NBCU streamlines premium CTV ad buys at local level for auto brands

Dive Brief:

NBCUniversal launched a tool designed to help local automotive advertisers buy premium connected TV (CTV) video with greater simplicity, efficiency and precision, according to a company announcement. The product is part of a broader initiative from the entertainment giant to enhance solutions for local advertisers.
Volkswagen of America is a launch partner for the new capability, called Spot On Automotive, which auto dealers can use to target consumers in local markets across NBCU’s portfolio.
The tool is an automotive-specific version of NBCU’s Spot On OTT platform, which launched in 2020. NBCU worked with marketing technology company Constellation to enhance the existing platform to connect local auto dealers to the brand-safe video marketplace.

Dive Insight:

Spot On Automotive is the first offering in what NBCU characterizes as a “larger priority” project to provide efficient solutions for local advertisers. The product intends to help those types of businesses break through in an increasingly complex media marketplace by simplifying the process for buying premium CTV ads.

NBCU believes local markets wield significant influence over audiences.

“That is why we are investing in our local advertising capabilities for our partners to connect with their consumers,” said Shawn Makhijani, senior vice president of business development and strategy and NBC Spot On for NBCUniversal Advertising & Partnerships, in a statement.

Local auto dealerships will be able to pair their first-party data with NBCUniversal’s first-q data in a privacy-minded environment to target potential buyers down to the ZIP code. They can also select third-party media publishers across NBCU’s entire portfolio, from news to entertainment to sports, in both English and Spanish.

The tool leverages Constellation’s dynamic content generation capabilities to produce creative assets for both dealers and manufacturers that are specifically designed to run on the Spot On platform. The platform also offers reporting, billing and co-op compliance management.

“Democratizing premium content, once only available at a national or regional ad association level, is a huge win for our entire dealer network and brand,” said Rachael Zaluzec, senior vice president of marketing and customer experience at Volkswagen of America, in a statement.