Lomit Patel (VP Growth at Together Labs, IMVU - Avatar Social Platform) shares his key learnings about linear TV and OTT: why TV, preparing for a TV launch, targeting consumers and finally scaling.
Big bulk of IMVU’s budget goes into digital, and they were close to getting diminishing returns. Wanted to see if TV/OTT was indeed the next big growth channel for them, even though it’s not used that much in gaming. Lomit is responsible for all user acquisition, retention and monetization across all business units at Together Labs.
TV is the most massive medium there is to reach adults between ages 25-54 in the US: 120M of US households have a TV, and 85% still subscribe to cable.
Unless you’re targeting only the senior category for which there’s not much of an audience yet on OTT, a combination of Linear and OTT is what’s most powerful (even though linear remains a mass medium on its own).
You don’t really need to create a TV/OTT-dedicated creative before you start testing. What’s important is to use the best practices of performance marketing. Details here for a general mobile app and mobile gaming.
Yet IMVU did have differences in their TV/OTT creatives vs. what they use for performance marketing: they still showed the gameplay features and characters early on in the video (full screen), but they also added live footage with an actor recorded. Watch the TV commercial here.
The more you share with your agency partner, the better they can target your TV audience. Share both first party data (data you collect from your consumers on the front-end; data allowing to identify and target your most desirable consumers - highest revenue segments, loyal/repeat consumer segments, active subscribers but low converters) and third party data (online interests, how they consume video, spending habits etc.).
A competent TV agency can leverage the data you share and look at the competitive market to define: the audiences you should target across the different channels, a robust media plan (which networks to target), the linear/OTT mix you need, the dayparts to focus on and potential interesting live events. More details here.
When IMVU started running TV, even though their end goals were 1. ROAS and 2. CAC, the first couple of weeks they used the cost per registration as a proxy to evaluate their first channels (Hulu, Crackle, and Tubi). After that, they looked at ROAS and CAC.
Analyze top/bottom performers to determine which tactics to continue or eliminate. Example: keep placing on a network, but avoid a certain daypart because you’ve noticed lower performance.
Scale the existing channels that have worked well, but continue to allocate around 20% of the spend to test new channels.
Make sure you leverage the relationships that your agency has with the partners where you’re buying. It should bring opportunities like fire sales, special-value ads, etc.
It’s important to find the right partner. Ask your network, peers, etc. IMVU is using an agency called TCA.
You need around $200-$300k to launch TV. Only start when you feel you’re getting diminishing returns in other places.
TV is the most massive medium there is to reach adults between ages 25-54 in the US: 120M of US households have a TV, and 85% still subscribe to cable.
Unless you’re targeting only the senior category for which there’s not much of an audience yet on OTT, a combination of Linear and OTT is what’s most powerful (even though linear remains a mass medium on its own).
You don’t really need to create a TV/OTT-dedicated creative before you start testing. What’s important is to use the best practices of performance marketing. Details here for a general mobile app and mobile gaming.
Yet IMVU did have differences in their TV/OTT creatives vs. what they use for performance marketing: they still showed the gameplay features and characters early on in the video (full screen), but they also added live footage with an actor recorded. Watch the TV commercial here.
The more you share with your agency partner, the better they can target your TV audience. Share both first party data (data you collect from your consumers on the front-end; data allowing to identify and target your most desirable consumers - highest revenue segments, loyal/repeat consumer segments, active subscribers but low converters) and third party data (online interests, how they consume video, spending habits etc.).
A competent TV agency can leverage the data you share and look at the competitive market to define: the audiences you should target across the different channels, a robust media plan (which networks to target), the linear/OTT mix you need, the dayparts to focus on and potential interesting live events. More details here.
When IMVU started running TV, even though their end goals were 1. ROAS and 2. CAC, the first couple of weeks they used the cost per registration as a proxy to evaluate their first channels (Hulu, Crackle, and Tubi). After that, they looked at ROAS and CAC.
Analyze top/bottom performers to determine which tactics to continue or eliminate. Example: keep placing on a network, but avoid a certain daypart because you’ve noticed lower performance.
Scale the existing channels that have worked well, but continue to allocate around 20% of the spend to test new channels.
Make sure you leverage the relationships that your agency has with the partners where you’re buying. It should bring opportunities like fire sales, special-value ads, etc.
It’s important to find the right partner. Ask your network, peers, etc. IMVU is using an agency called TCA.
You need around $200-$300k to launch TV. Only start when you feel you’re getting diminishing returns in other places.
TV is the most massive medium there is to reach adults between ages 25-54 in the US: 120M of US households have a TV, and 85% still subscribe to cable.
