EORTV partners with ITC Engage for campaign

The campaign played out digitally on EORTV the streaming platform and its social media properties for a little more than two weeks

LGBTQ-focussed OTT platform EORTV has tied up with ‘Engage’, a body fragrance brand from ITC, for a promotional campaign. The campaign played out digitally on EORTV the streaming platform and its social media properties for a little more than two weeks.

As a part of the campaign, the brand’s banner advertisements were put on EORTV’s website and streaming app for 15 days. A substantial brand exposure was given on the platform’s YouTube channel and other social media handles. A 15-second pre-roll of Engage perfume’s audio-visual creative was attached to EORTV’s driver property, I Love Us 3. On screen-logo pop up in each episode of the show, I love Us 3 was also integrated into the campaign.

A subsequent contest was also run where gift hampers of Engage were shared with early bird subscribers and winners to encourage them to subscribe and view the platform.

Speaking about the collaboration, Falguni Shah, COO, EORTV, said, “We are really thrilled to have Engage- ITC on board. When a mainstream brand associates with EORTV it is very reassuring. Right from the outset our mission has been to integrate the LGBTQ community into mainstream society. Any effort or association in that direction is always very heartening. A widely used brand like Engage associating with us is a proof of inclusion. It sets a precedent and helps in paving the way for a much-needed change”.

Speaking about the campaign Deepak Pandey, CEO, EORTV said, “Engage is a very powerful brand and this association shows that the brand is connecting with the audiences in a meaningful way. EORTV has a very strong niche and we feel this collaboration is a step in the right direction towards inclusivity ''.

EORTV is a video streaming app that offers thousands of hours of premium, exclusive and original content. The main mission of EORTV is to create a number of diverse and inclusive stories of the LGBTQ + community, thereby eliminating any kinds of biases based on gender stereotypes and sexual orientation(s).

PubMatic, an independent technology company delivering digital advertising’s supply chain of the future, and Proximic by Comscore, a division of Comscore, has announced the integration of Proximic by Comscore’s Predictive Audiences and Content Targeting solutions into the PubMatic platform.

Proximic by Comscore’s solutions are contextually driven alternatives to ID-based targeting. They are powered by Proximic’s industry-leading contextual natural language processing engine and intelligent categorization technology, allowing marketers and media companies to drive incremental reach and performance at scale without IDs.

Data from Proximic by Comscore is now available to media buyers via PubMatic’s Connect platform which provides privacy-first access to market-leading data and insights to enhance how inventory and data are packaged and transacted. The integration enables PubMatic’s clients to leverage new targeting options to reach key audiences in premium, brand safe environments across desktop, mobile, and connected TV (CTV).

“We are excited to partner with PubMatic to make our Predictive Audiences easily accessible for targeting on the sell-side,” said Jessica Trainor, Head of Partnerships, Proximic by Comscore. “This partnership offers buyers access to ID-less audiences that can be applied to private marketplaces to help close the addressability gap left by the many compounding factors driving signal loss in our industry.”

“PubMatic is committed to providing advertising solutions that deliver results. This partnership with Proximic by Comscore enables us to offer addressable audiences, incremental reach and performance to our clients,” said Brandon Lee, Director, Addressability, APAC at PubMatic. “Digital advertising industry is shifting from buy-side to sell-side targeting, a strategy that delivers superior addressability and performance for both publishers and advertisers in a privacy-centric matter.” 

TAM Sports (a division of TAM Media Research) has announced the launch of Connected TV & Mobile (Android & IOS) Ad monitoring & Verification service for IPL 2023 Live Streaming. This specialized service will provide real-time data and insights to help you stay ahead of the game.

The CTV Ad monitoring will be initially for Live Streaming audiences watching on Connected TV targeted at Mumbai City, while Mobile Ad monitoring is for Live Streaming audiences viewing on IOS /Android mobiles and Geo-targeted  to cities Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad across key cohorts that the Advertiser is addressing.

CTV monitoring will also include 14 different language/other feeds - English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Malayalam, Odia, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Lifestyle feed and 4k English feed!

