Video: How 2020 Viewership Trends Should Affect Your Media Mix
By Amy DesLauriers
Associate Product Manager
Read time: 5 minutes
Hello! My name is Amy DesLauriers and I’m an associate product manager at Midco, specializing in advertising services. It’s my job to ensure that our advertising products are meeting the needs of our audience – that’s you – and to make sure we’re helping your business be competitive in the marketplace.
It’s been a challenging year for business, we know that. Social distancing, cancellations and a market recession, just to name a few. 2020 has seen unprecedented shifts in nearly every aspect of our lives. The words family and togetherness have a whole new meaning. Most of us are spending more time at home than ever before. In the media world, we are seeing this shift in viewership as our day-to-day habits and entertainment options change. How will all these changes affect YOUR marketing strategy?
2020 Viewership Trends (0:50)
If we had any doubts about TV streaming in the past, 2020 has made us sure that we never have any again.
- According to Nielsen, streaming consumption across all video is up more than 74% from last year.
- As of August 2020, Americans in streaming-capable homes spend one-fourth of their time streaming video.
Let’s put that into perspective. In Q2 2020, we watched more than 142 billion minutes of stream-able content – just shy of 270,000 years.1
Um, WHAT? That’s a huge number! And it’s expected to rise even more. In addition to fan-favorites such as Netflix and HBO Now, ad-supported streaming services will continue to rise as consumers opt for less expensive entertainment. In advertising lingo, these are known as OTT or Connected TV. Sports have also had an interesting year, to say the least. With live sports hitting the pause button in March, the hiatus is over (for now) as national leagues are back on the field and back into fan’s homes. Our own Midco Sports Network has been able to broadcast a few games this season, but we all continue to plan for the unknown – in both broadcasting and advertising.
It will be interesting to watch how both streaming and sport viewership trends develop and evolve in the coming months, and even years – we’ll be watching closely to monitor these trends for you, so that you don’t have to.
How will 2020 trends affect your media mix? (2:20)
I wrote a blog post, pre-pandemic, about creating a media mix that works. I noted that you should never rely on only one marketing channel to achieve your goals. This is still very true.
By distributing dollars across multiple channels, your advertising will be more impactful and more effective at driving the action you intend.
So, let’s talk about 2021. We expect MANY advertisers will increase investment in video advertising, such as connected TV, to meet the changing demand. Some will add on and others will shift budget. We will work with you to ensure your media mix and investment is aligned with the latest in consumer trends and designed to reach your goals.
With so many ways to reach people today, you can’t rely on one marketing channel to achieve your goals. Budgets and focus will shift from season to season, and year to year. Each channel has a role in your media mix – often times not equally.
Linear TV: It’s what you might consider cable or satellite TV – and linear TV still reaches millions of viewers regularly, and is one of the best options for brand awareness campaigns.
Connected TV: A form of ad-supported TV streaming, connected TV (CTV) helps you reach people on some of their favorite streaming platforms or devices.
Digital Video: This might come in the form of a pre-roll video ad that plays before full-length videos online.
Digital Display: These ads are the banner ads you see when browsing your favorite websites.
Other Category: Includes search, social, direct mail, out of home and any other miscellaneous ways you communicate with current or potential customers.
When it comes to advertising in a pandemic, there will be a lot of opportunity to use advertising to drive business recovery. But AGILITY is going to be the name of the game. It’s always good to have plan A, B and C – especially now. Thinking through multiple scenarios ahead of time will allow you to pivot quickly.
Keep these points in mind: Go back to the basics and start by setting goals and defining your audience. And a multi-channel strategy is still key. I recommend including video formats and placement whenever possible for a more valuable impression. And remember, video is not only a commercial for linear TV. That TV commercial will play just as well in a digital, streaming environment, such as connected TV. You can also use a cut-down version or short snippets for pre-roll or social media. However, if time and budget allow, it is best to create a unique video for each audience and platform, to increase relevancy.
Ultimately, creating a flexible plan is the best advice we can give you right now – and we’re happy to talk more with you about how to make that happen.
As an Associate Product Manager at Midco, Amy DesLauriers keeps a pulse on industry advertising trends - finding ways for our team to be increasingly innovative and competitive. Prior to Midco, she worked as a director of media strategy for eight years at a Sioux Falls-based agency. She holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from Minnesota State University-Mankato, and a Master's of Business Administration from University of South Dakota.
As an Associate Product Manager at Midco, Amy DesLauriers keeps a pulse on industry advertising trends - finding ways for our team to be increasingly innovative and competitive. Prior to Midco, she worked as a director of media strategy for eight years at a Sioux Falls-based agency. She holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from Minnesota State University-Mankato, and a Master's of Business Administration from University of South Dakota.
1 Nielsen: Growth Spurt: Time Spent Streaming Ad-Support Video is Outpacing Big Name-SVOD Viewing, Q32020