Kim Mazejka, Media Planner

Watch time for Over the Top (OTT) services has skyrocketed over the past few years as binge-streamers have declared they are here to stay. 

Advertisers have been recommending investment shifts to Connected TV (CTV) for years now, and the increase in CTV ad spend over the past few years has reflected this widespread change. But what was previously a simple answer to the problem of reaching cord-cutters has become extremely fragmented over time, creating gaps in our ability to reach audiences at the scale we think we are.

While Linear can be broken down into Cable vs Broadcast, OTT can be broken down into CTV (Connected TV; anything that is streamed to a television device) and FEPs (Full Episode Players; anything streamed to a desktop, mobile, tablet, or other device). These filter down into different subscription types, (ad-free or ad-supported) as well as Free Ad Supported TV (FAST), in which a subscription is not needed to access ad-supported streaming. 

The majority of larger players in the space fall under the SVOD category (Subscription Video on Demand), with most being hybrid ad-free and ad-supported these days, offering tiered paid subscriptions. AVOD (Advertising-Based Video on Demand) services, such as Fubo and Sling, only offer paid ad-supported options as these try to mirror a cable-esque experience. On the other hand, FAST are services that do not require a subscription and are more widely available.

Content differs from service to service, with more premium inventory available through higher-priced subscriptions, and audience demographics following suit; keeping in mind that more affluent audiences are more likely to pay for ad-free services. 

When it comes to media buying, this gets even more complicated as we look at OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) such as LG, Samsung, and most recently, Roku. These manufacturers use the data from their products and advertise to users of their TV products specifically. Partners such as Samba TV have ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) tech that we are also able to take advantage of without running directly on one type of television. Even further, we are able to run ads across DSPs (Demand-Side Platforms) utilizing ACR data, audience data from those with proprietary audience data, and run across multiple types of devices at the same time, all with real-time bidding. 

So what does all of this mean for ads in the CTV landscape?

Despite the sharp increase in time spent watching CTV, and the ad spend that follows, we must take into account that about 47% of this watch time is not ad-supported. Reaching the full cord-cutter audience isn’t as simple as putting an ad on a top streaming service… if it’s even ad-supported. And with all this fragmentation, TV is no longer the mass-reach channel it once was. Understanding your audience and their media consumption behaviors, looking for incremental reach across tactics and channels, and creating a comprehensive CTV and Linear strategy is imperative to maximizing your target audience reach.

In June, CP’s Daragh Griffin will be attending the prestigious Cannes Lions Festival as part of the 14-member team chosen by IAPI to represent Ireland in the Cannes Young Lions Competition. This competition is a chance for young marketers to showcase their creative abilities, both at home and abroad. Daragh’s print work for GOAL, which impressed the judges, is slated to appear in the Business Post soon. 

We wish Daragh all the best as he moves forward to this next stage of the competition. 

Check out his winning work here.

For more information, read the full article here.

At the end of each semester, we ask our interns to reflect on their experiences and learnings at CP. As they begin to wrap up their time here, our fantastic spring interns have left us with so many valuable insights. From networking with coworkers to getting a firsthand look at the industry, and mastering valuable time management skills, they’ve truly been crushing it. Here’s what our interns had to say.

Jasmine Francoeur, PR & Social Media
Suffolk University

I quickly fell in love with CP after meeting my team and getting a tour of our amazing office. Right away, I noticed how CP has such a great sense of community and family that feels very unique from other companies I’ve worked for in the past. While I love the work that I do, which mixed my two passions of PR and social media, it was truly the people who got me excited to come in! 

During my internship, I made it my goal to meet as many CPers as I could. I arranged coffee chats with people from different departments and learned so much about what they do and their experiences. During these chats, I realized how fascinating every department is and how they must all work together to help bring our clients success. It was truly eye-opening!

This internship has pushed me to grow in innumerable ways! It has further developed my critical and strategic thinking skills. I’ve also learned so much about the industry and the people behind it as well as how to use the latest technologies to help aid in our influencer searches. 

