital channel that combines the storytelling power of traditional television with the targeting and accountability of digital media. This study reflects a market that is changing rapidly and we’re excited to be in a position to let our clients and partners leverage these insights through our technology.”

The survey also found video measurement is still evolving. The top three KPIs for evaluating video inventory were completion rates (49%), impressions/reach (46%), and quality scores including viewability & fraud (44%). However, there were differences between marketers and agencies. Marketers identified impression/reach (48%), completion (47%), and click-through (44%) as the most valued metrics, while agencies chose completion (53%), quality scores (45%), and in-target delivery/GRPs (comScore, Nielsen, etc.). Sales attribution was low for both (28%).