Unlock Value with FreeWheel's Contextual Marketplace
Contextual Marketplace: A Game-Changer for TV Advertising
FreeWheel's Contextual Marketplace emerges as a game-changer in the television advertising realm. It allows publishers to effortlessly automate and scale new monetisation opportunities across their multiscreen inventory. Advertisers, too, gain a powerful tool to reach the right audiences without relying solely on identity signals. For example, an airline advertiser can precisely deliver commercials within holiday travel content while avoiding any news programming related to travel delays. This granular targeting ensures that ads are placed in the most relevant contexts, enhancing the viewer experience and driving better results.With the integration of KERV.ai, a leader in video analysis and monetisation, and Proximic by Comscore, a provider of audience and content targeting solutions, the Contextual Marketplace becomes even more potent. KERV's advanced, scene-level metadata informs pod-level ad adjacency, while Proximic's integration and the IAB Tech Lab Content Taxonomy, along with publisher proprietary signaling, create a direct and transparent connection between buyers and publishers. This connection brings the benefits of contextual targeting to premium CTV inventory, offering brands a way to deliver more personal and relevant ad experiences.
The importance of tailored ads cannot be overstated. As streaming continues to reshape the way viewers consume their favourite programmes, the FreeWheel Viewer Experience Lab was launched in 2023. This lab aims to inform and improve ad environments across multiscreen devices. The latest report from the lab highlights key findings that demonstrate the power of contextual solutions. Viewers are twice as engaged and have twice as much unaided recall for relevant ads. Relevant ads also result in 5.2 times higher brand purchase intent. These findings underscore the significance of delivering ads in the right context.
Advantages of Contextual Targeting
Contextual targeting offers several advantages. It provides a new constant in the age of identity challenges, unlocking additional value for publishers and new premium opportunities for advertisers. By targeting ads based on context rather than relying solely on identities, advertisers can reach audiences that are more likely to be interested in their products or services. This leads to increased engagement, higher ad recall, and stronger brand sentiment.For publishers, contextual targeting allows them to monetise their inventory more effectively. They can offer targeted ad placements that are more likely to be seen and interacted with by viewers. This leads to higher revenue and a more sustainable business model. Additionally, publishers can provide a better viewing experience for their audiences by delivering relevant ads that enhance the overall content.
KERV's patented AI technology plays a crucial role in contextual targeting. It captures metadata across every video frame at the pixel edge, enabling the identification, analysis, and matching of context and objects to immersive and shoppable ad products. This technology provides advertisers with detailed insights into the content and context in which their ads are being displayed, allowing them to create more targeted and effective campaigns.
Brace Yourself for Higher TV Prices in 2025
Manufacturers' Dilemma
Avneet Singh Marwah, the chief executive officer of Super Plastronics Pvt., which holds the exclusive brand license for Thomson and Kodak, has pointed out that the ongoing geopolitical tensions have led to a significant 30–35% jump in freight rates. This, coupled with the all-time low of the Indian rupee against the USD, is further adding to the cost burden for manufacturers. As a result, there will undoubtedly be a price increase of around 10% for smart TVs starting from 2025.
These cost pressures are not limited to a single manufacturer. Videotex International, a contract manufacturer for brands like Lloyd, Realme, Toshiba, and Daiwa, is also closely observing the fluctuations in material and shipping costs. According to its director, Arjun Bajaj, depending on market conditions, they anticipate increases of 7–10%.
Impact on Consumers
The rising costs for manufacturers are likely to be passed on to consumers. With the expected 10% hike in smart TV prices, consumers will have to dig deeper into their pockets to purchase these devices. This comes at a time when many people are already looking to upgrade their televisions or purchase a new one for their homes.
However, it's not just the price increase that consumers will have to deal with. The supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic have also led to shortages in certain models and brands. This means that consumers may have to wait longer to get the television they want, or they may have to settle for a different model than they originally intended.
Future Outlook
Looking ahead, it's unclear how long these cost increases will continue. The geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions are still ongoing, and there is no clear sign of them easing in the near future. This means that consumers can expect to see continued price hikes for televisions in the coming months and years.
Manufacturers, on the other hand, will need to find ways to manage these costs and keep their businesses afloat. This may involve finding new suppliers, negotiating better deals with existing suppliers, or finding ways to streamline their operations to reduce costs. Only time will tell how they will be able to navigate these challenging times.