Sky Media has a launched a pilot for its new Shoppable Ads proposition with Sky Mobile. Sky Mobile’s addressable TV ads will feature a unique QR code that drives TV viewers online to the brand’s website. Adding a QR code to a TV advert itself may not be new, but combining shoppable functionality with Sky Media’s market-leading targeting and measurement analytics makes it a real game changer for brands.
Following the pandemic, the use of QR codes is now well established with the public through NHS Track and Trace. Also, m-commerce (mobile commerce) experienced huge growth over the last year – Statista predicts that nearly three quarters of all retail e-commerce will be generated through mobile in 2021, up from 59% in 2017.
Shoppable Ads enable advertisers to add QR codes directly into TV advertising, delivering a seamless customer experience directly from the TV screen to a brand’s website or online destination. The shoppable proposition is fully measurable using Sky’s household viewing data and unique measurement capabilities, and allows advertisers to directly attribute website visits, browsing and sales conversions to their TV spend. Shoppable campaigns, including Sky Mobile’s pilot, will be A/B tested with learnings applied to optimise campaign impact.
Dan Cohen, Director of Products and Advertising Innovation at Sky Media, said, “TV is proven to both build brands and drive short-term response. Now, as the pace of m-commerce innovation quickens, we’re able to leverage dual screening behaviours to capture attention and supercharge immediate, measurable response. At Sky Media, we’re pleased to be leading the industry in this space as the only broadcaster that is able to link sales directly with our viewing data.”
Sky Media’s Shoppable capability builds on learnings from the US. Analysis from NBCU campaigns reveals that a QR code gives a 30% higher response rate than industry benchmarks for digital and delivers 20% higher message memorability.
Cohen continued, “In the UK, Sky customers spend more online than other UK households. In fact, Sky households are *30% more likely to buy online after watching a TV advert compared to the average adult, which unlocks huge opportunities for advertisers. We’re really excited to see how this pilot campaign performs for Sky Mobile and are keen to work with other brands to trial our new shoppable proposition.”
Pierre Coppin, Marketing Director at Sky Mobile, commented, “We’re thrilled to be the first brand in the UK to access Sky Media’s QR and attribution technology. As a mobile operator, we know first-hand that we always have our phones at the ready, so running this pilot was a no brainer. Coupled with AdSmart’s unique targeting capability, the work we are doing with Sky Media is a real competitive advantage which has undoubtedly contributed to the stellar growth of Sky Mobile.”
The potential for shoppable extends beyond hard sales and shopping. QR code creative can be adopted and adapted to suit the advertiser’s business objective, directing audiences to browse, donate, book, subscribe, download, learn or arrive at a branded content destination. For the Sky Mobile partnership, Sky Media’s in-house creative team has tailored the layout, colour, positioning, size, time on screen and URL of the QR code, to fit with the brand’s needs.
The pilot campaign with Sky Mobile launches today (7th May) and lasts four weeks until 3rd June.
* Based on TGI GB Apr 2021, based on regular purchase
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