This week’s egtabite puts the spotlight on Belgian sales house DPG Media Advertising and its strategy to build a sustainable future for advertising – through a threefold approach: building an omnichannel video ecosystem, focusing on first-party data and promoting local impact.

Fragmented media consumption

Media consumption is happening everywhere and is more fragmented than ever. With this in mind, DPG Media is building its own omnichannel video ecosystem with the intent to connect all forms of video consumption – from live to delayed viewing, from set-top box to mobile platforms, from AVOD platform VTM GO to short-form video on news site HLN.be.

“The purpose of such an ecosystem is twofold,” says Wilfried Celis, Director of Audiovisual Strategy and Partnerships. “On the one hand, we want to reassemble fragmented video consumption into multiplatform video campaigns via a single adserver. On the other hand, we want to digitise the first screen with all the benefits of digital media planning.”

By the end of this year, the multiplatform video offer will be launched, allowing the sales house to book omnichannel video campaigns cross-platform. Advertisers enjoy an optimal spread of their ad campaign across all platforms and an integrated reporting afterwards. Next year, the sales house aims to go further and launch DPG Media Demand. From then on, advertisers and agencies can plan and purchase themselves via one central buying tool.

A new blueprint for watching TV

In 2021, DPG Media signed an agreement with telco operators, allowing viewers to watch programs that were broadcast up to 7 days prior. Extending this ‘replay’ function makes it easier for the viewer to rewatch programs without having to record those programs. Finally, a ‘broadcaster zone’ was launched on the set-top boxes where the broadcaster makes a video catalogue available.

It was also agreed that commercial breaks in ‘replay’ will no longer be skippable and that recordings will be preceded by one minute of non-skippable commercials. These initiatives will benefit the reach of linear TV by significantly reducing zapping.

Building a 100% ad server-based medium

The ecosystem links the benefits of digital media planning to offline media. Addressable TV was the first bridge between offline and digital, allowing DPG Media to link the reach of live viewing to the targeting options of digital.

These digital benefits are now also available for ‘on-demand’ viewing. As of October, new inventory is added to the network, namely the digital capacity generated on the delayed viewing via the telco set-top boxes.

As a result, the delayed viewing volumes will yield linear GRPs or be used as digital capacity. This way, VTM GO inventory and (on-demand) TV content can be controlled from one central point.

This inventory will be added to the sales house current video network, and will be referred to as ‘BVOD’ going forward, precisely because it bundles all ‘broadcaster on demand’ inventory.

First-party data

The ultimate goal is to evolve towards a single connected network in which all sites and apps of DPG Media and RTL Belgium are connected.

Anyone who surfs to HLN.be or watches VTM GO does so within DPG Media’s own Trusted Web environment: a combination of internet experience and personal privacy guarantees. With this, DPG Media promises users and advertisers that they handle all data transparently and do not share it with third parties. Content is king on the Trusted Web.

Realise local impact

Strong locally produced programs are part of the Belgian culture, a binding agent of the society and also essential in creating a sustainable future for advertising.

Julie Neyman, Director of Advertising at DPG Media:

“Viewers expect us to produce a lot of high-quality programs. We don’t just want to cherish that wealth; we also want to bridge the gap between brands and all the stories we bring to our many local platforms daily. Together with those brands and content, we want to create an impact on our culture. That’s why more than 400 journalists are ready daily to inform and inspire our viewers, listeners and readers. For example, in the North, we reach 9 out of 10 Flemish people daily and 7 out of 10 French speakers in the South. This unique local focus allows us to create an impact on 11 million Belgians through creative content collaborations.”

Next steps

The ambition is clear: DPG Media Advertising wants to be a sales house that puts the advertisers’ objectives first. “Our new positioning is therefore as follows: ‘DPG Media Advertising. Connecting brands to the heartbeat of Belgium’. A mission that we want to fulfill every day. With a large reach, relevant data and strong brands and content,” says Neyman.

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