At Cannes in Cairns, Samsung Ads announced that it will launch a digital out-of-home (DOOH) solution and has promised “millions of screens around the globe” by this time next year.
Samsung Ads’ VP and global head of marketing, Cathy Oh, made the announcement on Tuesday to a packed room.
Oh also revealed that Samsung Ads would be bringing its Gaming Hub, already live US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Korea and Brazil would also be coming to Australia.
Samsung Ads was already the world’s number-one digital signage solution but Oh said that by launching its own network, it would “allow advertisers to maximise the effectiveness” of ad spend across CTV and DOOH.
With everything wrapped into Samsung Ads’ ecosystem, Oh added that this would create a “true couch-to-conversion connection.”
Oh also said that Samsung Ads would be “doubling down” on its gaming experience with the launch of its Gaming Hub in Australia. The service will be arriving in the second half of this year.
To the unfamiliar, the Gaming Hub is Samsung’s game streaming platform that lets users play games via the internet.
“It’s where gamers can instantly play with no downloads, no storage limits and no constant updates. Just turn on your TV and play,” she said.
With more than three million Samsung Connected TVs in Australia and New Zealand, advertisers have the potential to reach huge audiences in new, novel and engaging ways — whether on a DOOH sign or via CTV.
Samsung Ads also revealed insightful new research into the changing global streaming market. The company unveiled three key trends that marketers and brands need to be aware of for the coming year.
Alex Spurzem, general manager of Samsung Ads Australia, also graced the stage to explain the story behind the report’s numbers.
The first trend identified was that streaming is now standard for TV consumption. Spurzem explained that four-fifths of Australians now watch multiple SVOD services multiple times per week. But, the company also identified that economic challenges will see more consumers seeking out free content and ad-supported content.
The second trend was that consumers do not see any difference between linear and Connected TV.
“TV is just TV,” explained Spurzem, adding that viewers jump straight into their favourite streaming services as they would with linear TV. In fact, 46 per cent of viewers become frustrated within a few minutes if they cannot find immediately find something to watch. As a result, native TV ads have a huge potential for advertisers to connect with consumers and serve them premium content immediately.
The third and final trend was that free and ad-supported streaming was growing. In heartening news for adland, Samsung Ads found that more than three-fifths of Australians do not mind seeing adverts in return for free or reduced-cost content. And, as the cost of living crisis continues to bite, there will be a greater appetite for lower fees and higher ad loads.
Spurzem even noted that the content available on free streaming services is improving rapidly. But, streamers should not fret too much. Samsung Ads expects that free streaming services will be complimentary to SVOD services, rather than a competitor.
