smartclip, Europe’s largest open ad tech platform for broadcasters and streaming services, have published a comprehensive white paper, entitled "Addressable TV Advertising: New Opportunities for International Advertisers to Reach European Audiences", which provides a framework for advertisers based on the results of an extensive in-house analysis. The results of this research serve as a guide for advertisers and include strategies and opportunities, as well as information on various Addressable TV (ATV) ad formats and targeting capabilities available in European TV markets.

This white paper is underpinned by smartclip data, compiled over the last four years, which reveals a significant year-over-year growth for ATV in Europe. This data also shows that ATV advertising is steadily attracting new and diverse brands. When smartclip launched its first commercial ATV solution in 2017, 70% of all ATV campaigns were booked by four industries: automobile, consumer goods and FMCG, entertainment and media, and technology and telecommunications. Since then, ATV has been embraced by many more industries and brands, including finance, real estate, and insurance — a trend that industry experts predict will continue.

In addition, the research bundles findings from interviews with executives from leading companies such as Atresmedia, M6 Publicité, RTL AdConnect, Ad Alliance, and Amobee, who make use of ATV advertising solutions to varying extents.

Dr Oliver Vesper, Co-CEO and managing director at smartclip Europe stated, “during these  challenging times, there has never been a better time to unite European markets and take them to the next level by making Addressable TV advertising techniques an integral part of advertisers’ and agencies’ overall marketing strategies. To give insight into the various possibilities and new developments, we show successful case studies to demonstrate Addressable TV best practices in terms of ad formats and targeting tactics. With Addressable TV, advertisers can leverage TV’s highly effective branding capability, while focusing their budgets on the most relevant audiences.”

The research also offers insight into new buying opportunities. While 85% of ATV campaigns across smartclip’s European portfolio are still booked via IO, there is a growing demand for programmatic ATV buying. In response to these market needs, Amobee and smartclip recently announced the formation of TechAlliance, a new broadcaster-centric, cross-screen advertising platform.

Other key topics highlighted in the white paper: 

- Investigation into the challenges of defining ATV, and further inquiry into how ATV is understood from a technology perspective versus a media sales perspective.

- Thorough analysis of the state of Addressable TV advertising across European TV markets, including local trends and opportunities, hurdles, and future predictions.

- Exploration into the ways in which all types of advertisers — not only traditional TV buyers — benefit from ATV advertising, as well as how to buy and successfully apply ATV to any media strategy.

- Access to diverse ATV advertising case studies that show how major international brands and agencies — such as Nissan, Spark Foundry, iglo, and MediaCom  — as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, leverage ATV advertising.

- Overview of ATV advertising formats and targeting solutions that are currently available in local European markets.

"Addressable TV Advertising: New Opportunities for International Advertisers to Reach European Audiences" is available for free download in its entirety here.