Hulu recently launched Ad Manager in an effort to accommodate smaller companies with more modest budgets. This self-service advertising platform was specifically designed to give small to medium-sized businesses the chance to infiltrate streaming ads. Read on to learn more about this impactful tool and how it is leveling the playing field for businesses across all industries, regardless of size.
What is Hulu Ad Manager?
Hulu describes this tool as a self-service advertising solution that allows small and medium-sized businesses to place their ads on the same streaming media space that is often relegated to only the largest brands with the biggest budgets. This user-friendly tool offers advertisers the chance to target a particular audience via video ads. The system also allows for real-time analytics and customization, all with a minimum campaign spend of $500 per campaign.
Instead of opting for the shotgun strategy, the Hulu Ad Manager provides a more effective way to reach specific clients based on their demonstrated interest. It zeros in on specific targets based on interests and ZIP code, and shows genres instead of relying on other methods alone, such as geotargeting. Businesses that sign up for Hulu Ad Manager can oversee every element of their campaigns and are given the option to stop, pause, or even cancel them at any moment. In essence, this user-friendly solution allows even the smallest local brick-and-mortar store the opportunity to stream their ads right among some of the most watched shows in the world – just as large corporations do on the regular.
This helpful tool is coming at a fortuitous time, as more and more of the population move away from traditional cable and satellite entertainment in favor of more customizable and personalized streaming options. The number of those opting to stream their entertainment services has skyrocketed, especially after long periods of self-isolation in 2020.
The Switch From Traditional TV to Digital Streaming Services
Streaming is a big business with potential viewers and subsequent new customers. According to Hulu, 90% of all individuals aged 13 to 54 currently watch TV on a streaming platform. This group represents an entire generation that has, in essence, “cut the cord” and has moved to other ways of accessing entertainment. It is so prevalent among this generation that this group is sometimes called the “generation stream.”
Another interesting statistic by eMarketer proves that this trend is nowhere near slowing down. It is predicted that more than 25% of American households will move away from the cable box in favor of digital streaming services by 2023. Presently, the number of people who have subscriptions to Hulu specifically is 46.2 million, representing a vast target audience.
A User-Friendly System
Suffice it to say that Hulu Ad Manager is an excellent way for small and medium-sized companies to access a broader audience, have their ads viewed during trending shows, and in turn, keep up with larger corporations. Hulu Ad Manager walks companies through the process of setting up its campaign, eliminating the need for the help of a sales team. The business owner simply chooses their target audience, budget, and date ranges for their campaigns. The campaign dashboard will show what ads are currently running when each started and will be ending, and the target impressions and budgets of each.
The specific ad creation is up to each individual business, but Hulu encourages engaging, creative ads that complement the types of shows in which they are being featured. Each video should range between 15 and 30 seconds, and the approval time to get an ad active takes around three days. With the launch of this new Ad Manager system, Hulu is leveling the playing field in the advertising industry for smaller companies.