Cross-Device: Combining Reach with Advanced Targeting Capabilities

Today’s viewers consume media across different screens. They switch between broadband and digital content, as well as TV and other devices. The concept of cross-device targeting in the classical sense can no longer keep up with the ongoing fragmentation of audiences across screens and devices, as it narrows the view to predefined data segments. It is much more important to create a flexible and completely data-driven ecosystem spanning both linear TV and digital consumption. An optimized system knows when, where and which audiences are best addressed. Above all, the intelligent use of one’s own data is essential and there is one major reason for this development: the overall TV market will be far more powerful as we already see the growth of audiovisual consumption on all devices, not only TV. Interacting with a tablet or mobile device while watching television has emerged as a natural way of consuming entertainment. The way in which this second device is used varies widely, and includes activities both related and unrelated to the television programme.

smartclip’s cross-device targeting capabilities are a proprietary and groundbreaking feature, as it enables advertisers to serve targeted ads to consumers across multiple devices within the same household — effectively merging the worlds of traditional TV with digital delivery and planning.

But how does the complete Addressable TV Tech Suite for cross-device advertising distribution work?

The smartclip platform uses a device-matching algorithm to mine data aggregated by the DME. The TV acts as the anchor device, while other devices (e.g., mobile phones, desktop computers, and tablets) are linked to the TV based on various attributes. A household device graph is created, which maps out individual devices that belong to a single home. This allows advertisers to tie individual attributes across devices to a single household.

Our comprehensive cross-device Addressable TV solution covers the complete process – from integration through linear TV logistics to ad-server based ad delivery. With our clear focus on workflow automation and data-driven decision-making, we offer an unparalleled peace of mind with our cross-device capabilities. This targeted solution helps to break down conventional silo when it comes to channels. It allows various devices in a household – including TVs, tablets and smartphones – to be addressed and the ads shown to be optimally fine-tuned.

The full, dynamic integration of the smartclip technology into TV scheduling systems ensures that the additional ad formats are only delivered within defined time frames. It covers full ad logistics, with ad serving and decisioning, ad operations, and ad management. It also includes measurement and reporting of reach and usage data in unique cross-device graphs. The result is a completely new advertising workflow and revenue potential for broadcasters, thanks to in-depth analytics.

Our Addressable TV platform is the asset that can make the broadcasters’ unique TV data accessible to the advertising market. The difference between other solutions in the market is trendsetting: We have integrated the cross-device information into the heart of our ad decisioning, i.e. our algorithms are not only applying a simple retargeting of users marked as a cross-device match. Instead we enable a GDPR-compliant solution and an efficient contact class optimization by household and at device level. This allows combining classic TV media planning with cross-device media planning in order to reach TV spot viewers again. For TV-based household targeting, our cross-device Addressable TV solution allows all internet-connected devices within a household to be addressed and targeted, starting with the TV, encrypted into IDs by using an innovative hash procedure.

This Addressable TV cross-device bridge is not based on the potential viewer of a program, but on the actual viewer of a specific spot, a media development that is exclusive to TV houses.

Furthermore this opens up entirely new opportunities for advertisers in terms of storytelling or ensuring that contact is optimally fine-tuned for every household. Our innovative cross-device Addressable TV product represents another step towards reach. We target desktops, tablets, mobile devices and TVs with an extensive lineup of creative formats. Our extensive reporting offers critical insight into overall campaign performance — such as conversions — as well as breakouts by geo, time of day, day of week, device, ad format and creative.
Digital marketing is data-driven. Based on ever-growing first, second and third party data treasures, marketers promise that advertisers can reach exactly the right audiences. With Addressable TV, the data-supported delivery of advertising media has also been carried over to live linear television. By relying on a proprietary infrastructure such as smartclip’s, campaigns can be booked both programmatically and directly across broadcasting groups.

The smartx platform is a true holistic infrastructure that enables parties on both sides of the advertising transaction to reap the benefits of both traditional direct bookings — still a crucial source of revenue — and programmatic deals.

smartclip cross-device targeting couples the data-driven approaches of online and TV advertising and creates an overarching ecosystem for advertisers that is built on a form-fitted booking approach for their campaign across all devices.