• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, July 11, 2019

Google made real-time triggers available in Display & Video 360 to all advertisers late Wednesday. The automated tool allows advertisers to target display and video messages in response to live TV or real-world events such as a baseball or soccer game.

Marketers can set pre-defined triggers across devices, so the ad will run as soon as moments occur. They can also use Programmatic Guaranteed deals to secure a variety of connected TV sports inventory to build a deeper connection with fans.

“For instance, as the excitement builds-up for the second half of the Major League Baseball season and the race to the postseason, you can tap into MLB.tv’s premium content on connected TVs,” wrote Stephen Chang, product manager for Display & Video 360 at Google, in a blog post. “Sling TV’s always-on sports deal is another source of high-profile in-game spots as well as surrounding coverage on leading broadcast and cable networks.” 

Chang, a diehard Dodgers fan living outside of Los Angeles, says marketers should define the triggers in Display & Video 360 and then specify the ad creative that should go live immediately following an event.

For example, marketers can set up a trigger to serve a specific ad for fifteen minutes during halftime of any NFL game or run ads for two hours after the New England Patriots win a game or for twenty minutes whenever the Patriots or a specified player scores a touchdown.

Since Chang lives outside the area, he only watches baseball games on MLB.tv connected TV app, which means the app is the best way to reach him.

Today, real-time triggers in Display & Video 360 support the English Premier League, Champions League, National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) games, but Google plans to add more options.

Some advertisers also used real-time triggers during the FIFA Women's World Cup this year.  

AirAsia, an early adopter, used Display & Video 360’s real-time triggers to reach engaged fans in Southeast Asia during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Their #StillGotIt campaign featured soccer starter Roberto Carlos showing off skills, from his signature curling free kick to nonstop Samba dancing.

The campaign focused on reaching fans in Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. The brand also doubled the ads’ frequency during Brazil’s matches and the World Cup Final.