Steven Broadhead, MD EMEA at Nexxen discusses the power of ACR data. He examines strategies for its use, and how it can give advertisers an advantage in the evolving TV landscape. 

In recent years, the explosion of streaming services has significantly disrupted the traditional TV model – in and beyond the UK – offering viewers a more diverse range of content without the constraints of network programming. This shift towards a more flexible, personalised viewing experience and the subsequent, rapid adoption of connected TV (CTV) reflects the broader trend of media convergence, whereby digital and television experiences blend. ​

For advertisers, this shift presents a unique opportunity to leverage automatic content recognition (or ACR) data. ACR enables more targeted, personalised advertising strategies in a landscape where traditional TV metrics no longer fully suffice. With ACR, brands can tap into the growing CTV audience and deliver impactful, relevant messages at precisely the right moments, amplifying engagement and optimising ad spend.

Strategies using ACR

For advertisers, the importance of this data in the connected TV space cannot be overstated. 

With ACR data, brands are provided with a powerful tool that reshapes how they reach, engage, and measure their target audiences in this ever-evolving ecosystem. It’s the engine that drives precision and personalisation in CTV advertising, allowing for real-time identification of content being watched –whether it's live TV, on-demand services or streaming platforms. This insight empowers advertisers with a granular understanding of user behaviour, content preferences and even competitive ad exposure, giving them the ability to tailor messages in incredibly specific, powerful ways. 

With these enhanced targeting capabilities, brands are better positioned to deliver relevant ads at the right moment, optimising ad spend and boosting ROI.​

A holistic view

Another key advantage of ACR data? Its ability to capture the full picture of the viewers’ media consumption habits. 

Traditional TV ratings and set-top box data provide only partial insights, often limited to specific channels or devices. ACR data, on the other hand, offers a holistic view across the entire CTV ecosystem, tracking both linear and non-linear viewing. This enables advertisers to map a clearer, more complete consumer journey – identifying who has seen their ads, when and on which devices. This creates opportunities for cross-device targeting – e.g. dual-screening, or second-screen moments – as well as sequential messaging and frequency capping (to reduce ad fatigue).

Competitive intel

ACR data also shines when it comes to competitive intelligence. Knowing to which other brands a viewer has been exposed is critical for staying relevant in a cluttered advertising environment.

ACR enables advertisers to identify competitive ad placements in real-time, providing a strategic advantage to either reinforce their message or offer an alternative narrative at the exact right moment. 

This level of insight translates into more informed media-buying decisions, helping brands craft strategies that either counteract competitor messaging or amplify their own.​

Measurement

Further, the post-campaign analysis derived from ACR data gives advertisers a clear window into their effectiveness and ROI. Unlike traditional metrics that rely on probabilistic measurement, ACR provides deterministic data, offering definitive insights into which ads were actually viewed.

Brands can measure everything from attention to sustainability to brand lift, tracking conversions across platforms in ways that were previously unimaginable in the TV space. This transparency and accuracy are invaluable for optimising future campaigns and proving value to stakeholders.

Gaining the ACR advantage

In an advertising world that is increasingly dominated by performance metrics, accountability and precision targeting, ACR data is not just a nice-to-have – it’s a necessity. For advertisers looking to harness the full potential of CTV, ACR data opens up a new frontier of audience understanding and engagement. It allows for smarter, more efficient ad buys and, perhaps most importantly, delivers the relevance that modern viewers demand. As the shift towards CTV continues, those who embrace ACR will have a distinct edge in cutting through the noise and capturing the attention of today’s audiences.