Connected TV advertising for Australian brands

Connected TV (CTV) advertising places internet-delivered video ads on a television screen. For an Australian brand, start with the audience and campaign goal, then check which services, devices and locations the proposed buy covers. The number of people using streaming services is not a forecast of people available to receive your ad.

CTV is part of online video. A broadcaster's stream may be watched on a TV, phone or laptop; only TV-screen delivery belongs in a CTV plan. Internet video can reach a TV through a smart TV app, streaming device or games console. Ask suppliers to separate TV-screen delivery from other devices in both proposal and report.

CTV vs. Other Video Delivery: What’s Included?

Decide what the campaign should change

Give the campaign one primary job. If people need to learn the brand exists, plan for reach among the intended audience and decide how awareness will be assessed. If they know the brand, the message might explain a product choice or invite a visit to a relevant page. If the goal is enquiries or sales, define the action and how it will be recorded before booking media.

Keep delivery and outcomes distinct. Impressions, completed plays and estimated reach describe delivery or audience coverage. A brand study or recorded site action answers a different question. A conversion reported after ad exposure does not, by itself, show the ad caused it.

Agree how measurement will be used

IAB Australia's Video Measurement Framework groups video assessment into delivery quality, brand impact and sales outcomes. Use these categories to agree which questions the campaign needs to answer, rather than treating a single metric as a complete account of performance.

The framework describes approaches including attention measurement, brand lift studies, attribution, incrementality testing and marketing mix modelling. These methods answer different questions and have different data requirements. Establish with the supplier which approach is planned and what information it requires before the campaign begins.

Match the buy to Australian viewing

ACMA research describes streaming as Australia's favourite way to watch or listen. Request a forecast for the actual inventory, audience, geography and dates you intend to buy.

For each proposed package, establish which publishers or apps are included, whether delivery is restricted to TV screens, and whether inventory is live, on demand or a mixture. Ask what can be reported by publisher, device and location. If a requested breakdown is unavailable, decide whether the remaining evidence is sufficient for your goal.

Shared-TV viewing can make audience estimates complex. For detailed household audience planning, see the dedicated audience-planning article.

Key Australian CTV Viewing Trends

Recognise the range of Australian inventory

Australian BVOD examples include 7 Plus, 9 Now, 10 Play, Foxtel Go and SBS On Demand, which offer free-to-air content for streaming live or on demand. These are examples of services, not a complete list of CTV inventory. Confirm which services are in the proposed buy and what each contributes to the plan.

Prepare the message and response

Write for television viewing: make one main point, keep on-screen information readable, and provide a practical next step if a response is wanted. Interactive options depend on the booked placement. Obtain the supplier's creative requirements and a placement preview before approving the ad.

Make the destination match the ad's promise. If the message asks viewers to compare options, the landing page should present those options clearly. Check screen legibility, page loading and the next action before launch.

Check creative format fit across placements

Creative requirements can vary by environment and placement. IAB Australia's Video Format Matrix maps format characteristics and placement types across CTV, mobile and desktop, and provides guidance on adapting or reusing creative across them.

Use the matrix as a prompt when discussing whether an existing video can be used in the proposed placements or needs adaptation. Confirm the actual format requirements with the supplier; a creative that works in one environment may not fit another.

Put the decisions in one brief

A workable CTV brief states:

After launch, compare delivery with the brief and record gaps in coverage.

Planning an Australian CTV Campaign: Key Steps

Include privacy in data discussions

If a campaign uses personal information for targeting or measurement, ask the supplier what information is collected, how it is used and disclosed, and who is responsible for handling it. The Australian Privacy Principles cover collection, use and disclosure, governance and accountability, information integrity and correction, and individuals' access rights.

The OAIC describes the 13 Australian Privacy Principles as applying to organisations and agencies covered by the Privacy Act. Ask how the proposed data practices address the relevant responsibilities. Clarify what information will be available for reporting without assuming household or device data identifies an individual viewer.

Pros and Cons of Using Personal Data in Australian CTV Campaigns