Democratizing TV Advertising With AI: David Kline On Spectrum Reach’s Game Changer

For some, TV advertising is an expensive, labor-intensive prospect that takes a heavy investment on production as well as distribution.

David Kline thinks it could take minutes.

In this video interview with research analyst Joanna O’Connell for Beet.TV, Kline, President, Spectrum Reach & EVP, Charter Communications, explains how his company is using AI to help advertisers create ads on-the-fly.

Harnessing AI for creative generation

“It’s a game changer,” Kline says says.

“You can put in your URL and the AI will scour the web for pictures and content on there, and then it’ll actually create a script and actually can pick from 11 different voices.

“It’ll read the script and, in seconds you have a television-ready or web-ready … commercial that promotes your product.”

Spectrum Reach will be presenting such innovations at the upcoming Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Kline explains: “Television’s usually been for the bigger advertisers. We’re sort of democratizing that with AI and being able to bring them ads that are either very inexpensive and very quickly done, and they can approve it on the spot.”

AI ad take-out

This innovation levels the playing field with companies like Facebook and Google, making TV advertising available to a broader range of advertisers, Kline says.

“These people think, ‘How could I ever be on TV?’ And when they see it, they’re amazed,” he reports.

In February 2023, Spectrum Reach partnered with video startup Waymark to offer AI ad production, saying:

“A small neighborhood coffee shop can pull real online reviews and images to create an authentic 15-second ad, with or without voice-over

“Or a local retail boutique can include snapshots of their newest inventory with an animated male or female voice-over to announce a new sale in seconds.”

The technology allows businesses to make minor adjustments to the script, ensuring it meets their needs.

Spectrum Reach is even willing to let businesses use their AI-generated commercials on other platforms. Kline states: “If somebody makes a commercial with us on AI and they want to use it on Google or Facebook or some other competitor, have at it. We’re fine with that.”

Addressability and first-party data

Spectrum Reach is also offering data “blind match”, meaning a brand can bring its first-party data and use a company like Experience to match up against Spectrum Reach’s own list of households to create a segment.

Spectrum Reach utilizes both first-party and third-party data, all anonymized and aggregated, to ensure a safe environment for their customers.

Kline emphasized the importance of being privacy compliant and respectful of the customers who pay them every month.

You’re watching “The Road to Cannes 2023 – Making TV Advertising Relevant Across Screens, Platforms and Cultures,” a Beet.TV Leadership Series presented by FreeWheel. For more videos from this series, please visit this page. For more information on FreeWheel’s activations at Cannes Lions 2023, please visit freewheelcannes.com.