Many of us are predisposed to think there is nothing worse than a commercial. You’re watching your show and then all of a sudden you have to break and watch some ad for fabric softener.
But believe it or not, AVOD or Ad-based Video on Demand is actually seeing huge growth in the streaming wars. And that is both because of the content that is offered on these platforms, the price they’re offered at and that commercials are, in many ways, becoming more tolerable for the viewer.
With ads, of course, it is a quality over quantity scenario, as is evidenced by this interview with Tubi’s VP of Global Business Development, Andrea Clarke-Hall:
In terms of minimizing ad pods and instead developing contextual partnerships and relevant content integration, Clarke-Hall said that ads will become more and more dynamic especially when it comes to VOD content.
As you can see, the plan is to make it so that ads aren’t just something that breaks up your show but actually function as another thing you can enjoy or at least not be actively irritated by. This happens by being more receptive to what specific viewers are looking for. And with AI there is huge potential to get this right.
With the Resonance AI platform, AVOD streamers can see exactly how their ads are resonating with their audience. A large part of making the ad experience better is through customization, and by knowing the elements that are resonating both positively and negatively with the audiences of particular shows, streamers can start figuring out which ads will not only be tolerable but may actually hook the viewer.
This ability to better tailor ads would mean huge benefits both for the streamer and those making the ads. First of all, making the viewing experience more enjoyable will lead to decreased churn. Secondly, the main point of ads is to appeal to the consumer and by getting the right kinds of ads in front of the right kinds of viewers, these companies will continue to put ad dollars where they’re most effective.
It’s a long way to go before ads aren’t considered a nuisance by everyone, but with platforms like Resonance AI, it can get much closer much quicker.