For over-the-top (OTT) providers, in particular the streaming media/video segment, the benefits of forming subscriber data exchange platforms to improve ad placements are immeasurable for the brands they serve and for the increased value of their media assets.
Think of a marketing data exchange as highly sophisticated digital marketplace to one-stop shop for customer data that paints a more holistic picture of a consumer's brand preferences, financial obligations and viewing or streaming patterns. In other words, it is a secure, shared analytics platform designed for more precise segmentation and measurement.
The results increase ad spend because OTT providers and traditional marketers can fine-tune their targeting strategies to reach the right audiences with the right ads at the right time.
So OTT providers and marketers — take note. You too can derive optimum business benefits in the following areas:
Smarter, safer targeting for marketers
Brands are interested in maximizing their investment in ad spend by ensuring the best ad is optimally matched to the consumer, regardless if it's a customer or prospect. A secure platform provides actionable intelligence for the design and execution of highly customizable advertising strategies aimed at OTT subscribers.
Through data platforms, OTTs can supply brands with aggregated customer segmentation data for multiple OTT service providers.
As a result, marketers get a more complete picture of the consumers they pursue — their financial obligations, brand preferences and viewing and streaming habits. Targeted data fills in unknown gaps in a consumer's profile, removing guess work associated with most traditional marketing campaigns.
The effect is improved response rates. The best matched offer is delivered to the customer, as well as broader audience reach, improving the customer experience and ultimately increasing revenue.
One-to-one, addressable ad capability
Marketers gain specific identification and digital addresses of consumers in the OTT audience segment that the brand follows. Assigning a specific ad can be achieved in a platform and made ready for implementation by the OTT.
Security and privacy protection
OTTs and Brands are reluctant to share their respective data because of data privacy exposure concerns. An exchange can help mitigate privacy issues by providing a reputable safe haven environment that eliminates the exposure to data breaches. They also provide data integration and linking technology to validate who the individual is, which increases the efficiency of the integration, as well as the integrity, granularity and precision of the segmentation.
Greater media asset value for participants
Higher media asset value requires sharing as much profiling and analytics on the audience viewership as possible. A data exchange facilitates this sharing and the value of the aggregated data from an exchange is greater than that of any single participant, so each OTT provider's media assets gain lift.
The most successful marketing data platforms are managed by an independent data management entity that can provide the proper data assets for a complete 360-degree view of the customer, and one stop shopping for all the capabilities listed above.
Michael Gandolfo currently serves as a VP of marketing for the communications and utilities vertical for Equifax. He is a 25-year technology and business process veteran in the communications and utilities industries with data analytics experience across the order management, billing and collections domains.
