Top 5 Media Landscape Insights – September

Stay on top of today’s constantly changing media environment with DirectAvenue’s Top 5 Insights. We give you specific network updates and emerging media trends in a digestible format.

September 1, 2023

1. FOX Weather has expanded distribution to reach millions of viewers – through Samsung TV Plus and Cox. FOX News Media’s FAST weather service will be available on Samsung TV Plus to viewers with a 2-16 or later Samsung Smart TV, and Cox Contour TV customers now have access through Cox’s Expanded Basic package in several markets.
2. 80% of B2B marketers worldwide say they use LinkedIn, more than they use any other social platform – US ad revenue growth is forecasted to hit 8.8% this year on LinkedIn for a total of $3.95 billion, and will accelerate in 2024 to 15.1% growth. Job insecurity is sending young users to LinkedIn, while tight budgets are keeping B2B advertisers focused on LinkedIn, where they know they can target the right audience.
3. Services like Netflix and Hulu have a collective 480+ million subscribers – These platforms are supplying brands and retailers an incredible opportunity to get in front of a much larger market of consumers in a more cost-effective way. Studies show:
   1. Brands that have once invested in advertising and video marketing plan to maintain or increase their investments in the future.
   2. Although social media is the primary channel driving video creation efforts, CTV is gaining steam as ad-supported streaming services grow.
   3. Marketing teams have a newer, powerful medium to intelligently reuse their video creative and optimize their investments- they’re focused on repurposing their content and measuring every outcome.
4. Sustainability will have a seat at the media table – As buyers and sellers are beginning to show more of an interest in ensuring a better future for the planet and the industry itself, Comcast believes the topic of sustainability in the media is arising. Not to mention, keeping an eye on viewing patterns may be beneficial in the long run. For example, viewers spend nearly six hours a day watching linear TV and commercial pods in streaming are getting longer, with 34% lasting more than 3 minutes. “Consumers are 58% more likely to recall an ad on professionally produced programming than on user-generated content,” Comcast said. Comcast noted that 82% of viewers prefer to watch streamed content on a TV screen, where people pay more attention to ads, compared to a smaller screen.
5. Retailers need to invest in retail media-powered connected TV (CTV) campaigns to acquire 2023 holiday shoppers to give them reasons to spend – By confidently investing in fast-emerging growth marketing opportunities now, brands can gain a competitive edge by holiday time. Knowing how to efficiently reach the right shoppers with these high-impact ads (like Amazon Ads and Walmart Connect)—and subsequently retarget them with digital ads—brands can produce outsized gains in holiday conversions!