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In the past, if you wanted to catch up on your favorite TV show, you would simply flip open your laptop, log in to Hulu, and hit play. But thanks to connected TV, viewers can still enjoy video on their own time, all while watching it on a larger screen.
Connected TV - an Internet-enabled smart TV or a television connected to a streaming device like a Roku or Apple TV - is becoming more popular than ever. In fact, by 2016, connected TVs will account for 43% of all televisions in America. This is a new opportunity for advertisers, as it lets them create ads with both the branding impact of commercials and the interactive potential of digital.
YuMe conducted a study with research company Frank N. Magid Associates about finding better ways to advertise on connected TV that compared the use of animated, static, call-to-action, and video ads. The study showed that even though participants preferred fewer commercials while streaming or watching connected TV, they wanted those ads to be more interactive (not to mention more entertaining).
Advertisers hoping to reach connected-TV users need to use what YuMe refers to as a "sit back and engage" approach, geared toward viewers who may be sprawled on their couches, but who still want to participate in what they watch. Based on feedback from the study, here are six things advertisers should do if they want to create engaging ads on connected TV:
1) Get the viewer's attention. People are more likely to be drawn to an ad that has motion, as opposed to something static. "If you see something or it's something floating around, it's like the beginning of a story," said one participant. "You just want to know, 'what is it about?'"
2) Offer variety. There's nothing wrong with seeing multiple ads from one car company, but the same ad shown over and over again is bound to irritate people.
3) Make it personal. Connected-TV users want to interact with ads, but only those that speak to what they want. A stay-at-home mother of two may be more interested in a Kenmore commercial than a Ferrari ad. Advertisers should use targeting whenever possible, as well as offer viewers the ability to choose their own ad experience.
4) Don't make them work. While connected-TV viewers are willing to interact with ads, they're still sort of lazy. Users just don't have the patience for ads that require them to click on several links or lead them away from what they're watching.
5) Deliver what you promised. It's simple: If a user clicks on an ad for a product, they expect to be directed to the product. "Take me to the $699 laptop [being advertised], don't make me look for it," said one participant.
6) Remember, it's still TV. "We don't go onto our TV screens to buy, we go on to consume content," said one participant. Connected-TV interfaces look a lot like computers, but viewers are still, ultimately, looking for a TV experience; thus ads should be filled with bold images and videos that entertain.
To learn more about how advertisers can make ads that are more effective on connected TV, download the YuMe study here.
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