Consumers have more options for viewing video than ever, presenting a challenge to advertisers that are looking to connect with their audiences. As the world of TV and audience viewing behaviors evolve, advertisers must also adapt their strategies to continue making an impact.
Last week at Advertising Week New York, our Chief Growth Officer Brian Quinn sat down with Michael Gewiertzman of Advertising Week to discuss the ongoing evolution of YouTube, and how advertisers can make the most of their TV budgets by shifting investment toward the growing platform. Here’s some of what they discussed:
YouTube’s Massive Reach, And Evolution Beyond Social
While marketers may have viewed YouTube as part of the social environment in years past, YouTube has clearly evolved beyond its roots in social media. In fact, Google now reports that TV is its “fastest growing screen” for the platform. In our recent report that analyzed consumer viewing preferences, we found that YouTube is the most-watched streaming platform, with 87% of U.S. consumers reporting they watch the service, and 83% of U.S. consumers watching YouTube on a TV Screens.
The latest data released by Nielsen confirms this rise of the platform on TV screens. Nielsen recently highlighted new data that shows the platform accounts for 8% of all TV viewing, more than Netflix, Hulu, or any other streaming platform. Nielsen’s data shows that streaming overall accounted for 36.9% of TV viewing in September, up from 35% in August, indicating that the big shift from linear to streaming platforms is showing no signs of slowing.
Why Advertisers Should Shift Their Approach To TV
To stay relevant and reach the right audience, brands must therefore make YouTube a bigger part of their TV strategy. Advertisers can take advantage of YouTube’s vast array of advertising products to reach the platform’s massive and growing audience, and should specifically target TV Screens through device targeting to ensure they’re reaching viewers when they’re engaging in leaned-back viewing.
Earlier this year, YouTube made headlines with its first appearance at the Upfronts, TV’s biggest marketing and sales event. That alone should signal to advertisers that anyone who still thinks of YouTube as primarily a social platform isn’t seeing the whole picture.
Want to learn more about reaching your target audiences through TV Screens? Contact us to set up a meeting to find out how Pixability’s solutions can help you drive impact on YouTube.