When it comes to advertising alongside video content, context has always mattered. But artificial intelligence is taking that context to a granular new level, potentially transforming how brands engage with viewers.
The technology is enabling a shift from broad-brush categorization to pinpoint, scene-by-scene understanding of content – meaning ads can be matched to the exact moments that make them most relevant.
That’s according to Raghu Kodige, CEO, Anoki, in this video interview with Beet.TV.
From genre to scene
AI-powered contextual targeting is an evolution in how advertisers approach connected TV, moving beyond traditional content categorization.
“Anoki has really brought contextual targeting to the next level by going from sort of the content-level targeting that used to be there, using genre and certain fields, to scene-level contextual targeting,” Kodige said.
This granular approach allows for unprecedented precision in ad placement. “Imagine you’re watching a movie and it’s set in a bar, and if it goes into an ad break right after that particular scene, the best advertisement to put there is probably a beer commercial,” he explained.
Platform expansion
After launching contextual targeting for CTV late last year, Anoki has responded to market demand by integrating its technology with major supply-side platforms.
“This year, one of the big things we’ve done is we’ve launched contextual targeting as a platform and integrated that into various SSPs and ad servers,” Kodige said. “Magnite, SpringServe was the first one that we integrated. We are just going live with Index Exchange and there are a few others that are coming very soon.”
These integrations enable publishers and platforms to directly leverage Anoki’s contextual technology, expanding its reach across the advertising ecosystem.
Making news brand-safe
Anoki is also tackling one of advertising’s most persistent challenges – brand safety in news content – with an AI solution debuting at CES.
“News for a lot of people has been an area where they don’t advertise at all, because brands are worried their ad may run next to war news or a crime story,” Kodige noted. “But we all know that news is highly engaging.”
The company’s real-time contextual solution analyzes news content to determine ad safety while identifying themes and keywords, enabling brands to make informed decisions about advertising alongside news content.
This development comes as CTV continues its impressive growth trajectory. According to eMarketer, U.S. CTV ad spending is projected to increase by 15.8% this year, reaching $33.35 billion, with viewership approaching nearly 70% of the population.
