ShowHeroes Group, Europe’s leading independent provider of video solutions for digital publishers and advertisers, announces the launch of SemanticHero for CTV – a trailblazing product that will unlock new opportunities for players throughout the digital ecosystem.

Building on ShowHeroes Group’s reputation for world-class semantic targeting, SemanticHero for CTV enables a rich and nuanced understanding of context across lucrative CTV inventory. Its AI-powered approach uses a combination of available sources, including metadata and EPG data, to understand the full meaning of CTV content.

ShowHeroes Group’s advanced technology means advertisers and publishers in the CTV space can deliver campaigns and monetise content more effectively, avoiding inventory wastage by placing ads in the most relevant and brand safe environments possible.

CTV is already well-established in the US, with 73% of CTV inventory buyers shifting their marketing budget from traditional TV to CTV this year, according to the IAB. With the use of  CTV surging during the lockdown, this trend is likely to be echoed in Europe – as brands look for new ways to break through in a prime targeting environment.

The launch of SemanticHero for CTV is overseen by Sarah Lewis, Global Director CTV at ShowHeroes Group and former SpotX executive. Sarah will use her deep-rooted understanding of the CTV space to deliver innovation on both the demand and supply side of digital video advertising.

“This is a huge moment in the evolution of ShowHeroes Group’s products, and it speaks to the scope of our semantic intelligence,” Sarah says. “Research shows that 65% of CTV viewers want advertising that is relevant for them – specifically, the show that they’re watching.

“SemanticHero for CTV allows this proficiency, enabling advertisers to target exactly the right context for their brand, going far beyond what’s possible with other solutions. Marketers can use it to surface their ads in the most contextually relevant environments possible, for impactful and scalable CTV campaigns. Accessing premium CTV inventory in this smart and efficient way has never been easier.”

Ad tech solution providers have previously struggled to target content in the CTV market, even with demand in this arena reaching a record high. Many suppliers rely on basic keyword or object recognition, as well as single frame analysis, to determine the context of digital video. But these tools aren’t sophisticated enough in an age where video content streaming is both fast-moving and multifaceted. 

SemanticHero for CTV bridges the gap. It integrates directly with the publisher to access a wider range of data sources including video metadata, EPG data and keyword analysis. This is then extracted and pulled into ShowHeroes Group’s semantic database. The semantic concepts and sentiment of the content is then identified, to understand the context in detail. These data-led insights are processed for CTV ad targeting that accurately matches a brand with positive, relevant content. One example could be an ad for an electric car range being paired with premium CTV content around automotive, sustainability or green technology.

“CTV is premium, high-performing inventory, so it is very valuable for brands,” says Ilhan Zengin, founder and CEO of ShowHeroes Group. “However, the ability to target within this environment has previously not been possible.”

“With exciting new formats for the big screen emerging, SemanticHero for CTV provides buyers and publishers with the deep machine learning they need to target with precision and helps publishers to monetize content with an incisive, durable approach. By bringing our ground-breaking tech to CTV, we hope to spark a wave of fresh innovation across the digital ad space.”

ShowHeroes Group’s proprietary video platform has given it a lead in Europe, where it works with key markets to deliver matching video content and ads across a range of connected sites and apps. The business is investing heavily in its CTV branch to complement the capabilities of its semantic matching engine, and has recently acquired three European companies as part of its new umbrella brand.

With consumers searching for better ad experiences – and CTV buyers in need of advanced solutions to serve that demand – SemanticHero brings the perfect balance. It’s a bold new step, allowing buyers next-level reach and relevance in the booming domain of connected TV.

ShowHeroes Group

ShowHeroes is a global leader in digital video content, tech, and advertising solutions. The company was founded by Ilhan Zengin, Mario Tiedemann, and Dennis Kirschner in 2016 with headquarters in Berlin and employs more than 400 people worldwide in ...

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