Unless you’re targeting only the senior category for which there’s not much of an audience yet on OTT, a combination of Linear and OTT is what’s most powerful (even though linear remains a mass medium on its own).
You don’t really need to create a TV/OTT-dedicated creative before you start testing. What’s important is to use the best practices of performance marketing. Details here for a general mobile app and mobile gaming.
Yet IMVU did have differences in their TV/OTT creatives vs. what they use for performance marketing: they still showed the gameplay features and characters early on in the video (full screen), but they also added live footage with an actor recorded. Watch the TV commercial here.
The more you share with your agency partner, the better they can target your TV audience. Share both first party data (data you collect from your consumers on the front-end; data allowing to identify and target your most desirable consumers - highest revenue segments, loyal/repeat consumer segments, active subscribers but low converters) and third party data (online interests, how they consume video, spending habits etc.).
A competent TV agency can leverage the data you share and look at the competitive market to define: the audiences you should target across the different channels, a robust media plan (which networks to target), the linear/OTT mix you need, the dayparts to focus on and potential interesting live events. More details here.
When IMVU started running TV, even though their end goals were 1. ROAS and 2. CAC, the first couple of weeks they used the cost per registration as a proxy to evaluate their first channels (Hulu, Crackle, and Tubi). After that, they looked at ROAS and CAC.
Analyze top/bottom performers to determine which tactics to continue or eliminate. Example: keep placing on a network, but avoid a certain daypart because you’ve noticed lower performance.
Scale the existing channels that have worked well, but continue to allocate around 20% of the spend to test new channels.
Make sure you leverage the relationships that your agency has with the partners where you’re buying. It should bring opportunities like fire sales, special-value ads, etc.
It’s important to find the right partner. Ask your network, peers, etc. IMVU is using an agency called TCA.
You need around $200-$300k to launch TV. Only start when you feel you’re getting diminishing returns in other places.
Notes for this resource are currently being transferred and will be available soon.
Lomit is responsible for all user acquisition, retention and monetization across all business units at Together Labs.
[💎@03:50] TV is the most massive medium there is to reach adults between ages 25-54 in the US: 120M of
US households have a TV, and 85% still subscribe to cable.
[💎@04:58] Unless you’re targeting only the senior category for which there’s not much of an audience yet on OTT, a combination of Linear and OTT is what’s most powerful (even though linear remains a mass medium on its own).
[💎@06:17] You don’t really need to create a TV/OTT-dedicated creative before you start testing. What’s important is to use the best practices of performance marketing. Details below for a general mobile app and mobile gaming.
[💎@08:44] Yet IMVU did have differences in their TV/OTT creatives vs. what they use for performance marketing: they still showed the gameplay features and characters early on in the video (full screen), but they also added live footage with an actor recorded. Watch the TV commercial here.
Consumer targeting
[💎@10:34] The more you share with your agency partner, the better they can target your TV audience. Share both first party data (data you collect from your consumers on the front-end; data allowing to identify and target your most desirable consumers - highest revenue segments, loyal/repeat consumer segments, active subscribers but low converters) and third party data (online interests, how they consume video, spending habits etc.).
[💎@12:17] A competent TV agency can leverage the data you share and look at the competitive market to define: the audiences you should target across the different channels, a robust media plan (which networks to target), the linear/OTT mix you need, the dayparts to focus on and potential interesting live events. More details below.
It’s critical to have a clear definition of what success is. For IMVU: 1. ROAS and 2. CAC.
[💎@15:43] When IMVU started running TV, even though their end goals were 1. ROAS and 2. CAC, the first
couple of weeks they used the cost per registration as a proxy to evaluate their first channels (Hulu, Crackle and Tubi). After that, they looked at ROAS and CAC.
[💎@16:50] Analyze top/bottom performers to determine which tactics to continue or eliminate. Example: keep placing on a network, but avoid a certain daypart because you’ve noticed lower performance.
If your 4-weeks test was successful, how much scale can you now get?
[💎@18:45] Scale the existing channels that have worked well, but continue to allocate around 20% of spend to test new channels.
[💎@19:30] Make sure you leverage the relationships that your agency has with the partners where you’re buying. It should bring opportunities like fire sales, special-value ads, etc.
It’s important to find the right partner. Ask your network, peers, etc. IMVU is using an agency called TCA.
[💎@22:20] You need around $200-$300k to launch TV. Only start when you feel you’re getting diminishing returns in other places.
Lomit is responsible for all user acquisition, retention and monetization across all business units at Together Labs.
[💎@03:50] TV is the most massive medium there is to reach adults between ages 25-54 in the US: 120M of
US households have a TV, and 85% still subscribe to cable.
