Opportunities and challenges of video ad serving during live events (part 2)
                     Opportunities and challenges of video ad serving 
during live events (part 2)
Watson F
Writes on ad server, involved with Adspeed
 ad server solutions & Adspeed
 ad serving software.
We discussed how video ad serving can help build your brand with 
measurable results. We will continue to talk about other pros and cons of 
serving video ads during a live event. By nature, live events are unique and 
do not repeat. Replays are of course possible but it does not have the same 
traffic as the original broadcast. There is no second chance when missing 
the chance to serve a suitable ad during the live event. Therefore, it is 
important to prepare as much as possible ahead of time.
Ad spacing
Users may become fatigued with a high frequency of video ads during live 
events, leading to ad avoidance or ad blocking. Advertisers need to strike a 
balance between maximizing ad exposure and maintaining a positive user 
experience. Consider the length and content of the live event. Shorter 
events should have fewer ad breaks while longer events could incorporate 
more breaks strategically placed throughout. Integrate ads during natural 
breaks in the live event, like halftime shows, commercial breaks during 
sports games, or between musical acts at a concert. This allows viewers a 
chance to catch their breath and mentally reset before returning to the 
main content. Interesting ads might even be considered as entertainment or 
sideshows like the ranking and review of Super Bowl commercials.
Real-time targeting
Video ad serving platforms can utilize real-time data to target audiences 
during live events. This allows advertisers to deliver relevant and timely ads 
that resonate with the specific demographics and interests of the viewing 
audience. Advertisers need to carefully consider the relevance and context 
of their video ads to ensure they align with the tone and content of the live 
event. For example, viewers from one state, city or metro area might see a 
different set of ads compared with viewers from another geographical area. 
However, ad targeting can also be a challenge because if the wrong settings 
are applied, ads will be shown to the wrong audiences without a do-over 
because it is a live event. One solution for this is to stay organized, schedule 
everything ahead of time, double-check settings by different ad traffickers 
and not to wait until the last minute.
Technical complexity
Outage or performance issues can ruin the whole campaign. Live video ad 
serving requires a robust and scalable infrastructure to handle the high 
volume of ad requests and ensure seamless ad delivery during live events. 
The incoming traffic can be unpredictable, uneven and demanding. It is not 
unusual to see a lot of ad requests within seconds. They can last for a few 
minutes or longer and then zero out entirely. Managing the system capacity 
to ensure reliable and fast delivery without breaking the budget is a big 
challenge for ad operations. The ad server needs to have experience and 
servers standing by to scale up at any second when the video program 
begins and scale down after it ends.
 
About Adspeed
AdSpeed ad server is a reliable & powerful ad serving and ad management 
solution that serves your ads, tracks impressions & clicks and reports ad 
statistics in real-time. Driven by the latest ad serving technologies, the goal 
of Adspeed adserver is to provide a reliable platform that can help in 
executing online advertising strategy more efficiently. 
 
 
 
 
Thank you for your time in reading this article.