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What Does 'Good' Look Like in the Modern TV Landscape?
Harnessing the power of data, media, and technology to build brands
Television advertising has long been the cornerstone of effective advertising for brands. Today, as content moves across screens and devices, multiscreen TV advertising continues to drive results throughout the marketing funnel. In fact, the newly released 2024 "Comcast Advertising Report" found that 97 percent of advertisers plan to increase or maintain spending across streaming TV advertising in 2025, while nearly 75 percent plan to do the same with traditional TV, and 64 percent plan to start using addressable TV advertising if they haven't already.
The power of sight, sound, and motion will always be critical to marketers, but reaching audiences across a fragmented landscape has become more complicated. Advertisers have known for years now that good creative is not enough; it is critical to have a holistic approach to advertising that balances good data, good media, and good technology. But what does "good" look like in a complex and ever-changing advertising landscape?
For its report, Comcast analyzed thousands of multiscreen TV campaigns to answer that question — and to help prepare brand marketers to navigate the year ahead.
What Drives Successful Advertising Today
As TV advertising continues to evolve, sophisticated tools and solutions are critical complements to powerful creative.
Advertisers face a complex market; success in navigating it lies at the intersection of good data, media, and technology, all supported by a foundation of transparency. Here's how advertisers can define "good" in each of these categories:
- Good data is deterministic, resulting in high match-rates that adhere to evolving privacy regulations while respecting consumer preferences, allowing advertisers to confidently reach their audiences.
- Good media is brand-safe, free of fraud, high quality, and helps ensure that the viewer is engaged with the content and, therefore, the ads.
- Good technology is direct, connecting buyers and sellers in the most efficient ways. It constantly adapts and evolves to allow for the ability to easily integrate with other platforms, while maintaining strict controls to prevent data leakages.
With marketers and their agencies facing increased pressure to validate their investments, brands must look to simple, straightforward, and transparent ways to do this. Working with fewer strategic partners can offer easier — and more transparent — ways to achieve tangible results.
2024 Buyer Trends on Data, Media, and Technology
While the industry moves at a breakneck pace, advertisers are further leaning into tactics centered at the intersection of data, media, and technology, which enables them to effectively target audiences and drive results for their brand:
Data.
Advertisers need to accurately target and then measure audience delivery in a privacy-centric way using first- and third-party data. One way that advertisers are executing against this idea is through addressable TV advertising, which allows buyers to leverage the value of deterministic data to ensure that they are reaching their audiences across screens.
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In 2024, there has been a 51 percent lift in advertisers who are prioritizing addressable TV advertising as a "must-buy," and nearly 40 percent increase in ad views using audience-targeting, according to Comcast's report. Furthermore, 63 percent of advertisers said addressable played a role in their Upfront discussions this year.
Media.
High-quality multiscreen TV content, delivered transparently and in a brand-safe environment, is standing out as a priority in the planning and buying process. Research by Comcast shows that advertisers are relying on this premium inventory to improve viewer experiences, which ultimately lead to more positive brand sentiment.
In this year's report from Comcast, 78 percent of advertisers said ad placement is a key factor in planning multiscreen TV campaigns, along with brand safety and overall viewer experience.
Technology.
Data and media can't drive success alone. The right technology needs to be stood up. When it comes to how technology is being leveraged to deliver multiscreen TV campaigns, Comcast found that advertisers of all sizes are increasing their use of programmatic. In fact, there was a 15 percent year-over-year increase in programmatic usage compared to 2023 and a large runway for growth ahead as live events are beginning to turn to programmatic opportunities.
However, despite the growth in programmatic, there are real challenges that need to be addressed. These include a cleaner media supply chain, enabled through more direct connections to supply, and opening up the opportunity for traditional TV to seamlessly transact alongside streaming through the same programmatic pipes.
How Advertisers Will Harness Data, Media, and Technology in 2025
In 2025, brand advertisers should expect the data, media, and technology surrounding multiscreen TV to continue to evolve in a variety of ways:
Data will continue to shape the key methods that advertisers use to reach precise audiences across screens. Data insights are the backbone to every campaign and advertisers will lean on solutions that are fueled by deterministic data, allowing them to reach their most valuable audiences with confidence while measuring the campaign's true impact. As a result, addressable TV advertising is expected to continue its growth trajectory as advertisers look for accuracy, accountability, and unification in their campaigns across screens.
Multiscreen TV media will drive goals throughout the marketing funnel. Thanks to advances in data and technology, multiscreen TV will be increasingly recognized as a full-funnel performance engine that drives results more effectively than "cheap reach" tactics such as social video ads. As measurement capabilities of TV continue to improve, multiscreen TV will emerge as the platform that not only engages viewers with the excitement of their favorite content but also as an advertising strategy that provides granular understanding into how media drives results — from awareness to action, including the halo impact that TV has on complementary lower funnel tactics.
Innovative technology will make multiscreen TV advertising easier to transact. As multiscreen TV becomes more dynamic, addressable, programmatic, and measurable, buying and selling will more closely mimic the ease of digital advertising. Importantly, this includes live event advertising, which, thanks to its move to streaming, has become one of the best ways to put programmatic technology to work. To take advantage of this live opportunity at real scale, both buy-side and sell-side technology stacks will need to make the necessary investments. The combination of engaged real-time audiences with the flexibility, automation, and effectiveness of programmatic makes it a winning strategy for the year ahead.
Moving the Needle in 2025
Next year, the industry will continue to grow more complicated — that's something marketers can count on. But if brand advertisers have a pulse on what has been working this year, they can understand how to move the needle in the year ahead.
When it comes to multiscreen TV advertising, great creative will get brands far, but great data, media, and technology will be the backbone of a successful 2025.
Comcast Advertising is a partner in the ANA Thought Leadership Program.
