Viewing behaviour is fundamentally changing. With watchtime increasingly spread across multiple devices and numerous channels, there's never been a more important time for brands to rethink their marketing mix across channels — starting with planning and measurement.
The pandemic has accelerated the consumer shift to digital. A surge in viewing on streaming services such as YouTube has held steady after the initial March lockdown and is up a mammoth 71% from last year, while traditional broadcast TV viewing has declined from its lockdown peak.
And while some narratives would have us believe that TV and online video are at odds, the reality is more positive. Beauty group Coty’s awareness campaigns for Rimmel cosmetics shows that using an integrated YouTube and TV strategy is key to reaching the right audience, in the right place, and at the right time.
Using an integrated YouTube and TV strategy is key to reaching the right audience, in the right place, and at the right time
A measurement makeover for Rimmel with Nielsen Total Ad Ratings
Nielsen Total Ad Ratings (TAR) studies have the ability to measure and compare reach across TV and digital video to provide a clearer view of the total audience reached. This enables marketers to base future marketing decisions more closely on return on investment (ROI).
Coty used a Nielsen TAR test to answer a big question: Does YouTube provide incremental reach to Rimmel's intended TV audience?
Coty commissioned a Nielsen Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) analysis, looking back at the relationships between marketing spend and business performance on Rimmel over a three-year period, from August 2015 to June 2018.1
The analysis included YouTube, traditional TV, and social media for Rimmel in the U.K., to identify key performance drivers — looking at everything from weekly volume trends and trade promotion to external factors such as seasonality and weather. For this MMM analysis, ROI was defined as total incremental sales divided by total media spend.
They then ran a TAR test in a Nielsen custom study, from 29 January to 3 March 2020, using Nielsen Total Ad Ratings to measure YouTube’s incremental reach beyond TV to Rimmel’s intended target audience.2 The results were game-changing.
YouTube delivers incremental reach beyond a traditional TV audience
The Nielsen MMM analysis showed that YouTube delivered 33% higher ROI than traditional media and social channels across Rimmel’s portfolio.
The results of Google’s test of Nielsen TAR were just as illuminating. By combining YouTube with TV, Rimmel achieved 22% incremental reach across its audience. This demonstrated that, with a more holistic approach, it was possible to reach a larger total audience — and crucially, through YouTube, connect with valuable consumers beyond TV.
"Throughout this campaign, we have gained vital insights driving our evidence-based marketing. The test with Nielsen TAR is the latest proof that YouTube helps us achieve our awareness goals beyond TV," says Nick Sedgwick, General Manager Consumer Beauty UK & Ireland at Coty.
How to use the right measurement strategy for your campaigns
With Nielsen data providing a fairer comparison between TV and online video, marketers can now put a truer assessment of ROI at the heart of their decision-making. Here are four recommended actions to leverage data for your campaigns and take a more holistic approach to planning.
1. Learn from past performance with a MMM analysis
Your historical data is more valuable than you think. Conduct a Nielsen MMM analysis for a clearer picture of how your past campaigns have performed across TV and YouTube — and refine your marketing strategy accordingly.
2. Increase efficiency by focusing on incremental reach
Not all audiences are served by TV. Expand your marketing mix and use online video to achieve additional reach. Set a goal for incremental reach on YouTube compared to TV. Utilise TV data in Reach Planner to plan and X-Media Reach Reporting to measure the results. For example, you can aim for a 30% reach among an 18-54 audience on YouTube that you’d struggle to find through TV alone.
3. Integrate channels to elevate your campaign
Put an integrated video and TV plan at the forefront of your strategy. With many people watching content on both traditional channels and online — and increasingly combining both by watching YouTube on TV — marketers should avoid seeing platforms in silo. Integration can elevate an entire campaign, creating more opportunities to reach your desired audience as they move between devices and platforms.
4. Tailor your YouTube strategy for your audience
Get the attention of audiences on YouTube in the most efficient way possible by customising your strategy and creative accordingly. Choose tools to build your own campaign with YouTube Select, which will help you to make customised offerings for your brand or client.
