9Now Ads Manager - Small Business Connected Advertising

Last year, we met with Todd from Nine Ads Manager to receive a live demo of the platform. Firstly, it's worth noting that the platform proved exceptionally user-friendly and straightforward to navigate. The setup process is quite similar to Meta ads creation but, in our view, even more intuitive. What particularly impressed us was the availability of informative guides to assist with setup, along with a live chat option for immediate support. When comparing this platform to Meta ads, this option in my opinion presents a great opportunity as viewers have to watch the ad, they are often engaged and patiently waiting for their show to resume.

Here are some additional details for your reference:

Recommended Spend:

The minimum spend is $500 AUD (+GST), payable via credit card. Todd suggested allocating between $500 to $1000 is ideal for campaigns spanning 14 to 28 days. You receive 100 impressions per $50.00 spent, though this figure may vary depending on the level of targeting applied, as more specific targeting reduces audience size. The estimated impressions are displayed in a chart on the right-hand side of the ad manager.

Payment is processed upfront via credit card, and there are no contractual obligations. Any unused funds from your selected ad spend are reimbursed to your nominated card at the campaign's conclusion. Todd did mention that this is quite rare, as the ad spend is usually used in full and the number of impressions are reached. You have the flexibility to run multiple ads concurrently.

Targeting:

The platform offers extensive targeting capabilities. You can select from approximately 5 age brackets; during the demo, the 18-39 and 25-54 brackets were highlighted as particularly effective. Targeting can also be defined by postcodes, either by manually entering them or uploading a CSV file. Additionally, you can refine targeting based on behaviours and affluence, leveraging insights from viewer questionnaires and other data sources such as credit card transactions. Todd recommended focusing on age and gender to yield higher impressions, although broader targeting can also be effective such as targeting parents when it's back to school.

Campaign Setup:

Ads typically undergo a 3-day quality control process before going live. The Nine Ads team ensures that each ad meets resolution standards and is optimised for effective display. You have the option to schedule ads to coincide with specific shows or time slots, such as during major sporting events. Availability for ad spots can be limited; if spots are booked, the checkout process will indicate this.

Tracking:

They do have a pixel that can be uploaded to your website. If you choose to have your ad stream on the tv only, you can still track the viewers behaviour based on their IP address. If the viewer is watching the ad on the tv and then they go to your website, you will be able to track this. I've attached the presentation slides to this email for your review.

Links:

 Example of how ads are created: Click here

 The segmented audiences put together by channel nine: Click here

Stats from May 2024 (we spoke to them in June):

Background Links:

A good article that talks about the nine platform: Click here

And this one regarding the rise of connected tv advertising: Click here