Television viewing has become fragmented. Along with traditional or linear TV, technology has provided viewers with the convenience of time-shifted and streaming TV content available on laptops, tablets, and smartphones. As a result, accurately targeting specific audiences has become more difficult, and rating points have become less effective at measuring the success of a campaign or providing future insights.
That’s where Impressions-Based Buying comes in. Impressions-Based Buying gives advertisers a more thorough, detailed view of audiences, for smarter and cost-effective media planning and buying. It also allows for better audience estimates and faster, more accurate post-performance that reflects how viewers are watching.
Explore two use cases that demonstrate the power, accuracy, and effectiveness of Impressions-Based Buying—and learn how Spectrum Reach helped these advertisers adapt to a new currency with Comscore, their preferred provider.
USE CASE #1
The Benefits of Impressions-Based Buying
Rich Thomas, Vice President and General Manager of All Media Design Group, discusses how an impressions-based buying strategy and Comscore audience measurement improved media effectiveness versus traditional panel-based ratings.
USE CASE #2
Comscore and Impressions-Based Buying—Parallel Decisions that Improve Campaign Accuracy and Effectiveness
Learn how Chicago’s Pinnacle Advertising and Marketing Group transitioned from traditional panel-based measurement and TRPs (Total Rating Points) to Comscore and impressions-based measurement, delivering precise targeting and better reporting.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is impressions-based TV advertising and how does it work?
Impressions-based TV advertising refers to the strategy of buying and selling TV ads based on the number of times an ad is viewed, known as “impressions.” Unlike traditional methods that focus mainly on ratings and estimated viewership, this approach uses actual audience delivery data to measure effectiveness and plan campaigns.
How is impressions-based buying different from ratings-based (GRP) TV buying?
Ratings-based buying estimates audience delivery using gross rating points (GRPs), while impressions-based buying counts the actual number of ad exposures delivered. Impressions-based buying offers greater precision and accountability, giving advertisers a more flexible and accurate way to plan, buy, and measure campaigns.
What are the benefits of impressions-based buying over GRPs?
Impressions-based buying offers a more thorough view of audiences than GRPs, along with more accurate audience measurement and faster post-campaign reporting. It also supports smarter media planning and helps advertisers adapt to fragmented viewing behaviors across screens.
How does Spectrum Reach price impressions-based TV ads?
Spectrum Reach offers advertisers the option to buy TV advertising using impressions as a currency. This gives marketers a more precise way to evaluate audience delivery and align media buying with how viewers watch content today.
Is impressions-based buying more accurate for CTV and streaming than for traditional TV?
Impressions-based buying is especially valuable in fragmented viewing environments like CTV and streaming, where audiences watch across multiple devices and platforms. It also helps bring more accurate measurement to traditional TV by helping advertisers evaluate delivery in a way that better reflects how audiences consume video today.
Can advertisers mix impressions-based and traditional buying in a single campaign?
Advertisers should work with their media partner to determine the right buying approach for their goals. Spectrum Reach highlights the value of impressions-based buying as advertisers adapt from traditional ratings-based measurement to more precise audience-based planning.