Roku has unveiled a raft of new ad tools for its connected TV platform at the IAB NewFronts in New York, chief among them is a new AI tool that matches ad spots to the most relevant moments in shows and movies on The Roku Channel.
The new AI tool searches through the Roku library for “iconic plot moments” that match a brand’s message to place their ad in real-time.
For it to work, media buyers first need to tell Roku their campaign’s theme. From there, the AI searches the Roku library to find key moments. For example, when Tim Gunn says “make it work” during Project Runway it would be prime time for an apparel company to place its ad.
The company also said that its “Roku City” screensaver that shows when the TV will be opened up to brands. The Roku City is exactly that, an illustration of a city replete with billboards, a skyline and houses. Previously, the billboards directed users to stream content but now they will show brands. McDonald’s has already signed up for the service and it will run its campaign over the coming months. Roku said that the screensaver is used by nearly 40 million homes.
Roku also introduced new discovery tools that allow brands to host content in areas such as Home & Garden and Sports. These curate content from across TV on the Roku Home Screen. When users search on Roku, they might see a featured collection of shows presented by a brand partner.
The company also introduced a Primetime Reach Guarantee deal that would ensure brands would reach more TV households in primetime than the average program airing on a top-five cable channel on traditional TV.
“We’re uniquely positioned to make brands unmissable in TV because Roku is not fighting for turf in streaming—we are the turf,” said Alison Levin, Roku’s vice president of ad revenue and marketing solutions, in a press release.
“We’re bringing the entire power of the platform, not just the pieces, to give marketers more of the scale, delight, and flexibility that they love in TV.”
Lead image credit: Roku/TechCrunch
