In the spring, overall consumption of digital media grew as people turned to their screens for entertainment. With most pandemic lockdown orders lifted, traditional TV consumption has normalized, but connected TV usage remains well above pre-pandemic levels, according to Neilson. There are more than 400 million connected TV devices in the U.S. and a wide variety of streaming content choices, giving viewers more options and brands more opportunities to reach their target audiences. Google is facilitating connected TV advertising with their Display & Video 360 (DV360) platform, recently announcing improvements to the platform’s forecasting tool, broader access to media and enhanced data reporting.  

What Is Google Display & Video 360 (DV360) ?

Initially launched in July 2018, Google’s Display & Video 360 is a platform that allows digital marketers to manage ad campaigns, including strategic planning and design to performance analysis and campaign optimization. With Google’s DV360, marketers can leverage the platform's artificial intelligence (AI) to tightly target audiences and purchase impressions across a variety of streaming channels through an automated process known as real-time bidding. Google’s Display & Video 360 is organized around five integrated modules that work together (campaigns, audiences, creatives, inventory and insights), creating a streaming media buying and optimization platform in which all team members can work together and access data efficiently. 

What Improvements Were Added To The Google Display & Video 360 Platform ?

In September, Google announced it would introduce a series of new tools to the DV360 campaign manager. The new tools added to DV360 last month are designed specifically to help with forecasting, audience targeting and audience measurement of ads placed within TV or video content. Google has also enhanced the DV360 forecasting tool in effort to help brands more accurately predict audience size and campaign efficacy. 

Google has also expanded access to additional media available exclusively for DV 360 users, opening ad inventory on Youtube TV and allowing the purchase of masthead ads that are prominent in YouTube's home feed, with similar ads on TV screens and Android TV in market testing. Finally, Google has expanded the unique reach audience tool within DV360, allowing marketers to better measure the success of their connected TV campaigns across demographics using the Identifier for Advertising (IFA) standard from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). 

How Can Improvements To The Google DV360 Help Digital Marketers?

According to a study by global market research firm Mintel, 80% of U.S. connected TV viewers watch ad-supported content, indicating that viewers are comfortable seeing ads alongside streaming content. The enhanced Google Display & Video 360 platform makes it easy, in a way Google knows how to do, to expand streaming media campaign reach while keeping campaigns tightly targeted to the right audiences. Plus, in support of Black and Latino-owned publishers, Google is highlighting multicultural publishers within the DV360 platform, not for personalizing ads based on related demographics, but instead to “help marketers who would like to support businesses owned by self-identified members of multicultural communities.”

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