Connected TV Advertising

CTV 3x'ed our brand lift from LinkedIn ads, but it will never show up in your CRM's attribution.   And that's exactly why most B2B companies aren't running it -- which means the ones that are have a wiiiide open lane.   We've run several brand lift studies lately, and CTV often accounts for the biggest brand lift in the results.   The numbers were pleasantly surprising and clear:   • LinkedIn Ads alone: 𝟮𝟲.𝟵𝟲% 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘁 • LinkedIn Ads + Connected TV: 𝟴𝟴.𝟲𝟯%   More than 3x the brand lift by adding one channel.   LinkedIn for Marketing's CTV reaches the same LinkedIn audience on a 65-inch screen during after hours -- lower competition than the feed, cheaper CPMs, and a format that commands attention in a way a scroll-past ad never will.   The catch: video is a complicated beast. Great video will pack a punch. Weak creative will waste your budget fast.   But when you get it right, you're building the kind of brand recognition that makes every other channel perform better -- including the ones your UTMs are tracking.   Want my Big Screen, Big Results CTV Guide? 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 "𝗖𝗧𝗩" 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿.   Have you noticed more B2B TV ads lately?

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐭: 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 India’s digital landscape is undergoing a monumental shift, with the open internet emerging as the new premium destination for content consumption. This shift presents both challenges and opportunities for marketers. As young adults increasingly turn to OTT/CTV, music streaming, and online gaming, brands must rethink their digital strategies. 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐭 The open internet includes platforms like OTT/CTV, music apps, online gaming, and news websites where content is funded by advertising. Unlike walled gardens (Google, Facebook, Instagram), it offers transparency and freedom in media buying. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 In India, the open internet is becoming dominant, with 640 million users spending over half their digital time on these platforms. Young adults (18-34) are expected to further increase usage. 1. OTT/CTV: Go-To for Premium Content OTT/CTV platforms like Zee5, JioTV, and Voot are prime destinations for premium content. Young users are 55% more likely to view brands on OTT as premium than on YouTube, making it an ideal space for brands to engage highly receptive audiences. 2. Ad Spend Needs to Catch Up Despite high engagement, only 15% of ad spend is directed toward the open internet, while 52% of time is spent on these platforms. Brands have a significant opportunity to close this gap and realign strategies with consumer behavior. 3. Engagement and Trust The open internet offers deeper engagement compared to walled gardens, with 33% of young adults feeling highly engaged. Additionally, 40% of Indians find OTT/CTV ads more trustworthy than social media, allowing brands to build stronger connections. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 As the open internet continues to grow, marketers need to adjust strategies. Similar to trends in the U.S., ad dollars are shifting to the open internet. Brands that adapt early will engage younger, more discerning consumers in trust-building environments. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝: 1. Reallocate Ad Spend: Shift more budget to the open internet, especially OTT/CTV. 2. Maximize Engagement: Create resonant ads for users in “lean-in” mode. 3. Build Trust: Use data-driven targeting to ensure relevant, non-intrusive ads. As the digital landscape evolves, the open internet is becoming a critical frontier for marketers. The brands that pivot now may be the ones to truly connect with India’s next generation of consumers. #DigitalMarketing #OpenInternet #OTT #CTV #Advertising #India

We all remember this moment which broke the hearts of millions of Indians, but this was a double whammy for the marketing team at 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲. After much consideration, we decided to invest in the Cricket World Cup 2019 on TV – it was going to be a make-or-break campaign for us. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐬: 👉 Attribution of Spending on TV: This is a classic problem all marketers face. We chose to focus on India-only matches to maximize our impact. 👉Targeting Tier 1 and Metros: At that time, we had built a strong supply chain across Tier 1 and Metros, and we wanted to acquire more users from these geographies only. So we decided to go for HD-only advertising and used it as a proxy to reach the intended audience. 👉Budget Constraints: Major events like IPL, World Cup, and KBC attract a lot of interest from advertisers, leading to increased costs. In our case, we had a budget that was just about par, coupled with the challenge of creating clutter-breaking ad creatives. 👉Performance of the Indian Team: While we always hope for the best, the performance of the Indian cricket team was crucial for our campaign's success. Historically, advertisers have benefited when the Indian team performs well in marquee events, but there's always a risk if things don't go as planned. During those days, it was projected that HD would grow and help brands target premium audiences. However, the rise of CTV has completely changed the game, making it much easier for brands to reach their target audience and measure performance as well. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐓𝐕 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠: 👉 Targeted Advertising: CTV platforms provide precise targeting capabilities, allowing advertisers to tailor ads based on specific audience preferences and demographics. This ensures optimal visibility and resonance with viewers. 👉 Leverage OEM Capabilities: By leveraging OEM capabilities, advertisers can craft cohesive campaigns that grab attention from the moment viewers turn on their TVs, all the way through to personalized ad experiences within the chosen content. 👉 Enhanced Viewer Engagement: CTV ads have shown high engagement rates, with viewers actively responding to ads, searching for information, and making purchases after exposure. This presents an opportunity for marketers to create impactful campaigns that drive meaningful interactions with the audience. 👉 Measurement and Analytics: CTV advertising offers robust measurement and analytics tools, enabling marketers to track the performance of their campaigns accurately. This allows for optimization strategies for maximum effectiveness. #LIPostingChallengeIndia #LinkedInNewsIndia

