How Cross-Screen CTV measurement is key for Omnichannel Campaigns during the Holiday Season?

The holiday season is an exciting opportunity for brands and advertisers to reach shoppers across a multitude of screens and platforms. It is estimated that the spending will be around $1.19 trillion.

The rise of Connected TV (CTV) has opened up an avenue of targeted, real-time advertising opportunities, unlike traditional TV. However, the success of a holiday marketing campaign in 2023 is determined not only by how advertisers use CTV but by how they measure its impact. Cross-screen CTV measurement acts as a pivotal tool for understanding and optimizing reach, engagement, and conversions during this peak shopping period.

The benefit of launching omnichannel campaigns during the holiday season is clear, as demonstrated in our latest blog post, we will now cover what part CTV measurability plays within omnichannel strategies and how to use it to better ensure the acquisition of more users this season.

What to expect this holiday season?

Gone are the days when the Black Friday Frenzy began at physical stores. With the 2019 pandemic and digital innovation, shopper behavior has changed dramatically. Shoppers are shifting from screen to screen, platform to platform, seeking the perfect gifts, holiday deals, and seasonal entertainment. And despite the shift to online shopping, shoppers still visit offline stores for the “touch and feel” aspect of shopping. Hence, seamless online and offline integration throughout the shopper journey has become of utmost importance.

With the weather turning and the festive season ramping up, people begin to stream holiday content. A recent report also found that the year’s five most active streaming weekends fall within the quarter (led by the weekends of New Year’s Day, Christmas, and Thanksgiving). As viewership on CTV platforms sees a significant spike during this period, advertisers have a golden opportunity to capture the attention of a large and engaged audience. 

As the shopping season progresses, shoppers will probably grow tired of seeing too many ads. When it comes to capturing consumer attention during the holiday season, advertisers are more likely to catch viewer’s attention during October and November than in December. And if advertisers want to reach the “early shoppers”, a recent report confirmed that price-conscious shoppers are likely to begin their holiday shopping early. 

For brands, this period is critical. It’s when the year’s trends become predictable, and consumer behavior, though frenetic, follows a pattern ripe for analysis and engagement. Whether it's parents looking for the latest toys, couples searching for holiday getaways, or individuals seeking the perfect gift, advertisers can tailor their messages leveraging CTV insights to specific demographics, viewing habits, and even purchasing behaviors.

Herein lies the challenge and the opportunity: navigating this complex terrain with agility and precision, a feat made possible through adept understanding and application of cross-screen CTV measurement.

How to master omnichannel campaigns with cross-screen CTV measurement?

The holiday season provides massive opportunities for brands to get their message out there. However, with any advertising campaign, it is essential to understand whether your efforts are reaping benefits. As consumers are more willing to discover new products and make purchases, businesses are looking for innovative ways to capture attention and acquire new users. In the age of smart TVs, streaming platforms, and digital media, consumers no longer view content, look for information, or purchase on one screen or through a single medium. They're switching between devices and platforms, making it challenging for advertisers to track viewing behaviors and preferences. Omnichannel is the norm.

Cross-screen CTV measurement bridges the gap between user awareness and action by tracking user engagement across various devices, providing a holistic view of consumer actions. mediasmart’s CTV sync offers advertisers the ability to track the effectiveness of their campaigns in real-time, with precise attribution and insights into various types of conversions: app downloads, web events, or even physical visits to stores. This data-driven approach empowers advertisers to optimize their campaigns for maximum impact during the holiday shopping season and beyond.

Let’s take a closer look at what your brand can do to optimize your cross-screen campaigns using CTV measurement during the holiday season:

#1. Unleashing Potential: Precision Targeting and Streamlined Campaigns

Advertisers can understand a user's journey more comprehensively, taking into account what they watch, when, and on which device. This data is invaluable during the holiday season, as businesses can create personalized ad experiences based on consumer behavior, ensuring that the right audience sees the most relevant content. Analyzing these intricate data points — from viewing preferences to online shopping behaviors — marketers can craft highly personalized ad content that resonates on a deeper level which can potentially lead to higher engagement rates.

For instance, a viewer who frequently switches between a cooking show on a streaming service and a food blog on their tablet is the perfect target for a cooking kit advertisement.

A survey revealed that 53% of respondents remember holiday shopping ads on streaming TV. Therefore, users seeing relevant ads over and over again are more likely to pull out their cell phones and browse more information. To make it easier for your leads and customers, you can use mediasmart’s household sync technology to retarget users on connected devices in the same household. In this case, a synced ad on their mobile phones will allow users to learn more about the product or convert right after they watch the ad on their CTV screen. 

The holiday season is competitive. Brands are vying for the same space and consumer attention. Those equipped with the insights provided by cross-screen CTV measurements are more likely to outperform their competitors, by focusing on what is bringing the best return on investment (ROI).

Even if brands are doing it right with well-planned campaigns, it is essential to take into account the pricing. Ad inventory prices will be more expensive during the festive season. So, brands must invest wisely. CTV measurement allows for real-time insights into which channels and devices are performing best across the board. Advertisers can identify underperforming areas, redistribute their budgets, or double down on supply partners, platforms, and publishers, where users are more engaged, ensuring a higher ROI.

