What is incremental reach? Achieving next-gen reach and frequency

Depending on where you sit in the value chain and the levers you can pull, the term “incremental reach” can mean different things. As a publisher, programmer or operator, you can manage exposure across screens but only within your footprint. Advertisers and their agencies want to be able to manage optimal reach and frequency across all publishers and screens. There is no question that the industry will eventually deliver on this promise, but it will take some time and significant collaboration to marry viewership and ad exposure data across all end points. In the latest published work by the FreeWheel Council for Premium Video, we explore the different terms, definitions and perspectives surrounding the concept of incremental reach, focusing primarily on the combined use of linear TV and digital TV/video advertising to help better manage reach and frequency. Terms and definitions There are a number of terms that the industry uses interchangeably or in association with incremental reach. Here are a few key phrases and their definitions: There are also a number of parameters to use to achieve incremental reach: The focus on incremental reach for the purposes of this piece is managing advertising across platforms, specifically linear TV and digital TV/video. Incremental reach’s evolution Incremental reach capabilities are evolving rapidly, and many providers can help advertisers achieve smarter allocations of budgets across different channels to create reach efficiency today. Some of these capabilities are based on modeling that provides directional guidance on investment strategies. Deterministic data sets—actual households or individuals associated with an ad exposure—are the optimal way to measure true incremental reach and a more reliable method to control frequency. True cross-channel, cross-supply incremental reach will require many parties to come together for the greater good of the industry. A likely first stage of evolution could involve a consortium approach, where participants would deduplicate exposure based on their data. However, not all ad exposure data across devices would be captured or deduplicated due to variances in data capture, definitions and methodologies. A second stage of evolution could be based on more standardization of data sets and an alignment of industry players around what data to use and how to use it. This would also include establishing standardized definitions and methodologies. Next generation reach and frequency While the industry focuses on the “reach” half of the reach and frequency equation, there is a significant opportunity to manage frequency through the same mechanisms. As more linear inventory becomes more digitally enabled, frequency management can scale by using exposure data across platforms on both an individual and a household basis, in a privacy-compliant way, to flatten out campaign frequency curves. Persistent creative IDs are essential to managing frequency across platforms. The path to true incremental reach with optimal frequency across multiple channels is a multistage journey. The industry will need to collaborate to accelerate efforts to achieve that future, but there are plenty of tools and capabilities offered today that enable marketers to manage reach and frequency across screens. The next frontier is to create further efficiencies across supply partners as the opportunities to apply data and addressability for national inventory drive more effective results for marketers. For the full “What is Incremental Reach?” infographic, click here. About FreeWheel Council for Premium Video The FreeWheel Council for Premium Video (FWC) serves the interest of the premium video industry through leadership positions, research and advocacy. Founded initially in the U.S. in 2015, and expanded into Europe in 2017, FWC is an advocacy group comprised of 46 premium video providers globally, including programmers, pay TV/telco operators, and digital pure-plays. The FWC operates as an educational and organizing resource to assist marketers in reaching desired audiences in premium video environments, conducting research documenting the benefits of premium video, and championing the interests of member publishers and the market.

What is incremental reach? Achieving next-gen reach and frequency

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