88% of marketers don’t have IPTV strategy

Research from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and multichannel video agency Adjust Your Set found that fewer than one in ten marketers have developed a strategy, despite predictions that global sales of the devices will surpass 100m by 2014.

Connected TVs offer brands the chance to connect their offline spend with the rapidly growing online content market, with apps or targeted ad campaigns on the electronic programming guide or home screen.

Internet connected televisions, from brands such as Samsung, LG and Sony, are predicted to make up to 90% of the TV market by 2014, with global sales, reaching 123 million, according to Futuresource Consulting. The launch of set top boxes such as YouView and Virgin Media’s TiVo are also set to fuel the consumer demand for connected television services.

The majority of marketers (85%) are interested in the advertising opportunities afforded by the platform, but one fifth (22%) of those surveyed say they have no plans to implement a strategy at all, the report claims.

More than a third of respondents also feel that only a budget of £50,000 should be allocated to IPTV campaigns.

Jack Wallington, head of industry programmes for the IAB, says: “It’s clear the industry considers the platform a significant leap for online advertising, but it has also become apparent that like so many other technological developments we’re waiting for the customer to leap first.

The findings in the report were compiled from a survey of more than 200 IAB Members. Its members include Unilever, Google, British Airways and Coca-Cola.