Connected TV Attribution: Bridging the Gap in Digital Ad Measurement

If you’ve been focused on conventional outbound advertising, you may be unaware of all the capabilities and advancements that have been made with Connected TV (CTV) attribution. CTV attribution has emerged as a catalyst for growth, connecting the gaps in the digital ad measurement landscape of TV advertising.

It’s time to venture away from the advertising strategies of yesteryear and consider the merits of inbound advertising through Connected TV and its powerful attribution capabilities.  This is your inside look at CTV attribution and how it facilitates accurate digital ad measurement that helps businesses understand how their TV ads are resonating with their viewing audiences. 

The Basics of CTV Advertising and Attribution

CTV advertising attribution connects the dots between who saw your ad and which actions they took. But before we venture too far into the attribution element, let’s take a brief look at CTV advertising in general. 

CTV advertising describes the act of using streaming television to deliver a message to a targeted audience. With CTV measurement tools, you can review and analyze the data generated from your ads to see how well they performed against your goals, like Return on Ad Spend.

Connected TV attribution technology has quickly advanced to the point that it is now possible to quickly calculate the impact of CTV advertising.  Ads in video form are transmitted to the business’s CTV advertising platform of choice for presentation before the viewing public.  

Dig deep into the technical aspect of CTV advertising and attribution and you’ll find CTV devices’ IP addresses are saved as exposure files.  Moreover, if two or more devices are used in unison, those with the same IP address are accounted for in the form of exposure files.

Attribution includes a comparison of outcome and exposure files.  Outcome files are recorded in accordance with actions taken by members of a household or a Connected TV device on the IP address.  Results from both exposure and outcome files are reviewed to find IP addresses.  

The next step is the actual attribution in which matching IP addresses are both saved and marked as attributing identities after comparison.  Each of the steps listed above includes an in-depth statistical review to identify possible attribution. 

Measuring the Success Rates of CTV Ads

Attribution models have important differences yet they have similar underlying frameworks.  Marketers have gone to great lengths to develop intricate models to gauge the success or failure of CTV ads.  Aside from the steps detailed above, CTV advertisers also have the agency to obtain more information about viewers after seeing the CTV ad.  It is also possible to measure the number of visits to a webpage, new followers on social media platforms and conversions. 

Once the data is in-hand, the stage is set for a transition to attribution modeling.  Such modeling frames data in terms of CTV ads to gauge the impact on the business.  Customer data is analyzed in an attempt to identify the most likely cause of the viewer action.  

As an example, if there is an increase in social media followers after a CTV ad airs, it is only natural to assume the ad is the reason people have ventured to those pages.  However, in the spirit of honesty it is only fair to consider that other ads played a role in the decision.

Connected TV Attribution has Staying Power

Industry insiders believe CTV attribution will continue to reign supreme over conventional TV attribution for years or possibly indefinitely.  CTV attribution is now considered superior to traditional attribution as it is significantly easier to track.  

Moreover, CTV advertising is highly dynamic in that the technology continues to change while traditional attribution remains largely stagnant.  Continue to monitor CTV attribution’s progression in the months and years ahead and you will find it improves through new creative ways that gauge ad success with unparalleled accuracy.

The Final Step of CTV Attribution

Collecting and analyzing data is not enough.  Measure key performance indicators (KPIs) linked to the CTV ad to generate one or multiple reports.  Analyze the reports and you’ll gain valuable insight that reveals the ad’s success rate.  

When in doubt, err on the side of collecting, analyzing and measuring more information rather than less to avoid decision-making based on speculation instead of facts.  If you find CTV attribution confusing or need guidance, reach out to marketing professionals for guidance.  

The experts will help you navigate the CTV advertising and attribution mazes.  The industry’s best are also helpful in pairing businesses with CTV advertising partners that ultimately saves your most valuable asset (time) in an effort to advance the bottom line.