Paramount Taps iSpot Technology to Measure Consumer Response to Ads

During this year’s “upfront” advertising market, Paramount Global might not just promise a specific number of viewers for various shows; they could also secure agreements that are contingent on the genuine reactions of the audience towards specific advertisements they’ve been exposed to.

The proprietor of CBS and Comedy Central will employ a novel tool from media-analysis firm iSpot. This tool, named “Outcomes at Scale,” is designed to provide data regarding business results, such as whether consumers take certain actions after viewing ads, like purchasing a product or buying a movie ticket. This service allows advertisers to monitor conversion rates and identify which shows, time slots, and demographic groups yield the best reactions to their advertising campaigns.

Assessing how consumers react to advertisements, often referred to as “attribution,” is considered crucial in the industry. With the fragmentation of linear TV viewers across streaming video and other consumption methods, it has become challenging for the industry to accurately measure viewership that advertisers find acceptable. Even with the increase in mobile tablet usage and streaming video, most TV networks still generate a substantial portion of their ad revenue based on the number of viewers watching their TV shows via traditional linear channels. By connecting ad exposure to subsequent purchases or responses, TV networks could potentially justify charging higher fees from sponsors.

According to Travis Scoles, executive vice president of advanced advertising at Paramount, the capacity to effortlessly provide automated results across different platforms is incredibly revolutionary. Although traditional measurements like GRPs are significant, they frequently function as stand-ins for effect. Demonstrating actual performance on a large scale is the blueprint for the future of our industry.

Advertisers can utilize the iSpot tool to compare audience impressions with crucial sales performance indicators like store or website visits, among other things.

Stu Schwartzapfel, the executive vice president of media at iSpot, stated, “Providing attribution on a large scale not only expedites the time to crucial insights for brands, but it also transforms the purchasing process from one focusing on reach to one centered around impact. This means that instead of merely reviewing how campaigns are progressing in terms of on-target reach upon waking up, buyers can monitor the performance of their investments as campaigns unfold and adjust spending accordingly based on what’s effective.

Paramount has collaborated with various measurement service providers in the past. In a temporary situation where they had a disagreement with the industry leader, Nielsen, they opted for VideoAmp as an alternative solution. However, their issues were settled in February, allowing Paramount to rely on Nielsen’s measurements to a significant extent during the upcoming upfront market. This is the period when U.S. TV networks aim to sell most of their advertising space.

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2025-03-27 16:16