The same dynamic also holds true in the streaming video space. Advertisers are looking to pair with videos that resonate with viewers and are in line with the ad’s content. Streaming platforms that fail to fulfill this expectation — missing the opportunity to ensure the premium caliber of content — will struggle to avoid the pitfalls that await.

For example, brands may pull their ads to avoid the embarrassment of being linked to an inappropriate, inaccurate or offensive message. 

To counter this risk and prevent the worst from happening, streaming providers need to take a more proactive approach, and brands need to partner with providers equipped to fulfill their expectations.

Content creators are in control

Streaming platforms can choose whoever they want to work with, but if they have an open-door policy, anyone and everyone will walk through. This is why some apps and websites are overrun with a hodgepodge of videos that vary in quality. The volume of traffic that follows may be enough to lure some advertisers, but if the result is unsuitable content, they’ll pull their ads every time.

By then, it is too late. For example, in a highly competitive market, Quibi, a short-form streaming platform designed for mobile phones, failed to catch on despite launching during the early months of the pandemic. While video views collectively reached new highs across the industry, consumers showed little interest in the “quick bites” that Quibi promised. The monthly subscription service closed roughly six months after its debut, leaving no time to consider an ad-supported version. While that may have been the company’s next step, Quibi’s content distribution rights were ultimately sold to Roku. 

As tempting as it is to raise revenue through ads, for streaming video providers without the right strategy to back up the approach, it is challenging to enter the ad-supported video space. At the same time, new entrants have struggled to make a name for themselves, whether ad-supported or not.

The essential step is to build a streaming platform — brand new or entering the ad market for the first time. This requires the highest-quality videos possible. Streaming platforms need to work with high-quality content developers capable of delivering the level of excellence that both brands and end-users anticipate.

AI and ML are critical differentiators

Once premium content is in place, streaming platforms must provide a degree of certainty that their ads will be displayed with appropriate content when advertisers pay for a promotion. Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies are vital to achieving the ad-content alignment that brands seek. They aren’t only looking to …read more

Source:: Digiday