This year’s POSSIBLE conference drew thousands of marketers to Miami for several days of meetings, mojitos and live sessions on the state of play in digital advertising. Leaders from Walmart, Campbell’s, NBA, Instacart and many others shared insights on the future of marketing.
Roku’s team was there, participating in discussions on retail media, streaming evolution, and key shifts in sports and culture.
Here are three insights from the conference:
Navigating retail media
Retail media ad spending will reach $140 billion in 2024, representing annual growth of nearly 22%, according to eMarketer. While offering substantial opportunities , the commerce advertising trend requires careful handling, say experts. Seth Dallaire, EVP and chief revenue officer at Walmart U.S., highlighted the “high bar of trust you have to maintain” in customer data management.
The sentiment was echoed by Donna Sharp, MediaLink's managing director, who warned against compromising customer experience for advertising gains.
Retail media is especially powerful when paired with streaming TV. For example, many brands now routinely leverage Kroger Precision Marketing’s customer purchase data for 60 million households to build high-performing audiences that can be targeted on the Roku platform, working with Roku’s approved third-party vendors to attribute the conversions from those ads.
In fact, Sharp said TV streaming is the most frequent request she hears from marketers when talking with Retail Media networks, given its ability to drive full funnel results and tie commerce data to a larger brand strategy.
“Data from retail media networks significantly enhances ad performance. We’ve seen it over and over again,” said Sarah Monahan, U.S. head of verticals at Roku. “Whether combined with traditional commercials or interactive ads that prompt specific consumer actions, shopper data offers unrivaled precision and measurability for streaming campaigns.”
Embracing experimentation
Advertisers are obsessed with identifying new ways to reach consumers. In her keynote, GE’s Chief Marketing Officer Linda Boff said marketing victory will belong to advertisers “willing to be agile and flexible” in pursuing breakout opportunities based on actionable data.
Streaming nicely illustrates this imperative, offering unique experiences such as interactive ads and homescreen takeovers in a fast-growing content environment. These formats go well beyond traditional 30-second spots. For example, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company, Disney featured its iconic Cinderella’s Castle in Roku City to grab the attention of nearly 40 million people taking a break from streaming.¹
“Competition for attention is intense, that’s why we’re excited about offering so many innovative ways brands can connect with streamers directly from our home screen—whether it’s helping them find a ballgame, learn more about a partner, or sponsoring a collection of seasonal commercial-free movies,” said Rachel Helfman, director, B2B marketing and solutions at Roku.
The pivotal role of sports content
Sports is a defining force in today’s culture. Take basketball. Celebrities sit courtside, pre-game “tunnel walks” look like fashion shows, and players are mega-celebrities with their own brands and media companies. Speaking at POSSIBLE, NBA CMO Tammy Henault described the NBA as not just a sports league but a content, media, and entertainment company that’s “a lifestyle brand at its core.”
One of the greatest strengths of the NBA, she said, is storytelling. The league uses digital platforms, such as its mobile and streaming apps, as “shelf space” to tell those stories.
Brands, of course, want to align themselves with the league and its personalities. With the shift to streaming TV, they now have more options. For example, Roku now offers NBA Zone, a dedicated hub for basketball fans, and NBA FAST, a free and ad-supported TV channel providing unique advertising opportunities.
Missed us at POSSIBLE and want to learn more? Contact us to set up a strategy meeting for your brand.