📺 For years, we talked about the promise of CTV. Not just as a digital upgrade to linear, but as a way to unlock TV for more advertisers—mid-sized brands, regional players, even B2B. That last one always felt like a stretch. TV was broad, expensive, and impossible to measure. B2B marketers stuck with white papers and webinars. But then CTV happened. And CTV behaves more like digital. Now? Thanks to data from companies like LinkedIn and data from companies like iSpot, you can target by job title. By industry. Even department. You can track actual reach and frequency against defined audience segments—in real time. You can swap out creative mid-flight. And yes, you can still deliver that emotional punch TV is famous for. Because at the end of the day, B2B buyers are still people. And people respond to stories that make them feel something. It’s not about driving a lead tomorrow—it’s about showing up with impact so that when the buying moment does come, they already know who you are. We’re finally seeing B2B brands get that. Slowly, but surely. And it’s going to change the way we think about “advertising on TV.” CTV isn’t just for Coke and Toyota anymore. Download our newest TVREV Special Report to learn more. 👇

Last Tuesday, I watched a $1M software deal die in real time. The champion texted the AE afterward, "My team killed it. They loved the product, trusted the ROI, but said you felt too 'risky' for a company our size." Six months of perfect demos. Strong case studies. Pricing that made sense. But they'd been focused on one person while eight others were making the real decision. In B2B, deals often die from collective anxiety. Your champion can love your solution, but if the CFO, IT director, and three VPs have never heard of you, you're asking them to bet their careers on a company that feels invisible. What we call "trust" in B2B is actually cumulative familiarity across a buying group. It's not one person feeling confident, it's 6-8 people independently thinking, "Oh yeah, I've seen them around. They seem solid." This is where many B2B marketers leave money on the table. We optimize for the champions and decision makers while the real decision happens in rooms we're not invited to. Connected TV (CTV) helps solve for this. That CFO who questioned your pricing? Last night, they saw your 30-second spot during their favorite show. No laptop multitasking. No ad blockers. Just your brand message on a 65-inch screen while they're mentally relaxed. Your IT director saw your retargeting banner during their morning research. Your LinkedIn ad during lunch. Your CTV spot during their evening unwind. That's not multiple touch points. That's one familiarity campaign reaching different decision-makers in different mindsets. Our data at LinkedIn for Marketing shows this opportunity: - 94% of LinkedIn's professional audience can be reached via CTV, - 71% of CTV viewers aren't accessible through traditional TV, - CTV campaigns are 4.3x more effective at reaching B2B targets. Psychologist Robert Zajonc proved that mere exposure creates preference. We don't need to consciously process your message. Seeing your brand repeatedly in different contexts builds what behavioral economist Rory Sutherland calls "subconscious safety signals." When your champion walks into that second meeting, something's different. Your brand doesn't feel new anymore. It feels familiar. "Oh yeah, I've been seeing their ads everywhere" carries more weight than any case study. Because buying groups evaluate solutions and risk. Start building familiarity across ecosystems. Map your buying group. Understand where each decision-maker consumes content. Then orchestrate exposure across channels so by the time they meet to decide, you're not the unknown risk, you're the obvious choice. Because in B2B, trust is built through strategic, repeated presence across the moments that matter. #B2BMarketing #CTV #Trust #LinkedInMarketing

