Earlier this year, Street Digital Media mentioned the future of over-the-top (OTT) advertising and Hulu's push to become one of the first major OTT brands to launch a self serving ad platform. The beginning of that shift was announced yesterday as Hulu launched GatewayGo, its new ad format that allows Hulu viewers to interact with advertisers in real time when they see ads on Hulu. Upon seeing a targeted Hulu ad, viewers will be able to send themselves the special offers they are shown via text, email, or QR code. Furthermore, it is reported that Hulu will utilize Nielsen to measure its ad performance and reach.
The announcement is an interesting one in two ways. First, it shows Hulu's attempt to give OTT direct attribution for generating leads for advertisers. Typically, TV and OTT ads are seen as brand awareness platforms (much like Google Display and YouTube Pre-Roll ads) and are credited with how many eyeballs see their ads. By making OTT ads more interactive and allowing viewers to immediately receive the specials they are served, Hulu is trying to shift GatewayGo ads to a lead generation strategy.
Second, the announcement shows the beginning of a shift of advertising opportunities for OTT platforms. With the "streaming wars" continuing to evolve and "cord-cutting" becoming ever more popular, targeted advertising will continue to develop in the coming months and years. Hulu's announcement and partnership with Nielsen is an early sign of what is to come in the future- more targeted and more measurable ad capabilities on OTT. This could lead to some interesting ad opportunities for multifamily marketing strategies in the future. The ability for multifamily marketing agencies like Street Digital Media to run more affordable, targeted ads at scale for apartment communities would be a welcome addition to the digital marketing landscape. OTT would provide a new medium for marketers to reach prospective renters via brand awareness and potentially lead generation strategies. Expect to see more OTT providers roll out ad platforms in the coming months with increased targeting options to follow.
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