Hayes Hollar, People & Operations
Boston University

As someone who loves the idea of “go-go-go” in a professional and business sense and is a busybody to the core, I’ve always been attracted to the advertising industry. CP stood out to me because it’s a global company that touches so many different industries. Also, CP’s emphasis on the human experience, placing that at the core of its values as a company, makes it extremely attractive. With the hustle and bustle of advertising, putting people first is not always the case. 

The first thing I noticed at CP was how friendly and genuine everyone was, before even really getting to know them. This is the first time I’ve ever had an internship experience where a company prioritizes being in the office. I think that was extremely intimidating but I was immediately comforted by the warmth and friendliness of all of the people here. It’s unique to see a work culture where all the employees seem to be good friends rather than just friendly coworkers. I approached the internship and the people I met throughout it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and have fun. 

CP has given me a new perspective on the industry. There is always a way to strike a balance between the chaos of advertising and the well-being of the employees, who keep the company running, which is of the utmost importance. 

Nick Maumus, Media
Bentley University

From my initial conversations with CPers, I knew that this agency aligned strongly with my own personal values. For that reason, this internship was the best part of every day for my last semester of college. On top of having great interactions with coworkers, I worked on a variety of client and internal CP projects.

My greatest learning experience, however, was being given a glimpse into the real world. I had to quickly learn how to juggle a full course load of both undergraduate and graduate classes and the Bentley Honors program, on top of this internship. On a good day, my 90-minute commute to the office spanned driving, walking, and taking the subway. I would lose 6 hours each week on my commute alone, which challenged me to learn the valuable skill of time management. 

I worked hard every day to maximize my time and be as productive as possible, while also managing stress. I used every opportunity to learn, including my commute to the office. One piece of advice that I received from Steve Connelly was to put my phone down on the subway and just watch people because you can learn so much from simply observing. By doing this, I learned a great deal about peoples’ habits, behaviors, group interactions, and stressors. It was a very interesting exercise that I’ll continue to practice moving forward.

Charlie Kennedy, Analytics
Merrimack College

What struck me about CP is just how friendly and understanding everyone is. People know how to act with each other in a professional, fun environment, whether that be providing constructive criticism or celebrating a job well done. 

My internship taught me just how complex and multifaceted the advertising industry is. While working on the analytics team, I was fortunate to be exposed to various departments within the agency, particularly the media team. The role that they play in ensuring that ads reach the intended audience is intriguing to me. Media is definitely another avenue that I’d love to explore more. Additionally, I find the whole process of creating an ad to be quite interesting – from copywriting and art direction through production, it is truly amazing how so many people play a part in the process. 

While at CP, I had so many opportunities to learn. The greatest learning experience I have had, however, is learning to use Google Analytics in an efficient manner with actual clients. I also had the privilege of being able to meet and work alongside CPers from our Dublin office. 

Tank Worldwide’s Jasmine Papillon-Smith examines first-person storytelling through four campaigns, including our V Foundation “Halftime” TV spot, proving this storytelling motif can go so much deeper than generic patient testimonials:

“Maybe I cheated here. Maybe the first lines are so powerful, I got carried away and characterized it as first-person when it’s not strictly that. Still: “I’m not here to fire you up.” Arena lights pound as they flick in rapid succession; I get chills. “If you’re not already fired up, you shouldn’t be in this room.” It’s a solid opening to a spot that delivers a classic halftime speech on behalf of the V Foundation for Cancer Research. It’s a nod to founder and coach Jim Valvano’s ESPYs speech as well as a straight, determined look into a real future, one where cancer research today means a cure tomorrow. Legendary coach meets inspiring speech: This spot slides seamlessly into March Madness, celebrates the Foundation’s 30^th anniversary and makes us all believe (while pulling out our wallets to donate).”

Read the full article here.

