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Uncovering the CTV Advertising Spend of Your Competitors: A Guide to Staying Ahead of the Game

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In the world of advertising, it's essential to stay ahead of the competition. One of the most significant ways to do this is to understand how much they're spending on connected TV (CTV) ads. CTV advertising is on the rise, with brands shifting their ad spend from traditional TV to streaming platforms. In this blog post, we'll explore how you can uncover the CTV advertising spend of your competitors and how to use that information to your advantage.

Understanding the Importance of CTV Advertising

First, let's understand the significance of CTV advertising. As more and more viewers cut the cord and shift to streaming services, traditional TV advertising is becoming less effective. CTV advertising, on the other hand, allows brands to reach a highly engaged and targeted audience. Additionally, CTV advertising offers more advanced targeting options, such as demographic, geographic, and even behavioral targeting. This allows brands to reach the right audience at the right time, resulting in more effective ad campaigns.

Tools to Uncover Competitor CTV Advertising Spend

There are several tools and resources available to help you uncover the CTV advertising spend of your competitors. Some of the most popular include:

  • Simulmedia's complementary TV audit: Leveraging our TV Audit, marketers can receive a detailed competitive analysis that encompasses not only competitors’ CTV and linear TV ad spends but also dives deep into their share of voice by DMA. This report provides insights into frequency distribution and allows marketers to measure cost-per-reach over time, offering insights into how effectively competitors are reaching their audience compared to their own efforts. Additionally, marketers can see the overall cross-channel reach, assessing both linear TV and CTV.
  • Advertising intelligence platforms: These platforms, such as SEMrush, provide valuable insights into a brand's advertising spend, including their CTV ad spend. These platforms also provide information on the channels and platforms where the ads were placed.
  • Social media listening tools: Social media listening tools, such as Hootsuite Insights, can help you track mentions of your competitors' brand and their advertising campaigns. This can give you an idea of their ad spend and the platforms they're using.
  • Surveys and market research: Surveys and market research can provide valuable insights into the advertising spend of your competitors. For example, you can conduct a survey of your target audience to see what brands they've seen CTV ads from and how often.

How to Use Competitor CTV Advertising Spend Information

Once you have a good understanding of your competitors' CTV advertising spend, you can use that information to improve your own advertising strategy.

Identify the platforms and channels where your competitors are advertising: By understanding where your competitors are advertising, you can identify the platforms and channels that are most effective for your industry. This will allow you to focus your ad spend on the platforms that will give you the best return on investment.

Understand your competitors' targeting strategies: By understanding your competitors' targeting strategies, you can identify opportunities to differentiate your own campaigns. For example, if your competitors are focusing on demographic targeting, you may want to focus on behavioral targeting to stand out.

Benchmark your own ad spend: By understanding your competitors' ad spend, you can benchmark your own ad spend and make sure you're investing enough to stay competitive. You can also contrast the efficiency of your campaign versus competitors -- who is successfully building incremental reach, and who is wasting money on over-frequency.

In conclusion, understanding your competitors' CTV advertising spend is essential to staying ahead in the world of advertising. By using the tools and resources available, you can uncover valuable insights into your competitors' strategies and use that information to improve your own advertising efforts. Remember, by keeping an eye on your competitors, you can make sure you're investing in the right channels, reaching the right audience, and staying competitive in the ever-evolving world of CTV advertising.

Find out how Simulmedia’s unique TV+® platform for TV and streaming advertising provides unified access to premium linear and CTV inventory across all networks and publishers. Request a demo or email us at advertise@simulmedia.com.