The best thing about advertising on the Internet—whether it be on social media such as Twitter or Facebook, or websites such as Google or Yahoo—is the flexibility advertisers have to target their audience. In the past, it was impossible to achieve this kind of direct advertising on television. However, Sky has brought this targeting to TV advertising through their options that have been introduced on Sky AdSmart.
What is Sky AdSmart?
AdSmart is a technology put out by Sky that essentially allows advertisers more options in terms of choosing their market and improving the chances of their ad being seen.
AdSmart was launched back in 2014 with household brands such as Audi, Tesco, and RBS. Whereas they began with large companies, they have designed their technology to also suit smaller businesses. They are also looking to expand into further countries next year. With this expansion looming, let’s explore first how AdSmart works, and second the wide range of options one can choose.
How it Works
Sky AdSmart better allows advertisers to target their ads to more relevant households. The way Sky achieves this is by utilizing it’s consumer insights and targeting technology to send commercials to where it will most apply to the viewer.
The advertiser can choose a specific audience based on a selection of household attributes, such as pet ownership, location, and other demographic information.
Once the households are selected, SkyBoxes then play relevant spots into ad-breaks. This means different messages will be played to different viewers, regardless of location.
Sky is able to track advertisement viewership and provides advertisers with campaign reporting of impressions, so advertisers can directly see the impact their ads are making.
Options/Features
Here are some notable features and options that make Sky AdSmart exciting for marketers:
- Perhaps the most exciting feature is that the advertisements are not determined by channel—Sky has about 50 channels that it can advertise on. Once the household is selected, if they are watching one of those 50 channels, the ad will be played regardless of what show is on the television.
- Your market is no longer limited by location, thanks to the Sky Boxes.
- There are an enormous amount of demographic options to choose from, and the frequency of ads can also be selected.
- Advertisers don’t have to rely on Sky’s statistics—they can create custom segments based off their own customer data if they wish.
- Sky Adsmart is traded on a CPM basis—they only charge advertisers when 75% or more of the ad is shown at a normal viewing speed.
New Opportunities for Small Business
The new targeting opportunities are designed to allow brands and businesses of all sizes to utilize television advertising. By allowing advertisers to select their audience, there is a better opportunity for niche brands to jump into television advertising.
Their minimum campaign amount is currently set at £3,000, which is much more affordable for small businesses than it used to be.
Success Stories
There are, of course, many companies that can attest to the success of Sky AdSmart. Here are two: the first is a larger company, and the second is a smaller business.
One success story involves Capital FM. Because they have been opening many new stations as part of their expansions, they needed to market in only certain regions. They were able to target television viewers through AdSmart in the appropriate regions where their signal reached.
A more niche-based success story involves Bicester Village, an Oxfordshire-based shopping centre. Their goal was to increase traffic to the centre and encourage new consideration of the area. Of those that remembered seeing the ad, 26% took action as a result.
Conclusion
In short, Sky AdSmart is a great tool for marketers to use to specifically target their ads. It’s a technology that allows you to play your commercials to a more relevant consumer base. The bottom line cost is also much more affordable than years past, making it more available for small businesses.