Launch: Reach and Frequency Estimates for Google TV Ads

In October, we launched the Reach and Frequency report, a detailed breakdown of a given TV ad campaign's reach, delivered at a given frequency of exposure. As a reminder, Reach is defined as the number of unique televisions exposed to the campaign. Frequency is the number of times a given television was exposed to an ad.

Today, we'd like to announce reach and frequency estimates available within our forecasting tool. Now, you can get an idea of whether your campaign is likely to achieve your reach and frequency goals before your ad airs, allowing you to adjust your campaign to achieve your optimal reach and frequency before you spend a dime.

It's easy to review your reach and frequency estimates:

1. Create a new campaign or edit an existing campaign
2. Click on "Calculate weekly estimates" on the "Set pricing" page
3. Look for the section called "Weekly Reach and Frequency Estimates"
4. View the average frequency and unique reach numbers
5. Make adjustments based on your target reach and frequency

(Click on the image for a full-size version)

Your weekly estimates include:

Total impressions - The total number of impressions we expect you to win based on your current budget, bid, and set of targets.

Unique impressions - The number of unique televisions exposed to the campaign, one or more times. Unique impressions are based on historical overlap we see between different programming. For example, if you were watching Family Guy at 8:00PM, how likely were you to be watching The Simpsons at 9:00PM? This can also be called "unique reach."

Average weekly frequency - Total impressions divided by unique impressions. This tells you how many times a television will display your ad, on average, within the set of all televisions that display your ad at least once.

So what's your target reach and frequency? Determining the right level of reach and frequency depends on several factors, including the type of product or service you're selling, the competition, the quality of the ad you use, as well as the type of audience that would most likely buy your product or service. Once you have a target reach and frequency in mind, you should use these estimates to guide your campaign in the right direction.

Posted by Andrew Poon, Product Manager for Google TV Ads