The rapid rise of connected TV (CTV) and over-the-top (OTT) advertising has unlocked incredible opportunities for marketers to reach highly engaged audiences. With an estimated 92% of US households now reachable via CTV platforms, according to eMarketer, this channel has become an essential component of modern advertising strategies. However, one significant challenge continues to plague advertisers: transparency.
In an April 2024 study by Advertiser Perceptions and Premion, 39% of CTV/OTT advertisers cited transparency about where ads were running as one of their biggest challenges. Earlier in 2024, the IAB UK found that 70% of marketers similarly reported not knowing where their CTV ads were landing. This lack of clarity not only erodes trust but also limits the potential of CTV to deliver on its promise of highly targeted and measurable advertising.
Why Transparency Matters
Transparency is the foundation of any effective advertising strategy. Advertisers want to know:
- Where their ads are being shown: Understanding which apps, channels, or publishers are delivering impressions is critical to brand safety and campaign success. This is also essential to avoid ad overexposure, such as showing the same ad multiple times within a single TV show, which frustrates viewers and wastes advertising budgets.
- Who is viewing their ads: Precise audience targeting relies on accurate, transparent data about viewer demographics and behaviors.
- How ads are performing: Without clear insights into ad placements, measuring performance and ROI becomes challenging.
CTV’s fragmented ecosystem—with its myriad of platforms, apps, and devices—makes achieving transparency particularly difficult. This is where SceneContext.ai helps harmonize bidstream data, bringing full transparency and controls into CTV targeting.