Reinventing TV Advertising for SMEs
How RTL AdAlliance is unlocking new distribution channels for small businesses.
In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Fabian Burgey, Director SME Business Europe at RTL AdAlliance, to explore how RTL is transforming TV advertising for SMEs. Traditionally, television was a space reserved for large brands with significant ad budgets, but RTL AdAlliance has changed the game, making addressable TV advertising accessible to small businesses. Fabian shares insights on how RTL is leveraging innovation, AI, and automation to enable SMEs to compete on a broader scale.
He also discusses the biggest challenges SMEs face in media and advertising, the evolution of the “SME Summit” he initiated, and his predictions for the future of SME marketing in a rapidly changing digital landscape. Whether you're the owner of an SME looking to scale your marketing efforts or a tech leader interested in the evolution of SME-focused solutions, this conversation is packed with valuable insights.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and your role at RTL AdAlliance and how it has evolved over time?
I have been working in the digital marketing space for nearly 20 years, with over a decade spent running my own business, primarily serving SMEs in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Six years ago, I joined RTL Group, and for the past five years, we’ve been building our SME business within RTL AdAlliance – which is a leading advertising sales house that provides a simplified gateway for international and local brands to connect with audiences through high-quality content publishers across Europe.
Historically, SMEs had no significant role in RTL’s advertising model – until we changed that. Today, we enable SMEs to advertise on television, something once considered out of reach for small businesses. Our success lies in making TV advertising accessible, scalable, and highly targeted for SMEs.
How does RTL AdAlliance define an SME and what is the size of the businesses you typically work with?
That’s an interesting question because before we launched our SME-focused solutions, RTL required a minimum booking volume in the four-digit range for nationwide TV ads in Germany. The assumption was that anything below that wasn’t worthwhile for television. Our research and broader market insights revealed that most SMEs have monthly advertising budgets of around €1,000 spread across different channels. TV advertising typically accounts for only 10-20% of that budget.
Most SMEs in Germany and across Europe are microbusinesses with 0-9 employees, and these smaller businesses are our core target group. Our goal is to help them make the most of their limited budgets while ensuring they can access effective and scalable TV advertising solutions.
How does RTL AdAlliance approach innovation in media and advertising, and how do you and your team contribute to that process?
Innovation was key in making TV advertising viable for SMEs. First, we had to develop technology that allows for addressable TV advertising, which lets businesses target audiences by postal code, household size, or other demographic data. This approach transforms TV into an accessible, targeted, and measurable platform, much like online advertising. Additionally, we developed a self-booking platform, streamlining the ad-buying process so SMEs can plan, launch and track campaigns efficiently. By now, we have introduced new features such as enhanced reports, partner badges, a screenshot tool and much more.
What are the biggest challenges SMEs face when it comes to accessing digital media and advertising channels?
As mentioned, one of the biggest challenges SMEs face is budget constraints. Most allocate only relatively small amounts per month to advertising, spreading their budgets across multiple channels like Google, Meta, and TikTok. Historically, TV was considered as too expensive, but our solutions now enable SMEs to buy targeted TV advertising for as little as €100-€200 per campaign. Another major challenge is the lack of marketing expertise – many SMEs don’t have dedicated teams to create high-quality content, optimize messaging, or measure performance effectively. That’s why we’ve focused on automation, simplification and ease of use in our solutions to scale our business.
What are the primary ways RTL AdAlliance supports SMEs in terms of media distribution and advertising opportunities?
Our core offering is addressable TV advertising, which allows SMEs to reach their target audience with localised campaigns. The beauty of our solution is that it brings data-driven targeting to television ads.By leveraging postal codes, household demographics, and family size to refine ad delivery – just like digital advertising.
Advertisers purchase impressions the same way they do with online campaigns on platforms like Facebook or display networks, using a CPM-based model. Our solution allows businesses to target specific geographic areas, ensuring their ads are only shown where their customers are, making TV advertising both cost-effective and highly precise.
Rather than working directly with SMEs, we collaborate with reseller and co-seller partners – local agencies and smaller media companies that package our TV advertising solutions alongside their existing products. In 2024, we collaborated with around 150 partners in Germany alone, helping them introduce TV advertising to their SME clients.
What types of small businesses use your services and what excites you about working in the SME segment versus larger enterprises?
