The FreeWheel Council for Premium Video Launches “A Buyer’s Guide to the New Living Room”

Advocacy group’s latest guide helps buyers and planners navigate the rapidly evolving TV and digital video ecosystem

London, UK: The FreeWheel Council for Premium Video Europe (FWCE) has released its Buyer’s Guide to the New Living Room, which aims to deliver a clear and unrivalled explanation of how to take advantage of the many combinations of linear and digital viewing options utilised by the modern TV viewer – for the benefit of those in the planning and buying world.

Representing 17 TV publishers across Europe, and 46 globally, the FreeWheel Council aims to provide advertisers and their agency partners with buying tactics and solutions to overcome some of the legacy challenges that viewing fragmentation has created.

While viewers are increasingly choosing to build their own schedules – comprising a blend of live, catch up and DVR – they are still drawn to the TV set for the best viewing experience. As a result, the living room is not only the point where traditional TV viewing and online content converge, it’s also the centre of a multi-viewer experience. With an increasing spectrum of devices delivering premium digital video and broadcast content and more targeting options available, the potential for advertising impact is vast.

While consumers have been quick to grasp all viewing options in ‘the new living room’ with both hands, the advertising business has been slower to do so. There are several hurdles to adoption, not least measurement, and the need to combine TV and digital teams, skill sets and processes, for a holistic approach. There is no doubt, however, that those who commit to adapting their knowledge and capabilities across the value chain will reap the benefits.

Key takeaways from this new report include:

  • Become a subject matter expert in the new Living Room to gain advantage for your clients while these channels are still nascent and growing
  • Create a plan using complementary channels to balance reach and precision, leveraging the common and unique attributes of each
  • Work through measurement hurdles and leverage the tools and KPIs that are available to access these engaged yet underserved audiences
  • Personalize messaging and manage frequency through addressable options with creative diversity on all campaigns delivered to the new Living Room
  • Optimize for scale by adjusting your KPIs for platforms as necessary such as viewability targets in channels that aren’t able to be measured

“As TV consumption evolves at a rapid rate, knowledge is crucial; helping advertisers and agencies understand the benefits and tactics of each big screen premium video marketing channel will enable the most impactful campaigns and optimal ROI,” commented Emmanuel Josserand, Brand, Agency and Industry Relations at FreeWheel. “This guide should be on the desk of every agency buyer and planner wanting to keep pace with modern viewers and reach them at every stage of the purchase funnel.”

About the FreeWheel Council for Premium Video, Europe (FWCE)
The FreeWheel Council for Premium Video Europe (FWCE) was formed in June 2017 to serve the interest of those in the premium video industry through leadership positions, research, and advocacy. Aligned to the FWC formed in North America in 2015 (with members such as ABC, Fox and NBCUniversal), the FWCE consists of 17 members: Canal+ Régie, Channel 4, Discovery Networks International, European Broadcaster Exchange (EBX), France Télévision Publicité, Medialaan, Publitalia, NENT Group, Sanoma Finland, Proximus, RTÉ, Talpa, SevenOne Media, SFR Régie, Sky Media UK, Sky Media Germany, and TF1 Publicité. Across both Europe and North America, the FWC operates as an educational and organising resource to assist marketers to reach desired audiences in premium video environments, conduct research documenting the benefits of premium video and represent the interests of member publishers and the market.

About FreeWheel:
FreeWheel, A Comcast Company, empowers all segments of The New TV Ecosystem. We are structured to provide the full breadth of solutions the advertising industry needs to achieve their goals. We power the technology, data enablement, and convergent marketplaces required to ensure buyers and sellers can transact across all screens, across all data types, and all sales channels, in order to ensure the ultimate goal – results for marketers.

With offices in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, London, Paris, Beijing, and across the globe, FreeWheel, A Comcast Company, stands to advocate for the entire industry through the FreeWheel Council for Premium Video. For more information please visit freewheel.tv, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.