Brands no longer need ad agencies, says CTVMA

Keith Johnson, the UK President for the Connected TV Marketing Association, has predicted a surge in interactive advertising thanks to connected TV devices and the growth of second/companion screen behaviour. He believes this will lead to new metrics for valuing TV advertising inventory. Johnson expects the adoption of ‘cost per engagement’ measures like Connected GRPs or Active GRPs, or else ‘Active Views’ or CPM/M (Cost per thousand, per minute) for television. GRP is Gross Ratings Point, which in very simple terms means reach times frequency.

Speaking in London this week, Johnson also warned media buying agencies that in the OTT world, brands no longer need agencies to connect with consumers. “If a brand wants to be smart, the technology is available to do what they want to achieve with the consumer,” he argued. “Maybe they do not have the skills they need in-house today but there will be a repatriation of those skills to the brands in the digital world. That is happening already.

“There is nothing to stop brands from understanding who the technology companies are that can help them, although it is probably a full-time job to keep up with that. Agencies know there is a threat to their business and have to move fast. Most agencies need to reassess where their value-add is and invest in technologies and data expertise.”