Exciting news! Ireland’s 14 Young Lions have been announced, and we’re thrilled to reveal that Daragh Griffin, of CP Dublin, has won the Print category! Alongside his partner Shane O’Hare, of Bloom, the team created an inspiring print ad for GOAL, a humanitarian foundation, urging people to leave money to charity in their will. Their ad (pictured below), “Let Hope Live On,” was described by the judges as “clear, compelling, and with great potential” to encourage viewers to support vulnerable communities worldwide. And the best part? The ad will soon come to life courtesy of the Business Post, who sponsored the category.

Read the full article here and watch his presentation to colleagues here. 

Stay tuned for more updates from Daragh, who will be presenting his work in June at the Cannes Lions Festival.

Image courtesy of IAPI

At CP, we are always asking “why?” We’re fascinated and ever curious about customer mood and mindset. Here’s a few observations and constructive fodder for discussion from our anthropology and strategic planning teams from this past quarter.

1. Living With Tech Disruption
An opportunity cloaked in uncertainty.

Observation: In the past few months much has been made of technology entering our lives. Examples include worldwide buzz around generative AI like ChatGPT (and now GPT-4) to new technologies being used in sports in the form of pitch clocks, VR, and data tracking. 

In the advertising world, technology like generative AI serves as a potential threat that could marginalize creativity across various competencies. Much is still to be explored and learned.

What brands can do: Always explore – rather than reject – these emerging technologies, viewing them as potential tools rather than automatic threats. Some may come, some may go – however, through exploration, brands and consumers can reap any potential benefits that may be presented to us today and into the future.

Sources: The Atlantic, Forbes, The New York Times & The Good Phight 

2. De-influencing & Consumerism
Don’t buy that, buy this instead.

Observation: Influencer marketing is changing and creators are leaving #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt back in 2022 in favor of #De-influencing in 2023. As ‘eat the rich’ storylines permeate culture, creators and Gen Z are taking advantage of an emergent push against consumption culture. However while the benefits of ‘de-influencing’ are serving negative views of consumerism, people are still being influenced towards other products, highlighting that de-influencing is more of a fun trend and TikTok buzzword due to the media and public’s embracing of the term.

What brands can do: For influencers—or brands that are becoming more wary of using influencers—they must consider their communication strategies and continue to avoid inauthentic means of communication and influence due to consumers’ ever-increasing demand for authenticity in the content they see.

Sources: AdAge, AdWeek & Business.com

3. Where Have the Customers Gone?
Customers are moving—meaning new markets and realities.

Observation: Customers are in a state of moving, and major shifts as it relates to where they live, work and shop are continuing to take place in 2023. Many cities, like Boston and Dublin for example, have seen population decreases since the beginning of the Covid pandemic in the spring of 2020. This is, in part, due to economic reasons such as the elevated housing market and cost of living as well as increasing work-from-home or work-from-anywhere flexibility. Lifestyle changes for consumers cause disruption to habits, which means priorities will come into focus, especially with their status quo being transformed.

What brands can do: The shifts in consumers and their environments means that brands may have to rethink how they reach their target customers given new lifestyles and realities, especially during certain periods of their lives like retirement.

Sources: The Boston Globe, The Irish Times, Brookings & CBS News

4. There Are Essentials Within ‘Essentials’
Non-negotiables shouldn’t feel like negotiables.

Observation: 66% of people in Ireland are actively seeking ways to spend less, but acknowledge that they will ultimately end up spending more in the coming months. People across the financial spectrum are adjusting their spending habits, even when it comes to ‘essential’ items. Those under the most pressure are trying to squeeze every ounce from their budget, while those who are better off are still trying to reduce their spending by looking for options that present ‘better value.’

What brands can do: There is an opportunity for brands, products and services across FMCG sectors to cement their position as a ‘non-negotiable’ essential. Brands can do this by leveraging emotional connections and moments that happen during these interactions, illustrating how they are crucial to these personal moments being successful.

