Mediacorp unveils new automated ad buy platform, starts with TV spots

Mediacorp has launched a new self-service advertising platform that it hopes will provide an "easy, efficient and effective" way for businesses of all sizes reach their target customers. Named "Mediacorp AdDirect", the platform enables advertisers to create, order and track their media campaigns and will kick off with facilitating purchases of ad space for TV, followed by digital and subsequently across all platforms within Mediacorp’s extensive media network.

According to a MAGNA report last year, media owners’ linear advertising revenues (linear TV, linear radio, print, OOH) decreased by an estimated -18% in 2020, down to US$233 billion globally, due to the global economic recession. However, the report also said that Television remains the largest linear advertising channel with US$149 billion in advertising revenues in 2020. The medium saw ad sales shrank by -12% in 2020, in line with expectations, due to the cancellation of many TV campaigns in key verticals and the postponement of major sports events.

Hoping to bounce back with the product in the Singapore market, Mediacorp said AdDirect was conceptualised to help advertisers create a customised media plan based on specific target audience and budget. It also provides the option for advertisers to develop creative assets with Mediacorp's resources, and tracks their campaign’s performance throughout.  Done in collaboration with Singtel’s subsidiary Amobee, Mediacorp said AdDirect was created to reduce the complexity of the buying process with the help of data-optimised media plans that reach the right audiences, and maximise campaign objectives in a single workflow.

It is added that through the application of prescriptive AI, first-party and third-party data and advanced analytics, AdDirect enables Mediacorp to work with an increasingly broad group of advertisers seeking innovative solutions across TV and digital, as consumers continue to evolve how they engage with content. 

Parminder Singh, chief commercial and digital officer of Mediacorp, said: “Mediacorp AdDirect brings leading edge technology to advertisers to maximise their return on investment and help their businesses grow. Mediacorp constantly pushes the envelope to make advertising more seamless, accessible and cost-effective. We are also glad to be able to bring this solution to the industry at a time when it needs all the support to ride out the current economic challenges."

The launch of Mediacorp AdDirect is part of Mediacorp’s efforts to make advertising more attractive and accessible to all business owners, the media company said. In 2019, to make advertising on its platform more cost-effective for clients, Mediacorp reworked its advertising rates to offer them greater value with their advertising spend. It said then that the revised rate cards could result in potential savings of up to 80% for clients. 

Brand safety concerns

When asked around brand safety on the platform, Mediacorp spokesperson said it has a "multi-tiered brand safety framework" to ensure measures and filters are in place for advertising on its network, including for ads placed via Mediacorp AdDirect. For TV advertising, which is part of the platform’s first-phase launch, processes are also in place to efficiently terminate or re-allocate advertising spots when necessary.    

"In addition to existing brand safety measures and filters, we have also further strengthened our operational processes for technical changes and sector-specific requirements," the spokesperson added. 

Mediacorp said as of now it will be leveraging its cross-platform reach and audiences across TV, radio and digital to promote its Mediacorp AdDirect offering. As part of the launch, Mediacorp is also launching a contest, "Mediacorp AdDirect Bonus", in which it encourages small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to share business challenges they had to overcome in 2020. Mediacorp will be giving media credits to the winners of the contest. 

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