Precision and Reach: Why Streaming TV is a Powerful Weapon for DTC Brands

TV streaming is more intricate than you or your watching habits probably realize, which is why you need a video production services company.

When it comes to advertising and marketing, Direct to Consumer (DTC) brands are best known for sponsored social media posts and banner ads. This makes perfect sense, given their low overhead and brand-focused business model. Yet many of these brands are migrating to a new channel — streaming TV — and partnering with top video production services to create compelling content designed to connect with a younger, mobile-first audience.

Why DTC brands are choosing connected TV as a channel

New research from Hulu and Telaria (a video adtech firm) underlines the potential impact streaming TV can have for DTC brands. Roughly 70% of DTC consumers indicated they spend more time watching streaming TV each week than they spend on social media. These consumers reported spending approximately 13 hours watching streaming TV each week — a figure 20% higher than their reported consumption of traditional broadcasting.

As a recent piece in Adweek maintains, this shift in media watching patterns is now being reflected in the retail sector. Brands are cognizant of this reordering of viewing habits and seeking to benefit from it. A recent report from the Video Advertising Bureau showed that the top DTC brands spent roughly $2 billion on streaming ads in 2018, a figure that likely represents just the tip of the iceberg in terms of ad spend in coming years. In just the last two years, DTC brands doubled their total streaming ad spend.

Why DTC brands are choosing streaming TV

Traditional broadcast TV isn’t an ideal fit for many DTC brands for two reasons: It’s expensive, and it targets a general audience. Streaming services, however, offer DTC brands the ability to target audiences with much greater precision. As Adweek notes, this gives DTC brands the benefits of TV (spectacle, sight, sound, motion through excellent video production services) and marries it with the precision of digital advertising.

How much of an impact does this added precision have? According to the Hulu/Telaria study, shoppers are twice as likely to purchase a product after seeing it in a streaming ad as opposed to a traditional ad. Study respondents also indicated they found streaming TV ads to be more relevant than traditional TV ads — hardly a surprise given the scattershot nature of conventional television advertising.

By focusing on streaming ads, DTC brands also gain much more insight into the purchase cycle. Gaining insight into ad placement and audience targeting allows these brands to better define conversion rates and customer acquisition costs.

Ultimately, streaming TV ads formerly came with a major trade-off for brands — audiences were much, much smaller than those watching traditional, linear TV. However, that state of affairs is rapidly changing. As streaming audiences grow, the value of advertising through this channel grows in parallel.

The takeaway

At BIGEYE, we understand the value of a highly targeted, creatively inspired, and well-executed streaming ad campaign for DTC businesses. Please reach out to us today to learn more about how our video production services can enhance your DTC successes.

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