Marketers are selling themselves short if they rely on pixel attribution alone for CTV. For one recent CTV campaign, we worked with our client’s CRM analytics partner, Fueled, to match users who were served ad impressions against those that had converted on the website. The point was to see how many purchases could be tied back to CTV impressions, so as to not solely rely on pixel based DSP reporting as the source of truth. Over the course of 30 days, the campaign recorded 2,482 attributed unique hompepage visitors via pixel tracking, but 8,777 verified visitors through CRM analysis...nearly a 4x difference! At checkout completion, pixels logged 109 conversions, while CRM-verified data identified 1,252 actual purchasers. That means over 90% of real sales were never credited in pixel-based attribution! Why the gap? Because CTV introduces a fundamental shift in how attribution works. People see an ad on a connected TV but complete their purchase later on a different device, their phone, tablet, or laptop. Pixels were originally designed to measure direct, same-device activity against which both the impression and conversion occurred. While most platforms now use cross-device graphs to bridge that gap, those graphs rely on probabilistic modeling and partial identifiers. Their accuracy is often overstated, and they can’t compensate for the scale of signal loss we’re seeing today. Compounding this are modern privacy dynamics: browsers like Brave and Firefox block tracking scripts, iOS strips campaign parameters off URLs, and many users exit before a “thank you” page fires a conversion event. Each of these weakens the connection between ad exposure and the eventual sale. As James Borow recently said "pixels are for targeting, not measurement". That’s why Conversion APIs (CAPIs) have become critical. Instead of depending on browser-side events, CAPIs send verified conversion data directly from the advertiser’s server to the media platform’s server, bypassing browsers entirely. Each transaction is transmitted with hashed identifiers, email, phone, or customer ID, enabling privacy-safe reconciliation between ad impressions and downstream purchases. Platforms like Meta, Shopify, Google, and The Trade Desk now treat CAPIs as the backbone of modern attribution. For CTV in particular, where conversions don’t happen on the same device, server-to-server data exchange restores visibility and gives marketers a true view of how their media performs across screens. Big thanks to Fueled and founder Sean Larkin for partnering with us on this initiative, and exciting to see Fueled’s new CAPI integration with The Trade Desk rolling out this week.

CTV is changing the advertising game — and DTC brands are leading the charge. 🧠 The shift to CTV is massive for eCommerce brands. Why? Because they can now run TV ads like a social campaign — merging the best of both worlds: 📺 The reach and credibility of traditional TV – over 190M unique users and 120M US households, more than any single social platform. 🎯 The precision targeting of digital – by demographics, interests, behaviors, location and more. 📊 Performance you can measure – real-time tracking, detailed reporting, and results you can actually act on. 🧪 The agility to test, learn, and scale – experiment with creatives and messaging on the fly, then double down on what drives results. ⚡️ The low barrier to entry – campaigns start at just $50/day, no big production needed (you can repurpose existing assets), and setup is quick and easy. CTV isn’t the future — it’s already here. The brands leaning in today are seeing up to 3x higher ROAS, and they’ll be the ones winning attention tomorrow.

I recently attended a panel organised by exchange4media on CTV - A connected TV is an internet-connected device a customer uses to watch TV/video content online. As more and more consumers are moving towards buying smart TVs, we way we advertise on those TVs will also change. So think about this - in conventional or linear TV, you would play an ad on some show and you would not really know who is watching your ad. Now, because of the TV being connected to the internet,brands can reach their desired audience with greater precision and at a lower cost than traditional TV advertising. CTV advertising also offers more measurable results, as it allows for real-time tracking and optimization of campaigns. In the US almost 80% of households are on CTV while this is around 30% in India - with a huge growth opportunity. Some of the things brands have to think about 1. How to adapt creatives for a large screen - can we add QR codes etc to make the ads more action-oriented  2. Samsung has recently integrated Brightline's interactive ad capabilities into its Connected TV inventory - it introduces engaging ad formats such as scrollable branded carousels, on-screen polls, and trivia experiences, prompting viewers to interact directly from their TV screens. Lots of new use cases here  3. How to have a different strategy for different CTV ad formats Would love to know your thoughts on this #digitalmarketing #ctv #connectedtv