With CTV, advertisers are empowered to adapt to shifting viewer habits and engage with their audience in the most resonant and cost-effective manner.

#2. Beyond Installs: Tracking App Engagement

Enthusiastic shoppers have already begun their holiday shopping early so they have time to compare prices, reviews, on-time delivery and spot amazing bargains. As the shopper begins their search, so do brands with their promotions. The holiday season is rife with promotional clutter. Coordinating campaigns seamlessly across various channels will reinforce the message and increase the likelihood of user acquisition. 

In the realm of mobile apps, consumer interaction often holds valuable insights. It’s not just about app downloads; tracking in-app events can help brands gauge campaign effectiveness and user preferences. But there remains a missing piece to your holiday marketing strategy. To win over these holiday shoppers, marketers have to do more than just show up with an ad on their mobile phones. Marketers who are winning are using the power of CTV storytelling to create a lasting impact on the shopper’s mind.

For instance, a user might see an ad on CTV and then receive a related offer on their mobile app. This omnichannel approach strengthens the brand message and boosts brand recall.

Whether a user sees an ad on their smartphone or while streaming a holiday movie on their smart TV, having a unified, omnichannel approach helps create a strong, recognizable brand presence. mediasmart's CTV App Sync solution allows you to measure CTV to CTV app conversions and CTV to Mobile app conversions. This means you can track user interactions and conversions directly from CTV advertising to mobile devices, providing valuable insights into campaign effectiveness. Once a user has converted, advertisers can automatically suppress Households who have already converted, thanks to mediasmart’s state-of-the-art technology. This ensures that the campaign is more effective.

Tracking app interactions might be an essential part of your holiday marketing strategy;  keeping a close eye on tracking web interactions can also prove to have long-lasting benefits. Let’s explore more.

#3. Nurturing Web Interactions: From Leads to Conversions

The digital footprint of consumers during the holidays is massive, especially on e-commerce platforms. Advertisers leveraging Connected TV (CTV) are emerging as powerful players, beating the competition. While monitoring web events like lead generation, e-commerce activities, and browsing patterns is essential, integrating these insights with CTV strategies can amplify lead conversion rates like never before

CTV, with its advanced targeting capabilities, allows brands to curate advertisements based on users' web-behavior. For instance, a consumer who abandoned a shopping cart on an e-commerce site might later see a related product advertisement while streaming their favorite show, reminding them of their initial interest.

As consumers oscillate between devices, CTV ensures that the advertising narrative remains consistent throughout their journey. By syncing browsing behavior with CTV ads, brands can offer a seamless experience. Thus, reinforcing the message and increasing the likelihood of conversion.

#4 The Offline Echo: Driving Physical Store Footfall

Despite the digital boom, offline stores still haven't lost their charm. Integrating drive-to-store strategies in omnichannel campaigns is key, and with mediasmart’s CTV offline sync, it has become easier than ever. 

There is no question omnichannel campaigns should include a CTV component. Being able to not only sync ads across screens but also measure the incremental increase in footfall to physical stores generated from CTV, Mobile, and DOOH ads, the gap between online and offline is bridged. Partnering with the right technology provider plays a pivotal role in the transition between the on-screen digital realm and real-world store traffic. 

Real World Application

Imagine your product or service placed next to the favorite content a user wants to watch at that moment, siphoning the good vibes and mood into your brand image. Our Household sync technology can reach the same user at a later time to prompt action or give additional information, such as an ad depicting the closest store to their house. To improve brand or promotional awareness, DOOH ads could be shown near the impacted households. You can target potential customers who are in the area of a store and impact them with a personalized ad on their mobile devices. The satisfaction of this well-crafted, put-together strategy, can only be topped off by the ability to measure visits to stores, be it physical or digital. Creating a unified and consistent journey that not only helps increase engagement but also measures actual user actions.

You can also leverage users’ location insights to create relevant audiences and target them at the right place and time. These insights can help craft relevant content or ad creatives that effectively resonate with viewers, determine the optimal times of engagement, and understand which messages are driving consumers to take the final step from viewing a product or service on-screen to seeking a tangible experience in-store.

Bringing It All Together: CTV at the Heart of Holiday Campaigns

Every click, every purchase, every install, every data point adds up to a paint holistic picture of your holiday marketing campaign. Measuring the success of traditional TV advertising has been nebulous at best wherein businesses would struggle to link campaigns to consumer response directly. CTV and AdTech platforms change the game by providing actionable insights into user behavior post-ad exposure. By understanding what content inspires consumers to make a purchase, sign up for a service, or visit their nearest store, brands can refine their strategies, create compelling calls to action, and boost acquisition rates. CTV measurability rounds the impact of omnichannel strategies, by making their impact more tangible for advertisers.

With the holiday season beginning early, brands mustn't miss the opportunity to leverage omnichannel CTV campaigns. It’s not just about being seen; it’s about creating memorable experiences and leaving a lasting impact that consequently drives retention. Embracing this innovative approach, advertisers can go beyond traditional targeting and ultimately enjoy unprecedented growth and customer engagement this holiday season.

Ready to win your holiday shoppers? Contact us now!