We’ll keep this to the point: If you have video assets and run video ad campaigns, it’s a good idea to educate yourself on the basics of Google TV. This can be a really useful platform to increase the effectiveness of video campaigns you’re already running, or a motivator to start using the video medium because of Google TV’s potential.
Let’s check it out:
What is Google TV?
Google TV is a specific type of Android TV OS interface and digital distribution service for movies and television. This is through search and browsing and includes for rent, purchase, and other streaming options. It’s the successor to TV delivery interfaces that Google has created in the past, including the previous iteration of Google TV and Google Play Movies & TV, which have existed since the early 2010s.
In basic terms, Google TV is simply a smart TV setup allowing you to watch movies, shows, and live TV from a variety of sources.
It also can be accessed multiple ways: via TVs that have Google TV built in, via Google TV Streamer, and on mobile devices. And just to be sure there’s no confusion: Google TV is not the same as YouTube TV, despite Google owning the latter.
Currently, Google is looking to create a version that’s free for users and supported by ads. This is where it can benefit you when you’re looking to expose potential customers to your business.
Image Source: smarttech-tv.com
Why does Google TV matter and how does that impact you as a marketer? (Plus resources for further reading and how to get started!)
When it comes to running ads with Google, Google TV can come into play depending on your circumstances.
For certain campaigns, you may see options to “include Google TV” into your targeting. Particularly, this is a way to extend a YouTube video campaign beyond just YouTube — since you already have video-based assets, this provides inventory across over 125 channels that are built into Google TV.
Basically, this is just a new placement that wasn’t previously available to advertise on — one that potentially has a lot wider distribution.
Why is this important?
Simply put, it allows further coverage without having to start from scratch.
You get more coverage across Google’s network and increase the reach and effectiveness of YouTube campaigns by allowing you to extend those over to Google TV, too.
Another important note is that, for the free, ad-supported Google TV, ads are unskippable — unlike YouTube. This means, if you’re showing ads on Google TV, they are being seen all the way through. Subsequently, you’ll have increased TV viewership and increased viewership of your whole ad in situations where, in the past, users would likely skip as soon as possible.
Granted, you still are best-served by making ads that have a sense of urgency with the hook and pitch — no wasting time on your ad just because you “can” now without people skipping — but this is really helpful for being able to have more comprehensive messaging.
If you’re currently running video ads (or considering doing so in the near future) and want to expand that capacity out to Google TV ads, Google includes instructions on setting them up on their support site, plus some more insight into the minutiae of different variations. We recommend checking that out and considering how these could help your video campaigns!
