They have turned their backs on linear television and there are more and more of them: so-called cord cutters. Without a cable connection, they are no longer receptive to classic TV advertising. But that doesn't mean they have sworn off moving images. The statistics show: Cord-cutters are switching to Internet-based reception channels. Instead of cable TV, they use video-on-demand services or watch live TV streams.

With fewer and fewer cable connections, it's no surprise that Connected TV, i.e. Internet-based TV, has been on the rise for years. This is where opportunities open up for advertisers to reach cord-cutters through Connected TV spots and Connected TV Ads. At 70 percent, it is primarily the advertising-relevant younger target group of 16- to 49-year-olds who use Connected TV, as our own studies show. The figures for households with children are also strikingly high: Here, as many as 77 percent of households use Connected TV.

Further findings: More than half of the users (57 percent) see the user interface of their smart TV, TV provider or streaming device when they switch on the TV. In addition, this so-called "home screen" is gaining in relevance, as users state that they spend almost 2.5 hours with additional functions of the devices and thus return to the home screen again and again between the individual applications. In this respect, Connected TV ads on the home screen represent a decisive and often underestimated advertising opportunity. Connected TVs are therefore the optimal advertising medium for reaching target groups such as cord cutters or heavy streamers with advertising messages.

Heavy gamers: after gaming is before streaming

Unlike cord cutters, heavy gamers have not yet necessarily cut their cable connection, but immersed in virtual online gaming worlds, they too are difficult for advertisers to reach. This is because in-game advertising is not (yet) a widespread matter of course and tends to happen casually, for example on posters in the virtual gaming environment. Nevertheless, the in-game advertising industry is growing and product placements in games already existed in 2005 in the form of a chewing gum-eating protagonist in the third series of the game Splinter Cell.

Can heavy gamers only be reached through in-game advertising? The answer is: No, because there's an interesting overlap here with the target audience of heavy streamers, as the Samsung Ads report "Behind The Screens: Trends and Long-Term Effects in Viewer Behavior," has determined: Just like cord-cutters, heavy gamers are particularly pronounced users of streaming offers. That's why Connected TV Spots and Connected TV Ads are also lucrative advertising channels for heavy gamers and heavy streamers.

So far, with cord-cutters and heavy gamers, we have mainly looked at target groups that show pronounced media consumption but cannot be reached by classic TV advertising. But what about the people who are primarily conspicuous by their absence in the media? The target group of career-oriented professionals is scheduled from Monday to Friday and therefore has little time for media consumption.

A large part of this target group is on the go a lot, and that's where advertisers should start: Reading the news, checking emails and Messenger are where they can be reached. That's why mobile advertising - whether in-app or mobile web - is a great choice!

This targeted 1:1 approach is best combined with maximum reach through outdoor advertising. Through retargeting and intelligent use of data, the media DOOH and mobile in particular can be perfectly combined. Digital screens are now available at almost every touchpoint and can be controlled in real time according to target group-specific movement patterns. Whether at a gas station, shopping mall, or at traffic junctions on the street, the advertising messages cannot be zapped away, are perceived implicitly, and the only ad blocker can be, for example, passers-by who briefly block the view of the screen as they pass by. The combination of DOOH and mobile offers many opportunities to specifically address the target group of busy professionals.

Sports still inspire many people! But where is the best way to reach this target group? The days of broadcast soccer matches on linear TV are rare. In Connected TV Channels and premium TV packages, games can be accessed flexibly at any time. Even foreign leagues such as the Turkish league or the Copa América are broadcast on special interest channels such as Sportdigital Fußball.

But beyond traditional TV and Connected TV, there are also opportunities to reach sports fans: On the way to the stadium or even at the venues themselves, digital-out-of-home screens are the smart alternative. Using real-time data, advertising messages can be adapted to match results, weather forecasts or local events. This makes messages not only visible but also relevant for the target group of sports enthusiasts.

The list of hard-to-reach target groups could go on, and it will probably get longer over time. Because where media consumption is in flux, so must inevitably be the advertising media. We have to reach target groups where they are today and where they will be even more in the future. Connected TV devices, for example, are increasingly becoming an integral part of media consumption. And digital outdoor advertising is also a suitable tool for advertisers to individually address supposedly hard-to-reach target groups.