For platforms delivering video experiences, personalization needs to be a constantly evolving feature. If a platform is not continually tweaking and optimizing, they’re losing out to others who are. Yet too many platforms do settle for ‘good enough’ solutions with limited flexibility for personalization, search, and recommendations. In the coming weeks we’ll explore the pitfalls of this approach, delve deeper into the complexities of personalization overall, and discuss the paths to effective personalization today.
Forget “set it and forget it”
Building effective personalization, search, and recommendation systems for television services may initially seem straightforward. Indeed, many platforms offer basic, easy-to-implement solutions that appear appealing at first glance. However, the temptation to deploy a one-size-fits-all approach overlooks the diverse and unique needs of different businesses and their audiences.
The fact is you can’t create individualized experiences with generalized solutions. True personalization demands constant refinement and flexibility, as user preferences and viewing behaviors continually evolve. In short, a set-it-and-forget-it mentality is insufficient to achieve sustained viewer engagement and satisfaction.
Good enough really isn’t
The set-it-and-forget-it mentality is prevalent among the “good enough” offerings of large cloud suppliers who have spent years honing personalization, search, and recommendations in e-commerce. When brought to the world of video, those solutions become general purpose recommendation platforms, which aren’t specialized to user behaviors involved in video consumption.
For example, recommending the right shoes because someone recently bought a dress relies on understanding the user intent and product attributes, as in “I need a dress for a wedding and appropriate shoes to go with it.” In contrast, recommending TV content requires a long-term understanding of user tastes and habits, as in “The NBA playoffs are over, I need a good action movie to get my adrenaline pumping again.” Additionally, ‘good enough’ solutions are being bundled into all-inclusive platform plays, often featuring minimal ‘check-the-box’ capabilities.
Simplicity simply falls short
The reality is these more simplistic solutions aren’t working for the companies and teams responsible for delivering effective personalization, search, and recommendations. A clear example of this can be seen in data from the TiVo Q4 2024 Video Trends Report, which shows that the once seemingly inevitable rise of FAST channels has hit a stumbling block, with engagement now decreasing and the number of channels viewed remaining stuck at ~5. Many of these FAST channels are being curated and/or personalized using these bundled offerings and/or supported by large cloud suppliers. And the services that utilize these solutions continue to underperform in terms of quality of service, year after year (see AVoD section in chart below):
Not only are these simplistic solutions not working for video delivery companies, but they are also failing viewers, who are experiencing frustration and disengagement. Another key data point from the TiVo Q4 2024 Video Trends Report shows that “we aren’t using it enough” has now taken the top spot in reasons for cancelling a SVoD service. These cancellations could potentially have been prevented with better personalization, search, and recommendations, which increase relevance and decrease noise.
TiVo’s advanced take on personalization
TiVo understands that advanced personalization solutions can effectively address the concerns of both companies and consumers. For instance, TiVo’s Personalized Content Discovery (PCD) product effectively mitigates common user frustrations: after viewers finish the latest season of the one show they consistently watch, PCD proactively offers personalized recommendations for their next binge-worthy series.
When a viewer searches for content that isn’t available, PCD intelligently suggests appealing alternative series, supported by TiVo’s rich metadata description. Instead of overwhelming viewers with endless scrolling through channel grids, PCD offers curated “comfort viewing” with FAST channels that users can effortlessly enjoy in the background. And unlike services that repeatedly suggest well-known titles, TiVo ensures freshness by regularly rotating recommendations, presenting new and engaging content rather than continuously recycling the familiar.
Stay tuned for the next blog in this series, where we’ll explore the continuous optimization efforts that drive successful engagement and help reduce churn.
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