[💎@04:58] Unless you’re targeting only the senior category for which there’s not much of an audience yet on OTT, a combination of Linear and OTT is what’s most powerful (even though linear remains a mass medium on its own).
[💎@06:17] You don’t really need to create a TV/OTT-dedicated creative before you start testing. What’s important is to use the best practices of performance marketing. Details below for a general mobile app and mobile gaming.
[💎@08:44] Yet IMVU did have differences in their TV/OTT creatives vs. what they use for performance marketing: they still showed the gameplay features and characters early on in the video (full screen), but they also added live footage with an actor recorded. Watch the TV commercial here.
Consumer targeting
[💎@10:34] The more you share with your agency partner, the better they can target your TV audience. Share both first party data (data you collect from your consumers on the front-end; data allowing to identify and target your most desirable consumers - highest revenue segments, loyal/repeat consumer segments, active subscribers but low converters) and third party data (online interests, how they consume video, spending habits etc.).
[💎@12:17] A competent TV agency can leverage the data you share and look at the competitive market to define: the audiences you should target across the different channels, a robust media plan (which networks to target), the linear/OTT mix you need, the dayparts to focus on and potential interesting live events. More details below.
It’s critical to have a clear definition of what success is. For IMVU: 1. ROAS and 2. CAC.
[💎@15:43] When IMVU started running TV, even though their end goals were 1. ROAS and 2. CAC, the first
couple of weeks they used the cost per registration as a proxy to evaluate their first channels (Hulu, Crackle and Tubi). After that, they looked at ROAS and CAC.
[💎@16:50] Analyze top/bottom performers to determine which tactics to continue or eliminate. Example: keep placing on a network, but avoid a certain daypart because you’ve noticed lower performance.
If your 4-weeks test was successful, how much scale can you now get?
[💎@18:45] Scale the existing channels that have worked well, but continue to allocate around 20% of spend to test new channels.
[💎@19:30] Make sure you leverage the relationships that your agency has with the partners where you’re buying. It should bring opportunities like fire sales, special-value ads, etc.
It’s important to find the right partner. Ask your network, peers, etc. IMVU is using an agency called TCA.
[💎@22:20] You need around $200-$300k to launch TV. Only start when you feel you’re getting diminishing returns in other places.
Lomit is responsible for all user acquisition, retention and monetization across all business units at Together Labs.
[💎@03:50] TV is the most massive medium there is to reach adults between ages 25-54 in the US: 120M of
US households have a TV, and 85% still subscribe to cable.
[💎@04:58] Unless you’re targeting only the senior category for which there’s not much of an audience yet on OTT, a combination of Linear and OTT is what’s most powerful (even though linear remains a mass medium on its own).
[💎@06:17] You don’t really need to create a TV/OTT-dedicated creative before you start testing. What’s important is to use the best practices of performance marketing. Details below for a general mobile app and mobile gaming.
[💎@08:44] Yet IMVU did have differences in their TV/OTT creatives vs. what they use for performance marketing: they still showed the gameplay features and characters early on in the video (full screen), but they also added live footage with an actor recorded. Watch the TV commercial here.
Consumer targeting
[💎@10:34] The more you share with your agency partner, the better they can target your TV audience. Share both first party data (data you collect from your consumers on the front-end; data allowing to identify and target your most desirable consumers - highest revenue segments, loyal/repeat consumer segments, active subscribers but low converters) and third party data (online interests, how they consume video, spending habits etc.).
[💎@12:17] A competent TV agency can leverage the data you share and look at the competitive market to define: the audiences you should target across the different channels, a robust media plan (which networks to target), the linear/OTT mix you need, the dayparts to focus on and potential interesting live events. More details below.
It’s critical to have a clear definition of what success is. For IMVU: 1. ROAS and 2. CAC.
[💎@15:43] When IMVU started running TV, even though their end goals were 1. ROAS and 2. CAC, the first
couple of weeks they used the cost per registration as a proxy to evaluate their first channels (Hulu, Crackle and Tubi). After that, they looked at ROAS and CAC.
[💎@16:50] Analyze top/bottom performers to determine which tactics to continue or eliminate. Example: keep placing on a network, but avoid a certain daypart because you’ve noticed lower performance.
If your 4-weeks test was successful, how much scale can you now get?
[💎@18:45] Scale the existing channels that have worked well, but continue to allocate around 20% of spend to test new channels.
[💎@19:30] Make sure you leverage the relationships that your agency has with the partners where you’re buying. It should bring opportunities like fire sales, special-value ads, etc.
It’s important to find the right partner. Ask your network, peers, etc. IMVU is using an agency called TCA.
[💎@22:20] You need around $200-$300k to launch TV. Only start when you feel you’re getting diminishing returns in other places.