A wide range of SMEs use our services, from local bakeries and furniture stores to hairdressers and cinemas. Restaurants use it to advertise special events such as honeymoon dinners, while retail shops, franchises and local service providers leverage it to reach their nearby audience.
Unlike large corporations that frequently switch agencies or media partners, SMEs build long-term relationships. Many of our SME partners are family-owned businesses, some spanning multiple generations. This fosters a level of trust and loyalty that’s rare in corporate advertising. There’s also a huge untapped opportunity – big tech companies like Google and Meta have built massive businesses serving SMEs, proving that the SME market is not only viable but highly scalable if approached correctly.
Historically, television ads were reserved for big brands like Coca-Cola, Unilever, or Ferrero. Small businesses never imagined seeing their own ads on TV, making this a transformational moment for them. Now, with RTL AdAlliance’s solutions, a local car dealership or family-owned shop can appear alongside major global brands.
This accessibility creates a sense of pride and excitement for SMEs, giving them visibility in a medium that once seemed out of reach. It also enhances a new level of prestige and credibility to their business, making the experience rewarding for them but also for us – it’s genuinely exciting to bring TV advertising to SMEs.
Looking back five years, why was it not feasible to launch SME-focused TV advertising earlier?
Simply put, the market wasn’t ready. Five years ago, traditional TV advertising was thriving, leaving little incentive to disrupt the existing model. But as digital advertising evolved and AI-driven solutions emerged, it became clear that SMEs could be a major growth segment. What we’re doing now represents a completely new revenue stream, not just shifting budgets from one product to another but bringing fresh money into the media ecosystem.
You and your team started the “SME Summit” three years ago – what was the key insight and motivation behind creating this event and how do you see it growing in the next few years?
The SME Summit was created to celebrate and engage with our partners. Every year, we invite our co-sellers to our headquarters in Cologne for two days of workshops, discussions, and networking. The goal is to share insights into RTL’s strategy and future direction, showcase best practices, and facilitate collaboration among our partners. Last year, for example, our CEO introduced RTL’s Shine Strategy 2030, and industry leaders like Johanna Heise (Heise Ventures) spoke about leveraging sponsorships and local advertising for SMEs.
The Summit has become a key event for us, fostering a strong sense of community among our partners. Over 97% of attendees last year rated the experience positively. One key takeaway from the last summit was the need for better reporting tools. As a direct response, we have been working with Microsoft Power BI to upgrade our reporting capabilities, moving away from Excel spreadsheets to more dynamic, visually intuitive dashboards. The Summit has proven invaluable in gathering feedback that shapes how we improve our products and services.
We plan to expand the Summit’s focus to include more discussions on AI-driven marketing, new digital advertising strategies, and cross-channel campaign effectiveness. Additionally, we see potential in making the Summit more interactive, incorporating live case studies and workshops on best practices for SME marketing.
What are your predictions for the future of SME marketing, especially with the rapid evolution of digital platforms?
AI is set to fundamentally change SME marketing, particularly in areas like content creation, campaign optimization, and automation. Video advertising, for example, has traditionally been costly and inaccessible for SMEs, but AI-powered solutions can now generate high-quality video content at a fraction of the price. This is a game-changer for SMEs looking to expand their reach across multiple platforms, from TV to digital and mobile.
Another major trend is second-screen engagement – consumers watching TV often use their phones simultaneously. We’re researching how TV advertising influences online searches and developing strategies to help SMEs leverage cross-channel advertising more effectively.
Where do you see RTL AdAlliance’s SME business in the next five years?
Our two main areas of focus are international expansion and AI-driven advertising solutions. We’re launching in Austria this year, followed by Italy next year, and we’ll continue expanding into RTL’s core European markets. On the technology side, we’re investing heavily in AI to automate video creation, optimize targeting, and make advertising more accessible to SMEs. Our goal is to make video advertising as easy and cost-effective for SMEs as buying digital ads on major online platforms.
Final thoughts – do you have any particular advice for SME Tech founders?
In the SME space, trust is everything. Building strong, lasting relationships with partners and customers is crucial. SMEs talk to each other, and reputation spreads quickly. My advice? Be transparent, loyal, and always deliver value. If you do that, your business will thrive.
Thank you for the interview, Fabian!