Trade Desk vs. Google Ads in CTV Advertising:A Comparative Analysis Connected TV (CTV) advertising has emerged as a powerhouse in the digital marketing landscape, with platforms like The Trade Desk and Google Ads vying for dominance. Both platforms offer robust solutions for CTV ad campaigns, but their performance, penetration, and regional market share differ significantly due to their unique strengths and strategies. Performance: Which Platform Reigns Supreme? In terms of sheer ad spend and reach, Google Ads holds an edge in the CTV segment. With YouTube as its flagship CTV offering, Google leverages its massive user base—over 50% of ad-supported streaming watch time in the U.S. occurs on YouTube CTV for adults 18 and up (Nielsen, 2022). This scale, combined with Alphabet’s extensive data ecosystem (Google Search, Android, etc.), enables highly targeted, non-skippable ads that deliver impressive completion rates, often exceeding 95%. Google’s integration of CTV buying into its Google Ads platform further simplifies access for advertisers, driving higher ad spend—projected to exceed $30 billion in the U.S. in 2024. The Trade Desk, however, excels in precision and flexibility. As a leading demand-side platform (DSP), it offers advertisers access to a vast, unified CTV inventory marketplace, including premium content from major networks and streaming services. Its AI-driven tool, Koa, optimizes campaigns for light TV viewers and cord-cutters, often resulting in higher engagement rates. Data from The Trade Desk’s Q2 2023 campaigns showed a 50% higher likelihood of driving website visits with top-quality inventory, suggesting superior performance for specific KPIs like conversions. While its CTV ad spend trails Google’s in volume, its focus on programmatic efficiency and first-party data integration makes it a favorite among performance-driven marketers. Penetration and Regional Market Share Regionally, Google Ads dominates North America, particularly the U.S., where CTV penetration reached 88% of households in 2023. YouTube and Google TV command a significant share, with Roku (44% of ad views) and Hulu trailing behind. In Europe, Google’s penetration is strong in markets like the UK, but it faces competition from local broadcasters and slower CTV adoption. The Trade Desk, meanwhile, has deeper penetration among programmatic buyers globally. In the U.S., it partners with Roku and Disney, bolstering its 40%+ share of programmatic CTV spend. In APAC and LATAM, its agnostic approach to inventory gives it an edge over Google’s walled-garden model, with growing traction in markets like Australia and Brazil (41% CTV reach in LATAM). Conclusion Google Ads leads in volume and broad reach, thanks to YouTube’s scale, while The Trade Desk shines in precision and programmatic dominance, especially in emerging regions. Advertisers prioritizing mass awareness favor Google; those chasing efficiency lean toward The Trade Desk.

I analyzed 50+ industry reports, 200+ case studies, and reviewed dozens of pitches. Three months ago, I would've told you these were the top marketing trends. But 2025 marketing strategy is already outdated. The 5 Trends Worth Your Budget: Trend #1: AI Personalization This is where I'll be honest with you: 88% of marketers say they use AI. Most of them are using ChatGPT to write subject lines. The winners are doing something else entirely; building systems that know what individual customers want. Not "Dear [First Name]" fluff. Actually understanding behavior, predicting next moves, personalizing the entire experience. Netflix drives 80% of viewing from recommendations. 80%. Trend #2: Short-Form Video (And I Don't Mean You Need TikTok) Look. The regulatory landscape is messy but the behavior is permanent. Your customers are living on short-form video. TikTok. YouTube Shorts. Instagram Reels. The platform matters less than the format. One reality check: 91% of businesses now use video. But only the smart ones are investing heavily in short-form. Most marketers are still making 2-minute LinkedIn videos and wondering why nobody watches. Trend #3: First-Party Data Strategy This is the one that separates the truly sophisticated operators from the pretenders. Third-party cookies? Dead. Google phased them out. Apple never supported them. Everyone knows this. Almost nobody is actually building the infrastructure to own their customer data. The companies that are? They're about to own their entire market category. Here's why: owned data gets you 2x revenue from a single ad placement compared to anonymous audiences. You own your customer relationship. You don't have to rent it from Meta or Google every single time. Trend #4: Community-Driven Revenue This one surprised me when I dug into it. Community isn't a social channel anymore. It's a revenue model. Brands with active communities? They're seeing 2.7x higher customer lifetime value. Do you know why this is working? Because 93% of marketers know consumers trust real people over ads. But 96% of consumers still don't trust traditional ads. The gap? That's your opportunity. Community is where trust lives. It's where customer acquisition becomes customer retention. It's where margins expand. Trend #5: Conversational AI (Not Just Chatbots) I was skeptical. Then I looked at the numbers. 142 billion dollars in retail spending via chatbots. 80% of consumers had positive experiences with chatbots. This isn't the clunky bot that says "sorry I don't understand." This is real conversation. Real problem-solving. Real commerce. I'm not doing all five trends. Nobody should. You'll dilute your team, confuse your audience, and blow your budget. Then decide: do we keep this? Expand it? Or do we kill it? That's real marketing strategy. Not trend chasing. #MarketingStrategy #CMO #Marketing2025 #AIMarketing #SocialMediaStrategy #MarketingTrends