AIM 2023: Streaming TV – The Future of Advertising for Your Apartment Community

Ads cost roughly $1 for five views on Hulu and $1 for about 20 views on other streaming channels.

Coming to a streaming media commercial break near you: Geotargeted apartment ads.

Streaming TV is a new opportunity for multifamily marketers to promote their properties on the big screen and drive branding and awareness at affordable budgets. 

The streaming environment has been growing significantly this year, opening up property-level inventory on hundreds of channels including Hulu and HBO Max and eventually Netflix and Disney+.

Matthew Kilmurry, Founder, CEO at ApartmentGeofencing.com, moderated a panel that included Michelle Alicea, VP of Marketing and Public Relations at Kairoi Residential; Alexis Tsonos, Vice President of Marketing at Van Metre Companies; Jaclyn Hosking, Director, Acquisition Marketing at Bozzuto; Christiana Coffman, Senior Marketing Manager at Thrive Communities.

The latest data show 81% of households have connected TV devices and a majority surveyed show consumers are willing to watch online ads if it means the subscription cost is cheaper than ad-free models.

The most common streaming channels average 4 to 5 minutes of ads per hour.

Apartment marketers are able geo-target ads for their communities to those who live in prescribed areas. 

“We can get the right message in front of the right people,” Coffman said. “It’s kind of creepy and magical, but that’s how advertising works now [when it comes to segmenting an audience for your ad.]”

Technology enables a more precise audience delivery, unlike what was common recently when ads could be targeted within a 15-mile radius.

When generating these ads via artificial intelligence (AI), Alicea said they can be adjusted within minutes to create a modified version of the original. The AI tools also deliver them in a higher-quality, computer-generated natural voice that is more pleasing than what you get with TikTok ads.

More Interesting Points:

• Kilmurry said the ads are shown to be most effective in the first six or seven days before viewers develop “creative fatigue,” wanting to see them produced differently.
• Alicea said highlighting the community’s value proposition is the key to an effective advertisement, which is generally 15 to 30 seconds long.
• Kilmurry said these ads cost roughly $1 for five views on Hulu and $1 for about 20 views on other streaming channels.
• Hosking said densely populated urban markets are best for showing these ads.