Results of an exclusive egta survey confirm top management’s expectations for the industry.

Over 100 CEO’s and senior executives from surveyed egta members – leading TV and radio sales houses across Europe and beyond – expect growth in ad spend for both Total Video and Total Audio in the next three years. An exclusive survey carried out by the Brussels-based trade association sheds light on the continued transformation the advertising industry is expecting.

Opportunities ahead lie in targetability and personalisation

With change comes opportunity. Approximately 88% of respondents perceive targetability – enabling advertisers to pinpoint their target markets – and personalisation – creating relevant and unique experiences that hold attention for longer – as a priority for their company in the coming years.

Other particularly important growth areas highlighted by senior executives are streaming/online audionew ways for audiences to access content (additional screens and devices), new sources of data shared by advertisers and or telco providers, and addressable TV.

Reaching audiences where they are today

While opportunities abound on the horizon, senior executives also identified some of the challenges they foresee in this changing media landscape. More than 80% of C-suite executives state that they are relentless in their attempt to reach audiences where they are today – thus making up for the decline in linear TV ratings. Their focus is on building the right infrastructure that will allow today’s TV to compete with international online platforms and speed up the process around the identification and adoption of cross-platform measurement solutions.

Shaping the future of advertising

77% of TV members and 78% of radio members are positive about the future advertising market. Optimism remains – if slightly higher this year compared to two years ago – that both the Total Video and Total Audio ad markets continue to grow.

Broadcast TV and radio currently remain by far the biggest advertising revenue sources for broadcasters. However, respondents aim for online to take a larger share in the future. Approximately 90% of C-suite executives believe that advertising on online properties will represent a greater proportion of their revenue sources by 2022.

Commenting on the results of the survey, Katty Roberfroid, egta’s Director General said: “The homogeneity in the results we received from a vast majority of select top executives does show the way forward. If we are to future-proof today’s TV and radio’s business, both on air and online, we must continue to cooperate and innovate on all fronts: infrastructure, formats, measurement, and more. This will help advertisers reach the consumers around the premium content they love – in an always brand-safe environment that is respectful of their experience and privacy.”

Several CEO’s who participated in the survey added their comments:

“If we – as an industry – are to compete against international online platforms, it is all about competing on content, and collaborating on tech, currency, measurement and more. This common sense will help us create a truly seamless total video experience for both advertisers and users.”

Malin Häger, Sales Director & Chief Commercial Officer, TV4 Sales

“In an age of audience, it’s all about finding new ways for listeners to access the great content we have in abundance. In this battle for time and attention, Total Radio embraces innovation with plenty of opportunities with regards to personalisation, podcasting, streaming, on-demand radio and more – which will all contribute to a growing advertising market.”

Saskia Schatteman, Chief Executive Officer, VAR

“We need to experiment and continuously push the envelope with regards to targetability, personalisation and more to advance our industry. As addressable advertising is going to vary per market, we need to dig deeper into the data value, the return on investment and the scalability.”  

Christian Kurz, Senior Vice President Global Consumer Insights, Viacom

“We’re living in an era where it’s no longer about linear or non-linear TV. When we’re in contact with marketers every day, we see they’re overwhelmed with solutions and fragmented media. We need to be the guiding light that helps them find the audiences where they are today, helping advertisers and their brands as a trusted partner with insights in this Total Video ecosystem.”

Stéphane Coruble, Chief Executive Officer, RTL AdConnect

“For us at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the bar is set high. As streaming video grows and younger viewers move online, we’ve been incessantly innovating to follow audiences online – as a multiplatform player amid fast-changing viewer habits. In our unique position, bridging the US and European market, we’re focussing on building the right infrastructure as we expect more revenue from online in the coming years.”

Jean Mongeau, General Manager & Chief Revenue Officer Media Solutions, CBC/Radio-Canada

Source: egta.com