Cookies have been making a slow exit for a while now, which means more and more advertisers are shifting their targeting tactics to contextual.
But in order to make the most out of contextual targeting, advertisers need to lean into AI and machine learning driven solutions to ensure they’re connecting with the right audience and providing enhanced ad experiences. That’s why KERV has partnered with IRIS.TV — curating relevant content and allowing advertisers to contextually target at scale across CTV and online video.
A quick recap: What is contextual?
But let’s back up a bit. What is contextual targeting? Contextual targeting matches ad placement to relevant content.
So let’s say a user is reading an article about the latest winter fashion trends. With contextual targeting, a retailer would be able to serve an ad for jackets understanding the user is in that mindset rather than say a car insurance brand serving an ad for discounted policies that might be the last thing on the user’s mind. Advertisers are able to reach their audience when they’re in the right mindset and users receive more relevant experiences.
And while contextual targeting isn’t new to online advertising, it’s evolving significantly. Now, instead of just relying on page relevance via keywords, advertisers can use image recognition within video to create contextual experiences on channels like CTV.
The challenges facing CTV
For CTV in particular, contextual has the potential to alleviate challenges facing the CTV advertising ecosystem.
There’s a significant lack of inventory standardization for CTV and supply is being bought within some of the loosest targeting, verification and viewability practices currently in digital media. Paired with a lack of access to video data, there’s no way to connect the dots.
So the ability to serve safe, quality ad experiences at scale, and measure the performance feels like a dream. And while there have been steps taken to try and course correct—IAB Tech Lab announced an update to their ad format guidelines to include CTV last spring—the industry still has a long way to go.
That’s why having the right technology partner is crucial.
The next step in contextual CTV
The KERV & IRIS.TV integration gives advertisers the power to organize content precisely and strategically so that they can contextually target ads to relevant inventory at scale.
How does it work? We combine our patented, pixel-precise video image recognition technology with IRIS.TV’s curated inventory pipeline to deliver a more refined, enhanced ad-viewing experience to your audience.
The level of precision in our image recognition makes it possible for advertisers to contextually target based:
- Logos
- Facial Recognition
- Place (i.e. cafe, patio, office)
- Brand Safety
- IAB Taxonomy
- Specific objects and object categories
And we’re continually adding new segments for deeper contextual targeting. Want to learn more? Get more information about the KERV x IRIS.TV integration here.
Or, if you’re ready to take the next step in contextual advertising now, you can contact us today.