What’s the difference between OTT, CTV and streaming?
In this digital era, entertainment services hold a crucial position—not only as sources of engagement but also as powerful platforms for advertising. As the number of subscribers and the growth rate of these platforms continue to surge, businesses see immense opportunities in leveraging them for marketing. Digital marketing, particularly through streaming services, has become the most effective way to reach target audiences. With content now being created specifically for digital transmission, these platforms are gradually replacing traditional television due to their easy access, cost-effectiveness, and multi-device compatibility.
OTT (Over-the-Top) and CTV (Connected TV) marketing are among the most popular digital advertising channels today. While CTV refers to internet-connected devices that stream content, OTT delivers video content without traditional setups like cable or satellite. However, to maximize the impact of advertising on these platforms, businesses must track and measure their campaign performance effectively.
This is where mobile measurement partner like Apptrove play a vital role. MMPs provide deep insights into ad performance, user engagement, and attribution, ensuring businesses optimize their OTT and CTV marketing efforts for better ROI.
Now let us dive deeper into this :
OTT
OTT (Over The Top) is a technology where you will be able to watch media content through the internet. This technology, as the name suggests, is directed to the viewers over the top of other traditional media services like television cables, broadcast, and satellite. Advertising through OTT is an efficient way to reach customers without much delay. OTT offers a variety of content including movies, series, and documentaries. We can advertise our products in between these media. Today, binge-watching favorite shows have become common, which increases advertising opportunities. Another benefit of OTT is that it can be viewed through multiple devices. It can be viewed from mobiles, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets from anywhere in the world. OTT services are often consumed via CTVs. There are different types of OTT. Some of them are :
SVOD(Subscription Video On Demand) - These are platforms that provide exclusive content when users activate a subscription. Netflix and HBO Max are examples.
AVOD(Advertising-based Video On Demand) - These are platforms that provide content without activating any subscription or contribution from users but they will have to watch the advertisements. Many SVOD services now offer AVOD services because they are mostly used by the majority of consumers.
TVOD(Transactional Video On Demand) - These services are on a pay-per-view basis. The payment is according to the content temporarily or permanently according to the fee charged from users.
These different platforms can be effectively utilized by the brands for their advertising.
CTV
CTVs (Connected TV) are devices that are connected to the internet which helps users to view content on a big screen. It is the device or medium through which we view OTT services and other streaming content. Gaming consoles and smart TVs are some examples of CTV. Right now we can convert a normal TV into a smart TV using various electronic devices like Amazon Firestick and Roku streaming stick. In a CTV advertisements are usually placed on the side of the screen and interactive ads are present where users need to respond to the ad with the help of remotes of the TVs.
Streaming
Streaming is an umbrella term that encompasses all the media content that is delivered through the internet. OTT, CTV, YouTube streams, social media streams, etc can be seen as part of streaming. Since the younger generation is more and more active on various social media and the internet, the scope of advertising through streaming services will not be reduced. Higher engagement, wider reach, and cost-effectiveness are some of the advantages of streaming advertising while installation of ad-blockers, and ad-free subscriptions can be impacted negatively for streaming advertisements. Through streaming services, music can also be delivered to the users. This allows audio advertising which is also as important as video ads. Influencers who can stream lives on social media will also help the brand to build brand awareness and brand loyalty. It is also very convenient for users as they can access these streamed contents anywhere, anytime, and through any device. Some of the latest innovations from the side of streaming are Virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. These can also be very helpful for brands in marketing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, streaming is a great way to advertise your brand and can help you to establish a strong position in the market. Effective utilization of social media, OTT services, and CTV can give businesses an edge over their competitors. Along with this, we must also be aware of the issues of data privacy and the handling of big amount of data. A small error in this can impact the whole business. Efficient tracking of advertisements is also necessary for the optimization and better results of advertising. For this, Apptrove MMP will be the right companion for businesses. Apptrove will help the business to track and optimize marketing strategies.
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