Sources: Bord Bia X Canvas8 & Kantar

5. The Next Generation of Free Speech?
People are skirting around topics, we have to follow them.

Observation: Slang comes and goes, often it reflects a moment in time, illustrating what is happening in the world. As the day-to-day changes, so does the colloquial language used. Algospeak feels different though. The reason it exists is different. Algospeak is code or rhyming slang used to avoid moderation or censorship online. True crime content creators will often use the term ‘Unaliving’ when discussing cases – a code for killing or being killed e.g., ‘The suspect was apprehended by police after unaliving his wife.’ It is an attempt to speak freely without being penalized. Separately, Elon Musk is seeking to develop an alternative option to ChatGPT, one that doesn’t ‘penalize conservative biases.’

What brands can do: This matters for brands because while we may not understand or agree with these approaches, people are still actively trying to avoid being moderated. Going forward, brands need to consider these new ‘languages’ in order to maintain relevance and reach intended audiences.

Sources: Twitter, The Information, USA Today & RTE

All good things expire. Look out for more reports coming soon.

At CP, we are always asking “why?” We’re fascinated and ever curious about customer mood and mindset. Here’s a few observations and constructive fodder for discussion from our anthropology and strategic planning teams from this past quarter.

1. Living With Tech Disruption
An opportunity cloaked in uncertainty.

Observation: In the past few months much has been made of technology entering our lives. Examples include worldwide buzz around generative AI like ChatGPT (and now GPT-4) to new technologies being used in sports in the form of pitch clocks, VR, and data tracking. 

In the advertising world, technology like generative AI serves as a potential threat that could marginalize creativity across various competencies. Much is still to be explored and learned.

What brands can do: Always explore – rather than reject – these emerging technologies, viewing them as potential tools rather than automatic threats. Some may come, some may go – however, through exploration, brands and consumers can reap any potential benefits that may be presented to us today and into the future.

Sources: The Atlantic, Forbes, The New York Times & The Good Phight 

2. De-influencing & Consumerism
Don’t buy that, buy this instead.

Observation: Influencer marketing is changing and creators are leaving #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt back in 2022 in favor of #De-influencing in 2023. As ‘eat the rich’ storylines permeate culture, creators and Gen Z are taking advantage of an emergent push against consumption culture. However while the benefits of ‘de-influencing’ are serving negative views of consumerism, people are still being influenced towards other products, highlighting that de-influencing is more of a fun trend and TikTok buzzword due to the media and public’s embracing of the term.

What brands can do: For influencers—or brands that are becoming more wary of using influencers—they must consider their communication strategies and continue to avoid inauthentic means of communications and influence due to consumers’ ever increasing demand for authenticity in the content they see.

Sources: AdAge, AdWeek & Business.com

3. Where Have the Customers Gone?
Customers are moving—meaning new markets and realities.

Observation: Customers are in a state of moving, and major shifts as it relates to where they live, work and shop are continuing to take place in 2023. Many cities, like Boston and Dublin for example, have seen population decreases since the beginning of the Covid pandemic in the spring of 2020. This is, in part, due to economic reasons such as the elevated housing market and cost of living as well as increasing work-from-home or work-from-anywhere flexibility. Lifestyle changes for consumers cause disruption to habits, which means priorities will come into focus, especially with their status quo being transformed.

What brands can do: The shifts in consumers and their environments means that brands may have to rethink how they reach their target customers given new lifestyles and realities, especially during certain periods of their lives like retirement.

Sources: The Boston Globe, The Irish Times, Brookings & CBS News

4. There Are Essentials Within ‘Essentials’
Non-negotiables shouldn’t feel like negotiables.

Observation: 66% of people in Ireland are actively seeking ways to spend less, but acknowledge that they will ultimately end up spending more in the coming months. People across the financial spectrum are adjusting their spending habits, even when it comes to ‘essential’ items. Those under the most pressure are trying to squeeze every ounce from their budget, while those who are better off are still trying to reduce their spending by looking for options that present ‘better value.’

What brands can do: There is an opportunity for brands, products and services across FMCG sectors to cement their position as a ‘non-negotiable’ essential. Brands can do this by leveraging emotional connections and moments that happen during these interactions, illustrating how they are crucial to these personal moments being successful.

