Mastering the drop-push: How CTV can help advertisers win gold at the Olympics

Opinion

CTV can ensure brands reach the right audiences, but only when it’s part of a multichannel strategy can it help advertisers get consumers to the finish line.

The flame has been lit, the athletes have arrived, the Games have begun and, more importantly, the fans are tuned in. 

All eyes are on Paris, and with these Olympics likely to be the most-watched TV event in eight years, it’s no surprise that adspend on the tournament have reached record levels as brands want to ensure their voices are heard in the most creative ways.

However, we know it’s not as easy as throwing ads at an Olympic wall and seeing what sticks. The advertising landscape has become so fragmented and competitive, while audience attention is simultaneously dropping.

Don’t drop out — drop push

The drop-push strategy, commonly used in track and field, is the way athletes secure the win by leaning in to the finish line to separate them from the closest competitor.

Brands and advertisers will need to adopt a similar strategy to come out on top during this Olympics. And the only way to do that is by analysing what channels actually work and how best to include them into their marketing mix to secure the gold.

Whether we like it or not, the audiences of today prioritise convenience over anything else, especially when it comes to the content they consume online. This is why we’ve seen significant investment from major streaming platforms like Disney+, Discovery+ and Netflix in live-streaming sports events.

Audiences are already engaged on these platforms watching films, TV shows and documentaries; by adding sports to the mix, it offers them flexibility to switch content within the same platform. Everyone wants to watch Zharnel Hughes take on Noah Lyles in the 200m race and then carry on binge-watching The Bear.  

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The CTV Olympics

And that’s the sweet spot for brands and advertisers — all that’s left for them to do is deliver relevant ads to already engaged audiences in these environments.

But it doesn’t stop there. Connected TV (CTV) allows advertisers to track individual viewership, enabling more relevant and personalised ads. Advanced targeting techniques, such as platform and device targeting, let advertisers tailor ads to specific devices or platforms like Roku or Amazon Fire TV, while contextual advertising helps them align ads with the specific shows viewers are watching. 

This helps narrow audience targeting to specific individuals rather than broad demographics and enables a better understanding of the ad’s impact on overall campaign performance. As a result, making informed decisions on adspend and optimising campaign impact becomes significantly easier.

The proof is in the pudding for advertisers and there’s no argument that this will be a CTV Olympics following the success at the Euros. BBC’s iPlayer saw an incredible 8.9m streams for the England vs Switzerland match and ITVX registered the highest live-stream audience of the tournament with 16.8m views for the semi-final.

What’s more, across Warner Bros Discovery’s Max and Discovery+, Paris 2024 drove almost 1bn streaming minutes — over seven times higher than at the same point in Tokyo 2020 — on only day two of the tournament.

Passing the baton

Imagine the thrill of sprinting towards the finish line, only to realise that other athletes are matching your pace stride for stride. This is the moment when brands and advertisers must lean in to the finish line and it’s here that a multichannel strategy truly shines.

While adopting diverse marketing tactics across channels like CTV, digital OOH and in-game advertising may help brands reach the finish line, the real victory lies in using data and analytics to determine how each of them complements each other effectively for overall campaign success. 

CTV is highly effective for building brand awareness at the top of the funnel, but it also provides granular measurement metrics like how many times a unique viewer sees an ad, effectiveness of an ad in retaining viewers’ attention and even footfall attribution, which helps retailers understand the impact of a CTV ad on shoppers visiting physical stores.

This data then enables retargeting through other channels, guiding audiences further down the funnel towards the final decision stage.

A multichannel strategy also helps to maintain consistency across all channels — vital for engaging audiences, strengthening brand recognition and building trust. Being able to pass a unified message across CTV, digital platforms, social media and traditional media ensures viewers have a seamless and coherent brand experience — no matter where they engage with the content.

Lean in to win it

The drop-push strategy is about more than just timing; it’s about executing a well-planned, co-ordinated effort to maximise impact. 

Just as athletes lean in to the finish line to gain that crucial extra edge, brands and advertisers must lean in to the advantages offered by CTV. However, by integrating CTV with other channels, there’s an opportunity to create a powerful, cohesive presence that resonates with audiences while driving engagement and, ultimately, ROI. 

As the Olympics continue, those that lean in to the finish line will be the ones to claim gold.

Ed Mullins is director, inventory and partnerships, at StackAdapt