OTT Advertising On The Rise

At Genius Monkey, we’ve been serving video ads to connected devices for years– whether on CTV (Connected TV) via Apple TV, or a live-streaming show on your mobile device. Now that OTT (Over The Top) television has become as advanced as it has, Genius Monkey has officially separated out this channel for those digital marketers who want to go all in.

Are OTT and CTV the same thing?

First, let’s take a look at what OTT and CTV really are, and the differences between them. This explanation is apparently necessary since, believe it or not, nearly 50% of today’s marketers said they thought that OTT and CTV were the same thing.* But, this couldn’t be further from the truth! CTV is nothing more than another device upon which we show ads; not unlike desktop or mobile. OTT advertising is simply the delivery mechanism of getting an ad in front of a certain audience.

For example, let’s say that two neighbors, one being a single female professional who drives a sports car, and the other being a married male with 5 kids, driving a suburban. They’re both watching the same show on the A&E app at the same time, but one is watching via Apple TV connected to his “Connected TV,” and the other is using the app via her mobile device. In light of the fact that their circumstances are so different, they would most likely see two different ads.

How OTT advertising works

TV ads are sold as impressions using digital marketing tools like software automation and advanced data. As such, the viewers can stream content live and on-demand. Ad spots are purchased when viewers match your desired audience. Ads appear on actual TVs in full-screen, 100% viewable environments.

More focus because it’s “On Demand” on their time – not the networks’ time

As people gain more and more control over their time, we as marketers have to get them to buy on THEIR TIME, NOT OURS! Not like in the old days, where the slick salesmen were up to trickery and forced funnels. The good news is that, when done right, the customers can become much more loyal than in the old days when they were “tricked” into making a purchase.

The bottom line is: You simply must be everywhere, because we know how many impressions are necessary to get a conversion … as many as it takes.

*According to a recent poll conducted by IAB (International Advertising Bureau)