Research by ShowHeroes, focusing on Brazil, highlighted the strength of CTV in the region, public behavior and preference for free platforms
With the popularization of Smart TVs and the connection to large screens through different devices, the audience’s preference for Connected TV (CTV) over the linear consumption of traditional TV has been growing consistently worldwide, including in Brazil.
With that in mind, ShowHeroes, with the support of COG Research, carried out a global study, with a focus on the Brazilian and Latin market, focused on the current experience of users when consuming television content, their interaction preferences and how they see advertising on CTV.
For the survey, the first phase of the research was carried out in the homes of different participants. There, the company had the help of glasses that track where the viewer’s attention is, in addition to sensors that measure brain activity. Subsequently, in addition to more in-depth interviews with a restricted audience, over 2,600 people responded about their consumption preferences and behavior while watching TV.
With this research, it was possible to see, for the first time, exactly how the user experience manifests itself in this medium. Due to the high attention that the audience has shown for CTV content, along with the high levels of engagement, our research shows that Connected TV really achieves what it sets out to do when it comes to offering a positive experience for brands’ presence, said Sarah Lewis, global director of CTV at ShowHeroes Group.
Among the results, the survey revealed that CTV is the preferred entertainment platform for users in all major markets around the world, with emphasis on Europe, where 80% of users prefer to watch TV connected to the traditional front. In Brazil, six out of ten people (59%) already have this preference.
Among the reasons given by the public for consuming CTV, 62% highlight the flexibility it provides, with the possibility of watching what they want at the time they prefer; 56% see a greater variety of content and 38% point to ease of use.
Another point revealed by the study was the migration of preference over streaming services and content access. According to the data, if before the paid ones were more popular, now the audience tends to give space to FAST (Free Ad Supported Streaming) options, which consist of free services for the public and which contain the presence of advertisements.
Currently, although 52% of users claim to have more than one streaming subscription, 57% prefer free services, even with ads. Another survey carried out was that 42% stated that prices, which are increasingly high, are the main reason for their preference, while 74% prefer accessing free content to making new subscriptions, showing a total connection with movements of giants such as Netflix and Disney+, which has been creating hybrid models to meet this demand.
Behavior, engagement and ads
For brands, the survey reinforced how CTV can be effective and strategic not only because of audience preferences, but also because of behavior. The study indicated that connected TV has 73% more attention from users. Regarding the screen attention time during the airing of an advertisement, CTV recorded 12.2 seconds before any gaze shift, while in traditional TV this average decreases to 9.4 seconds.
Another point presented by the survey was the potential for engagement. During the consumption of content on CTV, the study showed that the public remains 71% of the time in the so-called engagement zone, where the level of attention is ideal for understanding a message or even interacting with it. Even for the moment of advertising, this level remains high, reaching 51%, compared to an average of 34% for linear TV.
In addition, the research pointed out that segmentation by context is also one of the factors that result in the public’s preference for CTV. According to the analysis, 67% of users indicated that they prefer to see ads related to the content they are viewing than generic messages, which may even negatively impact the experience. In addition, 52% of them declared that they have the perception that CTV has fewer ads than linear, while 35% think that the ads are better.
With the advancement of access, the popularization of streamings and the opening of several platforms for advertising, TV Conectada has proven to be a fundamental tool for any communication mix, impacting an ever-growing audience, winning their attention and relating in a very more natural thanks to contextual targeting and more attractive formats. All these elements together ensure much greater effectiveness for brands that know how to explore the medium, added Lilian Prado, country manager at ShowHeroes Brasil.