As audiences shift from linear television to ad-supported streaming, brands are looking beyond conventional advertising spots to build lasting consumer connections through premium content, entertainment partnerships and audience engagement.
The shift was a key theme at Advertising Week New York, where a panel moderated by Chris Fuller, director of financial and consumer services at Amazon Ads, examined how brands can build equity by integrating into entertainment. The discussion featured Jodie Hayes, vice president of integrated investments at Havas Media, and Lauren Anderson, director of the US brand innovation lab at Amazon Ads.
Attention takes priority over reach
The panel highlighted how impression volumes and advertising frequency alone are no longer sufficient to measure the effectiveness of premium content investments. While reach remains important, marketers increasingly need to consider how actively audiences engage with the content surrounding their ads.
Citing an Amazon Ads research study involving 200,000 respondents, Fuller said, “cumulative attention is 8X more predictable of a positive brand outcome than frequency alone.”
Hayes stressed that audience engagement must complement reach, rather than treating the two as interchangeable measures.
“Reach is important, but we have to pull that off by more engagement… Not all impressions are created equal, and we know that we need to dig into the content along with how they (the audience) are engaging with that content,” she said.
The discussion underscored the need for marketers to assess how effectively a streaming environment captures consumer attention and builds brand consideration, instead of treating streaming television as a digital version of traditional linear TV advertising.
From ad placements to audience fandom
The panelists also cautioned against intrusive advertising, arguing that brands seeking sustained consumer connections must integrate naturally into the entertainment audiences already enjoy.
“Showing up in where you should, and in a place that the customer will respond to in a real way, is more important than just showing up next to the biggest, brightest thing,” Anderson said.
Liquid I.V.’s partnership with Prime Video’s series Off Campus illustrated this approach. Rather than relying exclusively on commercial breaks, the brand integrated itself into the viewing experience through in-character moments, arena signage, social media amplification and contextual pause ads.
The strategy extended the brand’s presence across multiple audience touchpoints, connecting it with the culture and community surrounding the show.
When brands become part of the entertainment experience, Anderson said, “the fandom flywheel, as it were, just hits every part of what’s next to it,” helping turn viewers into brand advocates.
Custom content and transparent measurement
The panel identified custom intellectual property (IP) and more granular reporting as two opportunities for marketers seeking to strengthen their presence in premium entertainment.
When existing content does not offer a natural fit, brands can develop bespoke entertainment partnerships. Anderson cited Lexus’s electric vehicle campaign with jazz artist Laufey, who partnered with the brand to write lyrics for Miles Davis’s and Bill Evans’s composition Blue in Green. The activation included a live Twitch stream and an Amazon Music release.
On measurement, Hayes said streaming media buying needed to move beyond content bundles that offer limited visibility into individual placements. Demand-side platforms (DSPs) increasingly allow advertisers to track show-level placements and attention metrics in real time, helping them optimise spending across live sports, drama series and custom activations.
Such measurement can help marketers assess how different content environments contribute to longer-term consumer consideration, rather than focusing solely on immediate campaign delivery.
The panel’s broader message was that premium streaming should be treated as more than another channel for distributing advertisements. Brands that align themselves authentically with entertainment and the communities around it can build deeper engagement and a more lasting cultural presence.
