More Brands Are Pivoting to TV - What Took So Long?

-by Bob Ivins, Chief Strategy Officer at TVSquared

Recently, I read an article about an online retailer, Uncommon Goods, titled, “Retailer Trading Facebook for TV Following MeasurementIssues.” The concerns facing Facebook (and digital in general) about environment and independent measurement haven’t been a secret, but, especially during what has been the most innovative time for TV and TV measurement—a medium which has been forced to play defense to digital for too long—I couldn’t help but have the following thoughts regarding the state of digital advertising:

• First, I found it funny that a medium, whose mantra once was “the medium is the measure” can’t seem to get measurement right—even after 30 years.
• Second, an industry that’s expected to reach nearly $192 billion in the U.S. alone by the end of 2021 cannot be built without trust between the buyers and sellers. Full stop. Independent, third-party measurement and verification are vital.
• Third, and just in case brands like Uncommon Goods aren’t reading the latest trade press, the legacy TV currency supplied by Nielsen is under significant     pressure—with complaints rolling in from their largest clients and their MRC accreditation lost for both national and local business. This has placed a greater emphasis on the need for the industry to embrace change and welcome new, future-proofed currencies. 

Again, independent, third-party data sources that are transparent and can be trusted are needed for advertisers to achieve the most efficient and effective buys possible—and this is exactly the type of data TVSquared is providing for TV.(Uncommon Goods, I’m waiting for your call!)

Previously, digital sold their story of better data, targeting and measurement (all while pushing print to life support)—but TV has now pulled level. For years, TV continued to do reasonably well because advertisers have always valued the brand-safe environments associated with TV programming and live TV events. That has not changed. What is changing is that converged TV, finally, has access to better data, measurement and targeting—effectively neutralizing the advantages digital once had.

With it being such an exciting and innovative time in TV’s evolution, I’m not surprised that brands like Uncommon Goods are moving money to TV. I just wonder, what took so long?