Sources: Bord Bia X Canvas8 & Kantar

5. The Next Generation of Free Speech?
People are skirting around topics, we have to follow them.

Observation: Slang comes and goes, often it reflects a moment in time, illustrating what is happening in the world. As the day-to-day changes, so does the colloquial language used. Algospeak feels different though. The reason it exists is different. Algospeak is code or rhyming slang used to avoid moderation or censorship online. True crime content creators will often use the term ‘Unaliving’ when discussing cases – a code for killing or being killed e.g., ‘The suspect was apprehended by police after unaliving his wife.’ It is an attempt to speak freely without being penalized. Separately, Elon Musk is seeking to develop an alternative option to ChatGPT, one that doesn’t ‘penalize conservative biases.’

What brands can do: This matters for brands because while we may not understand or agree with these approaches, people are still actively trying to avoid being moderated. Going forward, brands need to consider these new ‘languages’ in order to maintain relevance and reach intended audiences.

Sources: Twitter, The Information, USA Today & RTE

All good things expire. Look out for more reports coming soon.

Managing Director of CP Dublin, Vaunnie McDermott, was recently joined by other industry experts on Bobby Kerr’s Down To Business podcast. In this episode, Vaunnie shares her insight into all things advertising. From what goes into making a great ad to the creative process behind it, Vaunnie explains that creative teams are now challenged more than ever. Consumer attention spans are at an all-time low and creatives have only two seconds to cut through the noise and catch their eye.

Vaunnie also stresses how important it is to invest in your brand, even when times are tough. Advertising is an investment, she shares, not a cost. Investing in the long term will always pay off and brands will see greater success than those who only plan for short-term results. 

There’s so much more to come in the next few years as the industry continues to become more complex. New roles, lower attention spans, and the rise of AI will challenge marketers like never before. 

Have a listen to the full episode here.

Lee Junkin, Platform Media Supervisor

When I was in college, everyone used to say that if you can study abroad, you need to do it because you may never get the chance again. Well, as a 28-year-old adult, I was lucky enough to be provided with that opportunity a second time when Connelly Partners launched their CP Abroad program. So, in late February I set off for my month of working in Dublin – after making a quick pit stop in Chamonix, France to get a few days of skiing in as the winter began to fade away.

One of the things that struck me when I first arrived in the Dublin office is that my coworkers, who I had previously known almost entirely through Zoom and Slack, were so welcoming and passionate about sharing their culture. Almost immediately after being shown to my desk, I was hit with a flood of recommendations for restaurants, pubs (a lot of pubs), hikes, and any other experience in Ireland you can think of. It’s overwhelming to try to experience as much as you can in a new country in just a month, but with the help of my coworkers, I was able to make a pretty good plan for appreciating Dublin life. 

It being March, I was able to experience an Irish St. Patrick’s Day, which is a national holiday in Ireland. The parade was beautiful and the crowds were massive. People from all over the world poured into the streets wearing green hats and Guinness shirts. By the way, make sure you call it St. Paddy’s Day and not St. Patty’s Day – Americans often come over and use the more Anglicized spelling to the dismay of Irish residents. 

After St. Paddy’s, I explored the incredible Dingle Peninsula, driving over Conor Pass before eating seafood chowder with a Guinness in the quaint seaside Dingle pubs as Ireland beat England in the Six Nations rugby tournament. I also explored the beautiful Cliffs of Moher as well as Galway City.

Ireland may be an island, but plane fare in Europe is much different than in the U.S., making Dublin Airport a gateway to other cultures and languages just a few hours away. Over the course of a few weekends, I flew to Soria, Spain to reconnect with my host family from my college abroad experience, explored castles in Edinburgh and took a cruise on Lake Loch Ness, sipped coffee by the brightly painted houses in Copenhagen, and toured and learned about the complicated history of the city of Belfast.