Both the Monitoring services will provide Advertisers & Media Agencies with Pre, During and Post-Match Ad streaming reports within a day for IPL data users, enabling them to track their sponsorships on a real-time continuous basis. 

"We are ecstatic to introduce this path breaking and unprecedented Ad Monitoring & Verification service on CTV & Mobile platform during the most happening Cricket Event of the year (IPL) via our flagship unit – TAM Sports”; said TAM India CEO Mr. L V Krishnan. “It will be a unique service as we kick start CTV and Mobile monitoring with this year’s IPL. With daily reporting of the data, it is almost real time for Sponsors, Agencies and other Stakeholders to track and maximize Ad Spends. We believe, this is one more step in our attempt to bring more clarity to investments on High decibel Digital properties and will pave way for more transparency to future Advertising spends on Digital Media.”

The report would essentially cover a variety of variables that comprise of – Platform, Stream Language, Targeted market selected by the Advertiser along with Match Date, Stream Duration, Category, Brands, Advertisers, and Ad Positions. 

An opinion piece written by Markand Adhikari, Chairman and Managing Director of Sri Adhikari Brothers Group (SAB Group), on nudity and obscenity in OTT has been ruling the social media charts.  

The article was published by exchange4media on March 21st.

https://www.exchange4media.com/digital-news/class-has-no-class-126085.html

It was no. 4 in India trends on Thursday.

The article has also spurred a lot of discussion on OTT content on Twitter.

Is the content on Netflix leading our youth astray? Mr. Markand Adhikari thinks so. Read his take on the issue in 'Class Has No Class'" #e4Media_Class_HasNo_Class https://t.co/TlFwD37ct4

— Mohammad Altaf Ali (@MdAltafAli15) March 23, 2023

Mr. Markand Adhikari is so right, such content does is not reflect social reality but actually the opposite – instigate our youth and society to go down this path by giving them ideas. #e4Media_Class_HasNo_Class https://t.co/rotvmJSzHd

— Sushma Pandey (@ISushmaPandey) March 23, 2023

Mr. Markand adhikari raising a very good question against Netflix through this article. This question is really important..
e4Media Class Has No Class

— Yatika Sharma (@Yatika1027) March 23, 2023

Mr. Markand Adhikari is absolutely correct !!! I really appreciate his thoughts for the nation.
e4Media Class Has No Class

— Shassy (@Shassy02) March 23, 2023

Mr. Markand adhikari raising a very good question against Netflix through this article. This question is really important..
e4Media Class Has No Class

— Nikhil Pandit (@nikhil29_05) March 23, 2023

Even the most traditional advertisers are now dipping their toes into streaming, while more adventurous brands are already making a splash. And with the introduction of subscriptions with ads on streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney Plus, as well as Jio’s push towards freemium TV, the Connected Television (CTV) landscape is evolving with each new login and the following reams of data, and terms like FAST and Freemium are creating more buzz than an old cable TV’s antenna.

Swati Kardak, Group Account Manager, Media Planning & Buying, SoCheers, believes that with IPL in their kitty and now rolling out of freemium TV, Jio has already got the ball rolling for them. “This is a big boon for advertisers and brands as FAST (Free, ad-supported TV), will open up opportunities for advertisers to widen their addressable audience size. It will also work as a magnet to attract more audiences to the streaming platform and ensure a long-term client relationship.”

Meanwhile, “As subscription plans with ads are introduced, advertisers and brands have a unique opportunity to reach a large and engaged audience. These platforms provide access to massive amounts of user data, enabling precise targeting and cost-effective advertising campaigns,” says Keerthi R Kumar, Business Head-South, FoxyMoron.

According to the recently launched Gateway to Open Internet report, published by The Trade Desk and Kantar, 33% of consumers perceive ads on OTT/CTV as more premium than those on YouTube and other user-generated content platforms, making CTV/OTT a particularly attractive avenue for brands.

Additionally, 44% of consumers expect to significantly increase their usage of CTV/OTT in the next six months. The surge in popularity of Connected TVs also allows advertisers to reach a subset population of cord-cutters that they cannot reach on linear TV.

