Media Planning
Part of Connected TV advertising for Australian brands
Choosing a streaming campaign objective
Choose one primary streaming campaign goal and match awareness, consideration or action to an appropriate measure.
Choose a streaming campaign objective by naming the change you want from a defined audience, then choosing how to assess it. “Get views” describes delivery, not the business purpose. One primary objective makes the media plan and final review easier to judge.
Start with the audience’s decision
If the audience does not know the brand, awareness may be the right job. If people recognise it but cannot explain the offer, understanding or consideration may be the objective. If the offer is familiar and viewers can take a useful next step, the campaign may support enquiries, sign-ups or sales. These are possible objectives, not a sequence every buyer must follow.
| Primary job | Question for the brief | Evidence to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Build awareness | Did awareness change among the intended audience? | Reach and delivery, plus a suitable brand study if feasible |
| Improve consideration | Did the audience better understand or favour the offer? | A relevant brand measure or other planned assessment |
| Encourage action | Did recorded enquiries, sign-ups or sales change? | Defined site or business events, interpreted with a suitable comparison |
IAB Australia’s video measurement framework distinguishes delivery, brand effectiveness and sales effectiveness. Use that distinction when choosing a primary measure. Supporting metrics can add context, but they should not replace the objective after launch.
Key Guidelines from IAB Australia’s Video Measurement Framework 2025
- Framework Distinctions
- Delivery, brand effectiveness, sales effectiveness
- Recommended Study Type
- Brand study for awareness objectives (if feasible)
- CTV Response Path
- Confirm with supplier—do not assume clickability
Check the viewing situation
Ask what a viewer can realistically do after the ad. A product demonstration may prompt later research; an offer may give a clear route to a relevant page. Do not assume a television placement supports clicking or a particular interactive format. Confirm the booked treatment and response path with the supplier.
Consider how long the customer decision takes. A high-consideration purchase may require time to compare options. Immediate actions can still be recorded, but a small number of them should not be the sole test of a message intended to influence a longer decision. An awareness goal also needs more than completed plays if the advertiser wants to know whether awareness changed.
Write the measurement sentence before booking
Write the objective as: “Among [defined audience] in [locations and dates], improve [outcome], assessed using [method], while monitoring [delivery measures].” Fill in the brackets with a plan the business can support. If a brand study or suitable comparison is unavailable, narrow the claim in the final report rather than implying an unmeasured lift.
For an action objective, define the event. Is an enquiry a submitted form, a qualified lead or a phone call? Can the business record it consistently? Set the reporting window and note other promotions that may affect the result. A visit following a CTV impression is an observed association unless the measurement design supports a causal conclusion.
If the audience, offer or destination changes materially, revisit the objective. Keep the original objective in the final report so the campaign is judged against the question it was built to answer.
