The fact most people take out their phones during ad breaks was once thought of as a distraction; now that behaviour can be harnessed by broadcasters to encourage interactivity with ads on connected TV. And with the continued convergence of TV and e-commerce, CTV publishers are increasingly testing ways to make their ads shoppable,
Shoppable ads are well established on social media, forming a key part of the ad experience on TikTok and Instagram, but bringing interactive formats to the big screen in the living room presents further opportunity; an Innovid study in 2022 found that interactive CTV campaigns drove a 5.42 percent engagement rate, compared to 0.97 percent on mobile.
Last year, German sales house Ad Alliance ran tests on streaming service RTL+ to evaluate the effectiveness of different interactive formats. “We want to use the technologies on smart TV to integrate television and e-commerce,” says Ad Alliance CMO Lars-Eric Mann. “In this equation, TV is a particularly appealing medium for branded companies, because it not only attracts big audiences fast, but also has a strong sales effect.”
The company deployed a four-week test campaign to generate subscriptions on RTL+, using a range of advertising media, including ATV Switch-Ins and Spots, as well as in-stream and out-stream ads. Ad Alliance deployed discount codes to incentivise viewers to take out a subscription, and measured the user journey from ad impression to registration. That data was used as the basis for another two-week campaign targeted at panelists, who were asked to rate the different ad formats.
Smart shopping
According to the research, two-thirds of consumers prefer to shop where they already have a customer account, and (an oddly low) 80 percent agree that the purchasing process should be as uncomplicated as possible. Panelists found video advertising particularly memorable; 50 percent could recall the ATV ads, while 43 percent reported liking the content. They also responded positively to receiving product suggestions on their smart TV, and being able to make a purchase using their smartphones.
“The integration of the shopping function – whether in digital format or on ATV – immediately met with plenty of interest,” comments Mann. “Openness to QR codes, willingness to use them and, above all, experience of doing so play a key role in creation. They also felt a real urge to make a purchase and to shop in this way – depending on the advertising form, this ranges from 49 to 61 percent.”
Based on the results, Ad Alliance developed two shoppable ad formats that are now available to advertisers:
- The shoppable spot frame – a frame is placed around the TV spot, with a yellow shopping button that leads to an interactive ATV microsite and the advertiser’s product showcase. Each product is has an individual QR code which takes users to the shop, where they can make a purchase.
- The Shoppable Dynamic Sitebar and the shoppable MCA 1:1 – desktop and mobile formats where a product shop window is integrated over a large area, taking users directly to the shop without an additional scan. Contextual integration is also possible through keyword targeting.
The findings saw Ad Alliance conclude that shoppable CTV formats will only grow in popularity. “E-commerce is playing an increasingly important role, meaning that advertising associated with a purchase option is extremely enticing for a variety of industries,” notes Mann. “Our solutions work not only because they appeal to a broad target audience, but also because they can be tailored to different individual target demographics.”
