In the last decade, smart devices and streaming services have rapidly replaced the traditional TV experience, leaving audiences with thousands of entertainment possibilities. This has created a monumental opportunity for advertisers to reach different audiences at the same time through connected TV (CTV).
CTV effectively allows advertisers to bring highly targeted content to viewers across a multitude of platforms and devices. While traditional broadcast TV forces media buyers to base advertisement placements on the content aired, CTV comes with the precision of digital targeting, buying specific audiences based on their interests and preferences.
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Unsurprisingly, therefore, traditional TV ad spending in APAC has significantly decreased since 2020 and is expected to further decline in the upcoming years. In 2024, it stands at US$51.98 billion. Meanwhile, almost half of global video impression shares come from CTV today, with its value predicted to reach US$113 within the next two years. Between 2022 and 2023, there was a 15 per cent year-over-year rise in open programmatic ad spend in the first quarter.
Connected devices are now big enough to fill entire living rooms with high-definition content, allowing CTV to bring families together for communal viewing. And with streaming giants Netflix and Amazon Prime Video now pivoting to ad-supported subscriptions, the opportunities for advertisers and media buyers are immense.
A more emotional response
Like traditional TV advertising, CTV serves as a way for marketers to reach the masses with their products. However, unlike traditional TV, CTV has a measurably high engagement rate that facilitates easier media planning, optimisation and return on investment. CTV provides more immersive experiences than its traditional counterparts.
According to a Google survey, around 37 per cent of solo viewers and 71 per cent of co-viewers experienced an emotional response to CTV ads. Further research shows that 40 per cent of APAC viewers have already downloaded a mobile app after watching a CTV ad, while 57 per cent of APAC consumers are more likely to do so via a QR code during the ad.
CTV benefits brand marketers in APAC who are looking to capitalise on the region’s high smartphone penetration due to its ability to work across mobile and smart TVs. This allows contextual targeting of both new and old audiences and the ability to measure across multiple devices.
This measurement is critical for calculating an ad’s effectiveness. Unlike traditional TV, CTV has clear data on key metrics such as how many people saw an ad; how long they watched it and whether they engaged with it.
Data-led strategies enable advertisers to adopt a strategic approach to ad spend allocation, focusing on producing high-quality ads for the right audiences at the best time. The competitiveness of the marketing industry means that every dollar counts. If brands and agencies can make their campaigns more effective, they can demonstrate a clear return on investment (ROI).
The tools for maximising CTV
All advertisements are most effective when shown to a relevant audience. It is paramount that marketers identify the right customer at the right time and place and with the right messaging. A brand’s first-party data is the best and most privacy-favoured starting point to begin customising CTV advertising strategies and reach customers most efficiently.
Technology today allows advertisers to take this identification even deeper, enabling them to reach high-value customers and similar audiences and group them. They can then send personalised messages through a single template to ensure consistent messaging via creative platforms.
Indeed, the most effective digital campaigns today excel in pinpointing their target audience’s profiles, interests, and preferences. Traditionally, this was done using third-party data. However, as Google phases out third-party cookies and privacy regulations tighten, advertisers must prioritise transparency and offer opt-out options.
Advertisers can leverage technology for compliant CTV campaigns. For instance, Crimtan offers a cookieless solution using deterministic, probabilistic, and signal data for broad audience reach with consent. Crimtan’s technology can also help analyse first-party data, identify targeting signals, decide and implement frequency control and unlock retargeting tactics.
CTV represents an enduring evolution bridging traditional media with the digital age, urging marketers to seize its potential.
At Crimtan, our ArchiTECH platform offers omnichannel capabilities, enabling the efficient pairing of CTV ads with other channels, offering a single-stack platform for streamlined campaign management, enhanced visibility, and compliance with global legislations.
For advertisers this allows for efficient budget utilisation by preventing ad fatigue and allowing for precise targeting of existing buyers. Moreover, Crimtan’s ActiveID provides a reliable, legally consented data solution, ensuring marketers can reach target audiences, ensure consent, and achieve accurate attribution without reliance on cookies, thereby optimising campaign performance while maintaining compliance.
Streaming and video-on-demand have irreversibly changed the advertising industry and may eventually render traditional TV obsolete. CTV may require a mind-shift from legacy media buying but marketers will soon see the benefits of precise, personalised campaigns combined with engaging content. Once CTV is fully embraced, it will be impossible to imagine going back.
The article titled “Why connected TV is APAC advertisers’ next big channel” was authored by Joshua Wilson, Commercial Director (JAPAC) of Crimtan
About the author
Josh started his career in digital marketing in 2013 with his own affiliate marketing business promoting brands on social networks and mobile DSPs. He started at Crimtan as Client Services Manager (Asia) in 2015, leveraging his market knowledge and Japanese language skills. Now in the role of Commercial Director (JAPAC), he oversees the region promoting Crimtan’s local and international capabilities.