#connected-tv

#connected-tv

In June 2023, The Trade Desk launched Kokai, its most ambitious AI initiative to date. Building on its earlier Koa system, Kokai distributes deep learning across every layer of programmatic buying -- from bid optimization to impression scoring and budget allocation. The system processes more than 13 million ad impressions per second, applying thousands of signals in real time. The philosophy behind Kokai is not to replace marketers, but to serve as a " copilot."

But last week, Google contradicted this stance in a court filing. The tech giant acknowledged that "the open web is already in rapid decline." In a pre-trial filing, Google reacted to the US Department of Justice's suggestion to sell off its advertising division. Google maintained that it would only hasten the downfall of the open web, an environment that a majority of publishers depend on for display advertising revenue.

and with Connected TV viewing (i.e. people watching YouTube content on their home TV sets) continuing to grow, it's legitimately a competitor for traditional TV channels in many respects. And with YouTube's more advanced ad targeting tools and options, that could make it an increasingly valuable consideration for your campaigns, enabling broad reach to sports fans, with hyper-targeted, even AI-facilitated targeting to maximize reach and resonance.

For marketers, this is a window of opportunity. Even a creator with 20 million followers depends on algorithms to surface content. In CTV, the top creators appear in channels, a curated environment that looks and feels like television. That makes it easier for audiences to find them and brands to buy in. Creator shows are beginning to scale like TV programming with sponsorships, integrations, and media packages available, but now with loyal, intentional audiences built in.

"We standardized on one streaming TV platform: Roku, which innovated its user interface by placing external device inputs on the same menu as streaming services."

The advertising industry continues to buy connected TV the wrong way, transferring one-to-one programmatic logic from display and online video into a household screen.

CTV ad spending is projected to reach $33.35 billion this year, while retail media's 19.7% growth will be more than double the growth in overall digital ad spending.

Everyone's trying to undercut The Trade Desk. Amazon's and Google's demand-side platforms are enticing advertisers to buy more CTV inventory, enhancing competition in the market.

According to LinkedIn, the time spent watching video posts has increased by 36% year-over-year, showing a significant shift in user engagement towards video content.

Television has undergone a remarkable evolution over the past century from Baird's early mechanical demonstrations to today's streaming-first environment.