As much as consumers complain about AI-generated content, advertising experts say AI still has an important place in video creation and production, including for ads. The operational cost savings and efficiency that AI introduces is simply too tempting to ignore.
But using AI in content without turning off consumers is a tricky dance.
Advertising experts argue there is a middle ground: using AI technology to quicken, improve or enhance the production of content that features real people and products. Think visual overlays and camera effects, to name a couple of viewer-facing examples. This concept is often called “AI augmentation” in ad-techese, but I prefer the term “AI-assisted” content.
To get a better sense of what “AI-assisted” content looks like, I asked media and ad tech execs for examples during a session I moderated on the evolution of video ads during the StreamTV Show in Denver last week. My panel included Shravan Majithia, group product manager of Google TV; Jonathan Meyers, SVP and GM of partnerships at NBCUniversal; Bill Sheahan, VP of advanced advertising product at Spectrum Reach; and Scott Young, co-founder and chief product officer of Transmit, a video monetization platform.
What do the experts say?
Upgrading the viewing experience is one of the most common AI use cases among publishers and brands.
One popular example is using AI tools to emulate fancy effects like zooming in, panning or unique angles that would normally require an expensive camera to produce, said Google TV’s Majithia. In that sense, he said, AI makes video production more affordable for smaller brands that want to make the leap into connected TV – but with commercials that still feature people and objects rooted in the real world.
This approach to AI is something I see often in short-form video. Instagram Reels disclose if they use the platform’s “AI Edits” function, which changes the angles and zoom effects in a user-generated video to garner more attention and engagement. Now that Instagram is trying to break into TV, it’s even easier for me to visualize what this concept could look like on the big screen on the wall.
Another common example of AI usage in human-made content involves sports. Many streaming publishers are using AI to make it easier for viewers to follow sports events by highlighting scores and certain plays. This tactic, in turn, helps advertisers reach viewers in moments of higher attention and engagement, said Transmit’s Young.
Attention, please
Are you noticing a trend?
AI is dominating advertising conversations because of its connection to viewer engagement. From visual effects and overlays to contextual advertising, AI can help content command a higher degree of viewer attention, which is how AI reignited the years-old premium video debate. Now that advertisers care most about engagement as a prerequisite for performance, they consider highly engaging content to be premium.
AI drives engagement. But still, the industry is rightfully aware of consumers’ disdain for AI content, especially when consumers know that what they’re watching is AI-generated.
Content with AI features or enhancements – but without being entirely AI-generated – might represent a middle ground of acceptable AI use in video content.
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Another popular use for AI is to help improve advertising effectiveness on the back end. Contextual advertising is a great example.
At NBCU, the publisher uses AI to help advertisers place ads that are more contextually relevant to the content they’re running in, including at the scene level, Meyers said. For instance, if a viewer is livestreaming football on Peacock, the platform can time commercial breaks based on what’s happening on-screen, such as showing an ad for paper towels following a fumble or another play that evokes a sense of messiness.
According to Transmit’s Young, there is a major opportunity for AI to help advertisers reach their intended audience “based on the moments that captivate more attention,” such as timing a relevant ad to the moments where scores and penalties occur throughout a match. Relevance increases the odds that viewers will respond to the ad, Young said, including when there’s a call to action that might require a second screen, such as QR codes.
And when users interact with the ad, he said, advertisers get more data that informs future campaigns.
Advertisers can also benefit from using AI for clues on how to revamp their creative so it resonates more with their intended audience, Meyers said. At NBCU, “we use AI to audit creatives before they go live by analyzing attributes [about content] and helping advertisers hone their creative to be more effective for the audiences they’re trying to reach based on their KPIs,” he said.
As AI continues to gain popularity among marketers competing for their share of attention, it remains to be seen how – and whether – most marketers will adopt AI for help producing and targeting TV commercials.
We’ll be watching this space.
What do you think about AI in video advertising? Have any other tips or thoughts? Let me know. Hit me up at alyssa@adexchanger.com.
