Purpose
This article introduces Innovid Interactive CTV (iCTV), explaining that iCTV enables advertisers to surpass standard metrics by measuring consumer behavior and engagement through interactive elements.
| IMPORTANT | |
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iCTV builds To successfully run iCTV, the SDK integration and dedicated inventory are required, which is currently only compatible with US and select APAC inventory. Composer utilization incurs an additional monthly fee. If you are interested in running iCTV, reach out to your dedicated Sales representative. |
Overview
Video "completes" does not necessarily mean that audiences have watched your video. Interactive allows advertisers to go beyond the standard metrics of impressions and clicks to measure consumer behavior, capturing interactions, engagements, and overall time spent. This provides real audience engagement with your brand.
Interactive CTV enables you to leverage existing content, including product images, additional videos, website content, and more, to create multifaceted experiences that drive engagement and add value for the viewer. Some experiences drive video completes, some drive conversions, and some even drive in-store traffic. Regardless of your business objectives, Innovid offers formats and features purpose-built to help achieve your brand’s KPIs.
The CTV composer
Unlike desktop and mobile devices, connected TV (CTV) devices lack standardization of video players and tag types. As such, enabling the same interactive and personalized experiences across the growing streaming space requires the installation of proprietary code known as a Software Development Kit (SDK).
Innovid’s CTV Composer is the solution to the industry’s lack of CTV standardization. Within the tool, designers and developers can build interactive and dynamic experiences in a matter of hours. Critically, ads developed using Innovid’s CTV Composer are built to communicate with our proprietary SDK, enabling one creative experience to run seamlessly across 25+ connected TV device types.
Our CTV Composer is an easy and efficient way to develop various creative experiences, purpose-built for CTV. Learn more about getting started with Innovid’s CTV Composer here.
Interactive CTV Formats
Below are descriptions of the formats we see most commonly used.
Note: A comprehensive list of specifications can be found in Building & Publishing in CTV Composer. For design tips, see Interactive CTV Design Best Practices.
| Format | Description |
| Branded canvas | Allows the advertiser to place an image or series of images around the video as a branded skin, driving home brand messaging and prompting the user to click out to the brand’s site, where applicable. |
| Overlay | Allows the advertiser to place an image or series of images as an overlay on top of the video, reinforcing brand messaging and prompting the user to click through to the brand’s site, where applicable. |
| Mid/End card | Appears in the middle or end of a video ad and functions as a mini-playable or interactive unit that viewers can engage with if they choose to. |
| Shoppable QR | Can come in the form of a canvas or overlay and is used to drive conversions to a brand’s site, product awareness, and sales. |
| Dynamic | Ads that display different creatives and dynamic data throughout the ad based on certain inputs. Can be combined with any other format, such as expand, overlay, and canvas. |
| Store locator | A standard video is accompanied by a branded canvas featuring dynamic locations based on the viewer’s IP location. |
| Extender | Near the end of the purchased paid media time, an overlay appears giving the user the option to extend the experience and continue watching. If clicked, the user can watch the spot to completion or close it at any time, immediately being taken to their content. |
| Choice/Binge-based | Viewers can choose to watch one interactive ad in the beginning or have normal ad breaks during their show. |
| TV2Mobile | Gives the audience the option to use their remote to deploy a full-screen TV2Mobile Slate, which contains our SMS feature or a QR Code. |
| Hotspots | Ads with interactive elements within a product tour that enable users to select and engage with additional content or media. |
| Gallery | Presents the viewer with a carousel of customizable products or imagery. |
| Expand | Gives the audience the option to click and expand video experiences or images, engaging with numerous optional features, such as galleries and hotspots. |
| Pause | A static advertisement takes over the screen after a video has been paused for more than a certain amount of time. |
| Survey/Trivia | Overlay pop-ups after a pre-roll plays, and viewers can engage with the quiz/survey CTV or skip the quiz/survey altogether. |
| Light Engagement | A function in which viewers can browse through different overlay images on top of any pre-roll format. |
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