Tejinder Gill, General Manager, The Trade Desk, says that to capitalize on this fast-growing ad opportunity on OTT, brands will need to invest in data-driven advertising tools on platforms like The Trade Desk to help them to more effectively target and engage consumers across the multiple OTT platforms that consumers engage with today.

In Kardak’s opinion, Freemium will bring about a major cord-cutting change and a huge shift towards Freemium is most likely going to come from the traditional TV audience as they will be able to avail entertainment for free. “Therefore, brands and advertisers will have to be very mindful about picking the right content on FAST for their ad placement. In comparison, the audience on FAST is likely to be more massy, so, brands who have products or services catering to a larger audience should look at partnering with them,” she says.

The abundance of content and vast user base on platforms like Netflix and Disney Plus provide advertisers with the opportunity to target affluent audiences. With the introduction of ad-supported tiers, advertisers can leverage high-quality content to reach their desired target audience.

“AVOD and Freemium models offer precision targeting, real-time optimization, and measurement, leading to a shift in advertising budgets from traditional TV to OTT. As competition increases, advertisers must understand each platform's audience, engagement patterns, and results to make informed decisions that align with their business objectives,” says Kardak.

Vikas Mangla, Founder, Digital ROI, points out that by parsing through the consumer data available through viewership on these platforms, advertisers can develop new ad formats that engage viewers and do not disrupt their viewing experience. “Interactive ads, sponsored content, and native advertising are some of the ad formats that can help advertisers achieve this. For instance, Voot offers non-intrusive ad formats like sponsored content and integrated ads that blend seamlessly with the content,” he says.

Advertisers and publishers also need to analyze the collectible data to gain insights into their audience's behavior and preferences. This can help them optimize their ad campaigns, improve their targeting, and measure their ad campaign's effectiveness.

“For example, MX Player uses data analytics to track viewer behavior and preferences to create personalized recommendations for each viewer. Advertisers can also use data analytics to track ad performance and optimize their campaigns accordingly,” says Mangla, adding that publishers can leverage the popularity of streaming TV by creating content that resonates with their audience.

That being said, as Gill points out, “Another important consideration is frequency capping which is important to ensure consumers are not seeing the same ad multiple times across the different OTT platforms that they are engaging with. This is where programmatic media buying platforms offer value in helping brands preserve a positive ad experience.”

In conclusion, experts agree that the Indian market presents a significant opportunity for advertisers and publishers to reach a large and engaged audience base through FAST and Freemium. By adopting a data-driven approach, using new ad formats, programmatic advertising, data analytics, and content marketing, they can create more effective ad campaigns, engage viewers, and increase their revenue.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced a new WhatsApp app for Windows, which will enable group video calls with up to 8 people and audio calls with up to 32 people - all from your desktop.

Making the announceemnt on Facebook, he wrote, “Launching a new WhatsApp desktop app for Windows. Now you can make E2E encrypted video calls with up to 8 people and audio calls with up to 32 people.”

“The new Windows desktop app loads faster and is built with an interface familiar to WhatsApp and Windows users. You can host group video calls with up to 8 people and audio calls with up to 32 people. We’ll continue to increase these limits over time so you can always stay connected with friends, family and work colleagues.

Since introducing new multi-device capabilities, we’ve listened to feedback and made improvements including faster device linking and better syncing across devices, as well as new features such as link previews and stickers.

As we continue to increase the number of devices which support WhatsApp, we’ve just introduced a new WhatsApp beta experience for Android tablets. We’re also launching a new, faster app for Mac desktops that is currently in the early stages of beta,” he wrote further.

Hareesh Tibrewala spoke to e4m on a host of issues related to MarTech while delving deep into the India MarTech Report. He started by addressing the roadblocks in the implementation of MarTech in the country.

He also explained the point about MarTech explorers in terms of the sectors, which is invested in this marketing technique.

Tibrewala further spoke about how martech was critical in the role of a marketer and how it could be extremely significant for calculating ROI.

The conversation also veered toward the importance of MarTech in the cookie-less world and the advent of Web3.

Watch the entire conversation here.