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It's apparent that the long-awaited convergence of TV and digital video is happening. From consumer adoption of connected TVs, increasing preference for cross-screen content and decisions from major brands to move ad budgets online, it's easy to view 2014 as the launch pad for digital video's rise.

The challenge ahead is to fuse the effectiveness of video branding with the efficiencies of digital personalization. The first milestone will - of course - be measurement. The digital video market today primarily measures digital video advertising with the same metrics as traditional TV ads. Even today, in an environment in which digital has proven its power, most online video ads are un-personalized TV spots measured by the TV metrics of reach or gross ratings points (GRP).

This approach doesn’t take advantage of today's more precise measurement techniques. While reach and overall awareness are important, brands can now look directly at performance metrics that drive purchase activities, such as product research, lead generation, in-store foot traffic and offline sales.

Eyeview, the leading personalized video advertising platform, recently hosted its second "Beyond Impressions" event at New York City's Gansevoort Hotel. Focusing on the main challenges and trends in digital video, industry experts from Land Rover, Media Storm, Macy’s, Mercedes-Benz, Nielsen and others came together to share thoughts on digital advertising best practices and predictions for the future.

A common thread throughout was that advertisers everywhere must reset their thinking and throw out antiquated, TV-based approaches if we are ever to take full advantage of the full power that digital tools offer. Here are a few major discussion points and takeaways from the event.

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Data is changing network TV advertising sales in ways that rival previous industry shifts. Cross-platform advertising and audience measurement, advanced audience selling capabilities, and new campaign creative informed by big data insights are driving this change.

The result? More opportunities to increase monetization of ad inventory, including working with advertisers and agencies to differentiate cross-platform campaigns, establishing a cohesive premium programmatic strategy, and developing original branded content tailored to resonate with target audience segments.

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The list of YouTubers who owe their success to YouTube alone is shrinking. After years of dominating the online video market, YouTube is no longer the only place where online video is happening. From big video outfits like Maker Studios, to independent YouTube stars like PewDiePie, video producers who got their start on YouTube are now looking beyond YouTube for their next act.

Diversify revenue streams. It sounds simple enough, but as smart a move as this is, there are plenty of potential pitfalls in its execution. Because as much as relying on YouTube as your sole revenue stream is a mistake, not fully taking advantage of the alternative distribution channels at your disposal - or using them haphazardly - is an even bigger mistake.

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The concept of native, sponsored, or 'advertorial' content is not new to digital audiences, but when it comes to native video content, many publishers struggle to get beyond one-off executions. A recent Mixpo survey found 53% of publishers already offer a native advertising solution and 74% of respondents believe it is extremely or somewhat important to have a native product offering.

The opportunity lies in the execution: 47% of those marketers indicated they were unsatisfied with their ability to distribute native content. "Marketers want to spend money in this channel," says Rob Rasko, CEO of the consultancy 614 Group. "If publishers give them what they’re looking for, they’ll grow their revenue."

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A new wave of viewers has emerged: they're connected, they know what they want to watch, when they want to watch it, and most importantly, how they want to watch it. They are chomping at the bit for premium content that is both accessible and affordable. At the same time, the advent of OTT and connected TV devices has made way for a whole new viewing experience where "television" simply refers to the largest screen in the house.

We all know the TV ecosystem of tomorrow will look vastly different than today's current landscape, but what changes can we expect? Here are four predictions for what trends will emerge over the next few months and years:

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Consumers are spending more of their time with YouTube videos, which represents an opportunity for brands to connect with consumers with a more personal and engaging message.

Nielsen has already reported that when they include measuring YouTube's audience later this fall it will debut as the largest destination for video viewing among all cable networks and video websites - perhaps by a wide margin.  YouTube has 1 billion unique monthly visitors globally and it continues to grow fast.  In 2012 YouTube grew 55%. Television viewing, however, according to Nielsen, was down by almost 7% in the first quarter of 2014 among 18-24-year-old.


There is a new culture developing within the social ecosystem that has been called "Gen C."  Gen C is the YouTube generation.  Gen C describes people who care deeply about creation, curation, connection and community. It's not an age group; it's an attitude and mindset.  While Gen C may not be every brand's target audience, the very notion that this is now labeled a generation underscores how large the movement has become.

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Over the last several years, the TV landscape has changed at an almost frenetic pace. Everything from the shows we watch to the devices we watch them on looks different than it did just a decade ago.  More and more of us own TVs that facilitate choosing from an unprecedented amount of content that we can watch on our terms. In fact, a recent study revealed that the number of American households with Internet-enabled TVs has doubled in just the past four years, from 24 percent to 49 percent.

Connected TVs, however, are just one of a deluge of new products and services that are quickly shaping consumer behavior and bringing about massive change. So much in fact, that the TV viewer of the future will look very different than she does today. She’ll be savvier and more discerning than her contemporary counterpart… and she’ll need to be, in order to navigate the labyrinth of options available to her. Read on for four predictions on what she’ll look like.

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Through our ongoing work with cable operators and programmers on initiatives that range from technical infrastructure evolution to business strategy, IBB Consulting has identified five key trends that will collectively drive the video delivery industry.

Over the next five years, there will be challenges and opportunities that span technological updates, deployment of new services, shifts in the marketplace and the ability to adapt to consumer behaviors.

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