RMA Editor-in-Chief Justin Pearse sits down with Joe Evea, SVP advertising and retail media, at Titan OS to discuss the role of CTV, and Titan OS, in retail media.
Can you start by giving us an overview of Titan OS and what you do?
We launched in January last year as an independent television operating system, built from the ground up. Our first major partner was TP Vision, the owner of Philips, which means Titan OS now powers around 5 million Philips TVs across Europe.
As the OS, we manage the TV experience itself, from app access to homepage banners that promote content and are monetised by advertisers. We’ve also created a FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) EPG in nearly every European market, populating it with 70 to 100 localised channels. We monetise those just like traditional TV.
We recently partnered with Sony to sell their FAST inventory and, through a relationship with Currys, we’re now the operating system for JVC TVs in the UK too. And we are not stopping here, you can expect additional manufacturers being announced as our partners soon, that will help to increase our reach dramatically.
What kind of data does Titan OS have access to and how does that support your retail media work?
As the operating system, we have access to ACR (automatic content recognition) data, which gives us a lot of valuable insights. We can see which apps are used, for how long, what broadcast content is watched, and even what devices are plugged in.
For example, we can identify if a user has a gaming console connected, or if they’re watching via aerial. In the UK, 53% of our users don’t watch broadcast TV, which is a key stat for advertisers seeking incremental reach.
This behavioural data becomes incredibly powerful when we link it with retail data, like what we’re doing with Currys.
How exactly are you working with Currys in the retail media space?
Currys has vast data on its customers, traditionally used for online and in-store trade marketing. We’ve helped extend that into CTV. We know which TVs they’ve sold that run Titan OS, and we can match those with customers who, for instance, have recently searched for a blender.
We can then enable Currys to offer brands like Shark Ninja the ability to target these customers with a TV ad, either on the homepage or across our FAST channels. It’s a way to connect trade marketing with high-impact brand advertising.
And how are you working with agencies and other advertisers?
We’re also working with brands adjacent to those sold at Currys. For instance, if a customer bought a console and we know they use it, we can offer that insight to EA to promote a relevant game.
It’s incredibly targeted. Another example is Logitech, which might want to promote a driving wheel accessory. If we know someone owns a console and plays driving games, that becomes an ideal audience.
We work directly with brands and agencies, and we’ve integrated our data into Epsilon’s Tech Hunters platform. That enables Curry’s audience to be found across devices, enhancing both retail and brand spend.
How far can this approach go beyond traditional endemic retail brands?
We’re actively working to broaden into non-endemic categories. For example, if we know a customer owns a washing machine, we could go to a detergent brand.
That’s not a traditional retail media partner, but the logic is there. These connections take time to build, and we expect significant progress in the next 6 to 12 months.
What are the biggest challenges in retail media on the connected TV screen?
Education is key. Retailers like Currys have complex relationships with their brands, and adding CTV into the mix requires careful internal conversations. The revenue has to be genuinely incremental and beneficial for both the brands and the retailer.
Convincing above-the-line advertisers about the value of addressability is another hurdle. TV has worked for years without being particularly addressable, so there’s some healthy scepticism.
We also need to ensure data is accessible, verifiable, and clearly linked to outcomes. Everyone wants to know what they’re buying, what it delivers, and how it’s measured.
Lastly, the creative use of this data is a challenge but also a big opportunity. Brands have never really had the chance to use TV data in this way before.
How do you see creativity evolving in retail media on CTV?
There’s huge potential. For example, with Titan, households will have user profiles. That allows us to serve different creatives to different users within the same household. A student might see a fully interactive, shoppable ad for a laptop, while a parent sees a more traditional ad. Same product, different creative approach, tailored to the viewer.
We recently announced a strategic partnership with Equativ to help facilitate more innovative advertising opportunities at the intersection of retail media and CTV.
Location-based targeting is another exciting area. Some retailers have regional offers, and we can now serve localised ads down to a few minutes from the store, and measure their impact.
Creativity in CTV and retail media is still evolving, but with the right data and strategy, it can become one of the most powerful and engaging channels available.
