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Case study

The challenge

Comcast is one of the world’s largest cable, media and technology companies, as well as a leading distributor of advertising across linear and digital platforms. While the company is passionate about providing powerful solutions that connect audiences with relevant ads to promote growth, one segment proved particularly challenging to engage: small and midsize businesses (SMBs). Comcast’s advertising sales division, Effectv, embarked on a journey to help SMBs reimagine the way they connect with target audiences and promote their businesses. To uncover and meet the unique demands of SMBs, Effectv partnered with Cognizant's Communications Service Provider experts and a Cognizant-affiliated consulting firm that specializes in ethnographic research.

Our approach

The Cognizant-affiliated consulting firm conducted deep field research with U.S. small businesses to learn firsthand how they make marketing decisions. The research uncovered how TV advertising can help smaller businesses expand their reach and impact their communities. 

Cognizant used those insights to create an industry-first solution: the Effectv TV Ad Planner. This innovative, advertiser-driven media buying platform—specifically designed for the unique needs of small businesses—empowers smaller advertisers to see TV as a more accessible, affordable and understandable medium on which they can spend their ad dollars. SMBs can realize the value of TV by planning, buying and quickly launching their own TV ad campaigns.

Making small business TV advertising easy and cost-effective

The Effectv TV Ad Planner platform has become a solid source of qualified leads, increasing the average campaign spend of the SMB segment as a whole. “With the expertise from Cognizant we were able to research, plan, build and launch Ad Planner in just four months,” says Travis Parrill, Senior Vice President of Operations at Effectv. “They were invaluable in helping us identify the needs of small and midsize business owners and create this first-of-its-kind application for our industry.”

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Industry-first

TV ad platform designed specifically for small businesses

4 months

from solution concept to market

48 hours

for customers to plan, create and run ad campaigns in different markets to target audiences in specific geographies