Samuel Burghardt, Media Planner
Nichole Bloise, Media Planner
We recently attended a panel discussion on the evolution of Connected TV (CTV) advertising featuring insights from top talent, including Connelly Partners’ very own Michelle Capasso. The conversation was centered on how CTV has transformed from a “nice to have” channel into a strategic backbone for modern video advertising. Here are our top takeaways from the panel.
The Rise and Impact of CTV in Modern Advertising
CTV has moved away from an “awareness only” myth, to a way of driving meaningful lower-funnel results. With the advent of more advanced multi-touch attribution, advertisers are able to better track how CTV campaigns drive customers to conversion. This evolution has pushed more marketers to consider CTV as a core component of their omni-channel strategies.
Measurement, Targeting, and the Challenge of Frequency
Measurement remains a challenge — incremental reach and frequency management are key KPIs, and understanding the cost per unique viewer is critical. Nielsen’s “Big Data” is providing more stable and accurate measurements, allowing marketers to solve the co-viewing problem by using panel based models assigned to person level demographics. ONE Ads has a solution for frequency and increasing the efficiency of CTV Buys. This allows marketers to see reporting on large frequency fluctuations and react to financial waste of high frequency.
Creative Collaboration and Storytelling on a Bigger Canvas
Creative teams are producing content specifically designed for CTV placements, recognizing that this is an area for storytelling and high impact spots. Customized, context-aware creative helps brands connect meaningfully with audiences during premium content moments and connect with the audience when they are captivated. For brands like USAA, CTV enables deeper audience education, telling membership eligibility stories that drive awareness and conversion.
Looking Ahead: Closing the Gap Between Eyeballs and Ad Spend
Linear is still king, delivering 6x more ad impressions due to lighter ad loads and the prevalence of ad-free tiers, but it’s a broad brush without targeting. It has its place, but CTV is the more surgical support needed to reemphasize your message with your key audiences.
As targeting improves, creative strategies evolve, and measurement becomes more robust, CTV is poised to attract larger budgets. Future innovations could include deeper contextual targeting, digital insertions, and AI-driven creative enhancements, all aimed at delivering personalized and impactful experiences.
Our major takeaway from the panel: CTV has evolved from an experimental channel to a strategic necessity, but the industry still has to work on standardizing measurement, inventory availability, and creative execution.
