Consumers Respond to CTV Advertising: Unruly Survey

(Image credit: Maskot via Getty Images)

Not only are more viewers watching connected TV, but the advertising on CTV is more effective, according to a survey by video advertising platform Unruly, part of Tremor International.

In the survey 71% of respondents said they were more likely to tell a friend about a brand after seeing a commercial on ad-supported CTV compared to linear TV and 52% said they were more likely to buy that product.

(Image credit: Unruly)

They were also more likely to search for a brand.

Unruly said that the reason why consumers are more likely to respond positively to ads on CTV was CTV’s targeting capabilities.

“More relevant targeting and more personalized creative means CTV viewers are more likely than linear TV viewers to have an improved opinion of the brand, more likely to buy a product and more likely to visit a store or website after being exposed to an ad,” Unruly said in its report.

Consumers said the ads were more memorable because they are more likely to match the topic and the tone of the TV content they’re watching.

Use of CTV to watch ad-supported streaming programming is likely to increase, making it even more critical for brands to understand CTV.

In the survey, more than a third (35%) of U.S. consumers have tried a new ad-supported streaming service since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of those, 79% said they will continue to do so.

The survey also found that 64% of consumers in the U.S. plan to reduce the amount they pay for TV services, with 44% planning to do so by reducing the number of paid for subscription services they use, and 42% planning to cancel cable TV.

Ad supported services are cheaper, if not free, and 73% of U.S. consumers said they would prefer to watch their favorite TV program free of charge with ads rather than pay to watch ad-free. Two thirds said they actively seek ways to watch TV programs and films free of charge.

“U.S. consumers’ pivot to CTV is an opportunity for brands to reach audiences at scale in a highly targeted, personalized way that has, until now, not been possible,” said Terence Scroope, VP of Insights and Solutions at Unruly. “Following our acquisition by Tremor International, Unruly has shifted from an outstream video specialist to become one of the biggest video platforms in the world. From this unique position, we are able to help advertisers seize on the opportunities CTV presents like never before. Together, Unruly and sister brand Tremor Video, offer advertisers the most cutting-edge CTV advertising solutions.”

The survey, conducted for Unruly and corporate sibling Tremor Media, was part of a global study of 2,562 consumers in the U.S. and U.K. during July.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.