Overall, I learned that while every culture has its slight differences – pronunciations and slang, cuisines, and lunch break standards (the Irish office is better at eating lunches together while Americans often eat at their desks) – there are many universal human truths that we all share. People everywhere are generally welcoming and excited to share pieces of their culture. People like to have fun and try new foods and keep eating the foods that they already love. Whether it’s baseball or Gaelic football, everyone loves to go to a game with their friends. The advertising industry certainly has some nuances across different countries (my position as a programmatic media buyer is not a big thing in Ireland), but in any culture, humans like to do the things they love, and part of our job as advertisers is to help humans enjoy those things.

CP Abroad provided me with a better understanding of my fellow humans and helped me grow as a person, but maybe more importantly, it was an incredibly fun experience that I will never forget.

Alyssa Stevens, Director of Public Relations & Social Media

In early April, I headed down to the Sunshine State to attend PI LIVE Miami, a conference centered around building profitable partnerships through influencers, creators, affiliates, and more. I spent two days soaking up industry knowledge from top marketers, e-commerce brands, and leading content creators. 

The bottom line is that the consumer journey is no longer linear—in fact, it’s everything but. As marketers, we need to meet and influence consumers at every potential discovery point. What was evident during the conference is that the influencer marketing industry is continuing to grow exponentially. With more than 300 million people worldwide identifying as creators, it’s not surprising that Adobe recently reported that 25% of a brand’s consumers are creators with influence. Could 2023 truly be the year of the creator? 

In order to capitalize on the power of creators beyond their social media presence, you need to be strategic. Integration between cross-functional teams has never been more crucial and marketers need to think outside the box.  

Intrigued to learn more? Here are four key takeaways from PI LIVE Miami this year:

Climb Into the Mindset of Your Consumer

In order to market to your target audience, you have to develop a deep understanding of their mindset. Sounds simple, right? But that consumer discovery should also involve their social media search behavior. How does your consumer look for ideas on social media, find new influencers to follow, and embrace content trends? When marketers look to engage influencers, they should first search for their product/brand/campaign theme on social media to see the type of content and influencers the consumer would naturally find if they were to do this search themselves. From there, they can reverse engineer this process by creating a brief/campaign and choosing influencers that emulate what their target audience would find in the wild. This way, when the content comes to life and is posted on social media, it will resonate with the intended audience. 

Recruit Creators Like You Would Employees

The landscape has never been richer for brands to tap into their existing customer base to find influencers and content creators. But how do brands find them? Take an approach that’s similar to employee recruitment. Existing customers who know and love your brand will always offer the most authentic collaborations. Create a landing page on the brand’s website that invites influencers to apply to work with the brand and be part of their creator partnerships. From there, the brand can evaluate who in their existing customer base has social influence and also wants to support the brand in a more meaningful way on social media. This can cut out the guesswork for the brand while also leveraging authentic partnerships with its most influential customers. 

Use Generative AI to Inspire—but Not Replace—Creators

Chat GPT and its counterparts have taken the world by storm. As we embrace AI technology across various verticals, it’s important to consider how it can aid creators and human workflows instead of replacing them. Generative AI is meant to inspire and provide efficiencies with content generation. Content creators and influencers will still ideate with marketers around campaigns, but as AI evolves, they should also be empowered to bring it into the fold during the concept and content development phases to provide efficiencies. Creators could make one piece of content and then utilize AI to expand that content to multiple platforms, formats, and even languages! The speed at which AI can help create content is unmatched and if done in collaboration with a creator, there is no doubt it will revolutionize marketers’ ability to reach consumers across various content mediums. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Negotiate With Creators

The creator economy is exactly that. An economy. And the delivery of goods and services in exchange for monetary compensation is at the heart of a healthy ecosystem. Just like marketers wouldn’t take a magazine’s rate card at face value, they should also feel empowered to negotiate with creators. Think through the core deliverables that you really want and why, as well as what you can offer the influencer to sweeten the deal. Are you planning to whitelist/amplify their posts and offer them added exposure to new audiences? Will you be highlighting them on your social media or a website with credit to their page? Can you set up a revenue-sharing model based on post performance? All of these additional campaign attributes can help with negotiating influencer rates to ensure that a brand achieves the best deliverables/ROI from a collaboration and that influencers feel that their partnership is valued.