Nine pushes total TV & audio buying with CPM model and regional integrations
Nine has made a significant change to the way it will sell television advertising spots and campaigns, announcing at its 2022 Upfronts a move towards a Cost Per Thousand (CPM)-based trading model for total TV campaigns purchased through its Nine Galaxy.
Nine Galaxy is Nine’s automated buying platform which first launched in 2017, and the media company will now offer its off-peak and multi-channel inventory in the same way that digital media is currently bought across 9Now, against an agreed CPM.
The change comes as part of Nine push for marketers to move away from buying based on an agreed-on rate card, instead, pushing a CMP system that will be available to buyers through Nine Galaxy.
As part of the announcement, Nine also revealed that media agencies will be able to access Nine Galaxy directly with self-serve access and API integration. This will include access to Nine’s linear off-peak inventory, live streaming and on-demand TV inventory.
“You don’t need to book television the old-fashioned way anymore,” Nine chief sales officer, Michael Stephenson, said. “The future of TV advertising is total TV. Nine Galaxy allows media buyers to buy linear, live streaming and on-demand audiences all in one transaction.
“The changes we are announcing today ensures the Nine Galaxy platform continues to meet the changing needs of Australian marketers.
“The changes will allow agencies to plan, buy and optimise campaigns with live access to avails, and track and post-analyse total TV campaigns with greater efficiency. Of course with Nine Galaxy there are no shortfalls, no makegoods, just guaranteed outcomes. This is truly a game-changer for media buyers.”
Currently, around 40% of Nine’s off-peak and multi-channel bookings are made through Nine Galaxy. Stephenson encouraged agencies and clients to up that to 60-70%, otherwise they will continue to be “spending too much time trying to optimise on the margin and chasing shortfalls and makegoods.”
Speaking to media ahead of the Upfronts, Stephenson revealed that primetime television on Nine’s primary channel will still be bought using the rate card system, and explained that the reason for that was because advertisers still want to be able to buy their 30-second slots on a case-by-case basis.
He said Nine Galaxy has been built for the entire schedule, but won’t turn it on for primetime until the market wants the change to happen.
“We built it Galaxy for total TV” he said. “We built Galaxy ready for VOZ.”
Nine has spent millions of dollars building Galaxy, which comprises of two in-house built elements and two externally provided elements.
Media agencies don’t pay or provide data to use it, however, while it is there for agencies to tap into, advertisers are not able to access it, and there is no plan to provide direct access to them, according to Stephenson.
“The agencies have advanced buying systems, so the system is designed to work with them, it is not designed for clients… That is not part of the plan.”
In addition, Nine revealed it will develop Nine Galaxy for regional TV as well, which Stephenson called the “final piece in our Total TV puzzle”.
“We are building Nine Galaxy for regional TV.
“Agencies and clients will be able to buy metro and regional audiences in combination with our on-demand and live streaming audiences on 9Now, all in one transaction. Guaranteed audiences, no shortfalls and no makegoods.”
Total TV buying will be made possible thanks to Nine integrating the WIN national sales team into its sales structure, off the back of the switch to WIN as its regional affiliate in March.
From 1 July 2022 – marketers and agencies will be able to deal with one singular sales team. “The future of television is total television,” Stephenson said.
“Total TV is bought by TV buyers to maximise reach and build awareness at the top of the marketing funnel, and 9Now is bought by digital buyers to increase consideration and conversion using our first-party data in the middle and bottom of the marketing funnel,” Stephenson added.
Nine also announced that it has partnered with Amplified Intelligence to conduct an initial and then ongoing piece of research to develop attention as a currency, “so that clients will be able to optimise advertising across the Nine ecosystem against attention as a currency”.
Radio also sees new ad buying era
Nine’s digital transformation will also continue through the development of its total audio differing, announced by Nine managing director – radio, Tom Malone.
The push towards selling across a total audio proposition comes off the back of the recent implementation of single sign-on across its digital radio platforms, and Nine recently revealing that 15% of its total audience is streaming radio or consuming podcasts.
Brands and agencies can already use Nine Galaxy to buy across radio, and Malone revealed that Galaxy will be rolled out for live streaming and podcast buying.
“The future of radio is total audio. A combination of live linear radio, live streaming and on demand audio or podcasting. We have spent the last year understanding how our listeners are consuming our live and local content and what this means for advertisers across our digital platforms,” Malone said.
“The way listeners tune in is changing and so too is the way marketers and agencies buy our digital audiences,” Malone said. “Soon you’ll be able to use Nine Galaxy to buy total audio in the same way as you will buy total TV, automated and addressable.
Malone highlighted the opportunity for advertisers, with 600 million streaming minutes that took place across Nine’s digital platforms last month alone, and said radio is no longer defined by an AM or FM dial.
“Live linear, live streaming and podcast, all delivered using Nine Galaxy and powered using Nine’s unique first-party data, giving brands an addressable audio platform at scale.
“The way we listen to radio is changing and Nine Radio is at the forefront with a unique product which is at the heart of each city our stations serve. Our broadcasters are now available anywhere, anytime, anyhow – through apps and smart speakers. The ubiquity and mobility of radio has never been stronger.
“With 600 million streaming minutes each month, podcast consumption growing and an engaged audio audience with a high disposable income, there has never been a bigger opportunity for brands to connect with the Super Consumer.”
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Zanda Wilson was a reporter and podcast producer at Mumbrella, specialising in radio reporting. He left Mumbrella in September 2021.
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Michael Stephenson
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Tom Malone
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