Why advertising on premium quality content platforms ensures better brand safety
An advantage that OTT platforms have over other online video streaming platforms is brand safety as the content that goes live on OTT platforms is already checked
In India’s increasingly crowded online video space, brands are constantly competing for consumers’ attention. To get in front of their core audience, brands are reaching them where they spend a lot of their time: on OTT platforms. From appointment viewing to binge-watching, the way people consume content has changed a lot over the past few years. As more and more people turn to OTT platforms, the number of brands advertising on OTT platforms has gone up as well, which raises the question of brand safety on OTT platforms.
An advantage that OTT platforms have over other online video streaming platforms is brand safety for a simple reason – the content that goes live on OTT platforms is already checked and authorized. Issues with ads appearing in offensive content or next to videos containing hate speech is why advertisers avoid spending on such platforms. OTT solved this issue by simply guaranteeing and ensuring quality content to their advertisers.
Amongst the other issues, YouTube has faced unrelenting questions on ad misplacement. More recently, the online video sharing platform was forced to disable comments on content featuring minors following fears the comments section was being abused. AT&T, Hasbro, Nestle, Disney and Epic Games were among those to temporality freeze spend, but the roots of the problem run a lot deeper.
In 2017, marketers reacted to YouTube’s brand safety flare-up by suspending campaigns running on the platform over ads monetizing violent or offensive videos. The reaction was not much different in 2019 when a video featuring young girls saw the comment section become a horrific sideshow. Investments in brand safety on YouTube focused on adding human content moderators and improving technology to scan posts for objectionable audio or video, but the inability to closely monitor YouTube campaigns results in brand safety failures.
Brands accept a shade of risk when they advertise on platforms like YouTube and Instagram that allow nearly uninhibited posting and commenting, but that’s not the case on OTT platforms. ZEE5’s quality content controls and monitors are aligned with BCCC (Broadcasting Content Complaints Council) instead of UGC. This leads to way higher video viewability and completion rate of ~80% (actual viewability), delivering a better quality of audience and yield for advertisers. Whereas on other online video streaming platforms, a video ad impression will be counted only if 50% of the pixels of the ad is visible in the viewable space of the browser for at least two continuous seconds.
Other online video streaming platforms have limited options for advertising. About 75% of YouTube content is user generated, gets no traffic, or is of poor quality. ZEE5 is one of the first OTT platforms to sign the 'self-regulatory pact' with TRAI for not showing in India any content considered disrespectful. ZEE5 offers abundant options and content which brands can leverage with multiple benefits including video inventory, branded carousels, sponsorships, influencer marketing, gamification, LIVE streaming etc. Engagement and brand loyalty are much higher on ZEE5 as compared to other video streaming platforms, which is also a result of gamification and influencer marketing.
Between OTT platforms and other video streaming platforms, advertisers are increasingly spoiled for choice when it comes to digital advertising. But the former has emerged as the preferred medium for some. ZEE5 has invested in measurability and viewability and internal quality checks. ZEE5 uses recommendation engine Talamoos that is built on AI/ML algorithms for predictive analytics which enables an advertiser to successfully run an online-video led campaign in a brand safe environment.
