• by Jay O'Connor , September 10, 2012

A steady stream of recent data illustrates continued torrid growth of video advertising relative to TV advertising, the difficulty of reaching certain demographic segments (particularly younger demos) via
TV as they choose to consume their video content online, and the resulting importance of developing unified plans and buys for video and TV advertising.

Media industry forecaster Magna Global Intelligence recently projected that digital video advertising will grow 28 percent this year, a rate six times faster than the growth of the total US advertising market.
Programmatic buying of digital advertising is growing at an even faster growth rate of 39 percent, according to Magna.

In response to this changing ad-buy landscape, prominent industry leaders like Nielsen and Adap.tv have recently developed tools that will allow marketers to more comprehensively develop and implement plans and media buys that align their TV and online campaigns.

As TV and online video converge, new opportunities will arise for both advertisers and publishers to reap the benefits of more precisely defined channels for message points to reach their intended audiences.

Yet like any industry-wide transition of this magnitude, a new set of obstacles arise. From fragmented audiences to incongruent technology and data to measurement challenges, marketers will need to learn the landscape and adjust accordingly.

These and other issues will be examined at prominent industry gatherings, such as MediaPost’s “Future of Media” forum in New York City on October 3.

They will also be the focus of the Adap.tv’s first annual Adapt Conference, taking place in New York on September 18. The event, which will feature insights from some of the industry’s most influential
leaders, will provide a forum for information-sharing among senior executives. Perhaps more importantly, it promises to lead to solutions to the issues that are of greatest concern to marketers.

These include:

• The evolution of agencies: How can agencies structure themselves to better align with a blended approach to TV and video ad trading.

• Opportunities for innovation and value: How a universal approach to data will be effective in audience buying and data-driven advertising.

• Common measurement: The establishment of a measurement “currency” that is consistent for both traditional and online video advertising, and the importance placed on the two entities working together to devise a solution.

• The Future of planning and buying: As the distinction between on-air and online TV viewing dissipates, what impact will it have on ad-buyers and their daily operations?

By delivering more specifically-defined target audiences, the TV/video evolution promises to benefit both advertiser and publisher, with more effective buys leading to stronger returns and, ultimately, greater profitability for those able to adapt.

Jay O'Connor, Chief Marketing Officer, Adap.tv