Channel 4 has introduced a suite of advertising products to help brands to tap into its streaming audience in the UK.
The broadcaster has debuted a product called ‘Attribute’ that will enable brands to measure how streaming ads impacts consumer spending patterns. Channel 4 says that it does this by cross-matching the IP addresses of viewers’ connected TVs, smartphones, and laptops, using this to combine data on the viewing of ads on Channel 4 streaming alongside data on online shopping.
Channel 4 has also worked with its measurement partner, Adalyser, on the tool, using data to measure response rates for streamers exposed to specific ad campaigns.
The ‘Approved Transactional’ product will give brands the opportunity to target streamers through more than 50 customer profiles, including travel, technology, and automotive. These profiles have been created matching debit and credit card transaction data – supplied by Acxiom and Affinity Solutions – to the profiles of Channel 4’s 30 million registered streaming users.
Finally, Channel 4 is enabling advertisers to optimise where their ads appear on Channel 4 streaming. Once an advertiser has selected a demographic to target, Channel 4 will offer the choice of targeting by location, down to street level; based on 26 content genres; by device type; and by time of day and day of week.
“We’re giving brands and agencies unique new flexibility to target Channel 4’s young, engaged streamers, tapping into the unique ability of broadcaster VOD (BVOD) services to captivate and retain desirable audiences,” said Fatima Dowlet, Head of Streaming & Social Propositions, Channel 4 Sales. “While respecting viewer privacy and anonymising data, Channel 4 will continue driving the best innovation for the benefit of our viewers and commercial partners.”
The network has capped those developments with the launch of a private marketplace that enables brands and agencies to transact directly with Channel 4’s streaming inventory. Channel 4 is currently working with The Trade Desk on the marketplace, with plans to work with additional partners in the future.
Currently in beta phase, with a full launch “coming soon,” the private marketplace will enable brands to buy ads around Channel 4 streaming via real-time bidding.
So far, Channel 4 has delivered campaigns with “several agency groups and clients” across sectors including FMCG, beauty, travel, and tech.
