 has been the gold standard for TV ratings for decades, guiding media buyers and advertisers in tracking audience performance. However, 

 Global’s recent decision to move away from Nielsen in favor of VideoAmp signals a significant shift in TV ad measurement—and it could reshape the industry.

While TV networks have explored alternative measurement providers like iSpot, Comscore, and VideoAmp, these tools have mostly been used alongside Nielsen. Paramount’s decision, however, represents one of the first instances where a major network has chosen to operate without Nielsen—at least for now fully. This could set the stage for alternative measurement tools to compete more directly with Nielsen, offering networks and advertisers more flexibility in how they track and value audience engagement.

Paramount’s decision came after contract negotiations with Nielsen broke down over pricing issues. John Halley, Paramount’s Chief Advertising Officer, explained that Nielsen’s costs had "quintupled over significant parts of [their] business," making the current pricing model unsustainable. This echoes a broader sentiment across the industry: many networks have grown frustrated with the rising costs and perceived limitations of Nielsen’s services.

While Paramount has expressed a willingness to resolve the dispute and potentially return to Nielsen, their immediate focus is on VideoAmp for viewership data. This move highlights the industry's growing appetite for more cost-effective, flexible measurement solutions.

The broader implications for TV measurement

Paramount’s decision underscores two key trends shaping the future of TV measurement:

A new competitive landscape for measurement currencies:

This shift doesn’t suggest that Nielsen will cease to be a major currency, but it does lay the groundwork for alternative measurements to be considered true competitors. If Paramount successfully conducts business without Nielsen, it could inspire other networks to follow suit, accelerating the adoption of alternative currencies like VideoAmp. As these tools become more prominent, they could offer more tailored insights, giving advertisers a clearer picture of audience engagement and ad performance.

Pressure for cost-effective solutions and innovation:

Paramount’s frustration with Nielsen isn’t unique. Other networks may face similar pressures to seek alternative tools that provide more granular insights at a lower cost. As the industry evolves, networks and advertisers may gravitate toward measurement solutions that offer more flexibility and the ability to fine-tune campaigns in real-time.

For media buyers, Paramount’s break from Nielsen is an important reminder that the measurement landscape is evolving. While Nielsen remains the dominant player, alternative currencies are gaining traction, and buyers will likely encounter a mix of measurement tools in the near future.

Staying informed about these shifts will be crucial, as buyers may need to adjust their strategies to account for multiple measurement standards. Tools like VideoAmp offer the potential for more detailed, flexible insights, helping media buyers optimize ad spend and better understand viewer behavior across platforms.

Paramount’s move away from Nielsen doesn’t necessarily mark the end of Nielsen’s reign, but it does highlight the growing momentum behind alternative currencies. As more networks explore these options, the industry could see a more competitive, diverse measurement landscape where Nielsen is no longer the default choice.

This shift is an opportunity for media buyers. As alternative measurement tools continue to develop and compete with Nielsen, they could offer new ways to track and optimize campaigns, leading to better outcomes and a more nuanced understanding of audience engagement.

Ultimately, while Nielsen’s influence will likely continue, Paramount’s decision signals that the future of TV measurement may be more dynamic than ever before. Adapting to these changes and staying open to alternative tools will be key to delivering data-driven results in this new era of TV advertising.

Paramount's break from Nielsen highlights rising costs and growing demand for more flexible, cost-effective TV measurement tools

A Rise of Alternative Currencies Era: Paramount's Break with Nielsen and What It Means for the Industry

Back to basics. Let's kick off our guide with a quick refresher on what CPM is.

Cost per thousand, or Cost per Mille (CPM), denotes the price of 1,000 advertisement impressions. In TV advertising, one impression refers to one individual exposure to an advertisement. The formula for calculating CPM is:

CPM is calculated using the formula: (Advertising cost / Impressions generated) * 1000.

Why do we care about CPM? It is used to assess the ad cost across various television networks and programs. Typically, expressed in dollars, CPM represents the cost of running an ad on a specific program or network for a given period. For a comprehensive understanding of CPM in advertising, you can refer to our 

TV CPMs: Understanding the Cost of Television Advertising

Here, we'll dive deeper into the factors that influence this metric and how to navigate these elements to maximize the efficiency of your TV ad campaigns. CPMs are highly dynamic, affected by variables such as the advertiser base, seasonality, and whether the buy is upfront or scatter.

In a perfect world, we could set the perfect TV ad campaign once and maintain the lowest CPM indefinitely. However, reality dictates otherwise. CPMs fluctuate constantly due to factors like advertiser demand, seasonal trends, market dynamics, etc. Our primary goal is to help you steer through this ever-changing landscape effectively.

Audience size and demographics affect CPM in TV advertising

Larger audiences and targeted demographics lead to higher CPMs due to demand, scarcity, and advertising reach effectiveness. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for advertisers to optimize their campaigns and budget allocations. Competition for smaller audiences is higher, making them more expensive to reach, while larger audiences are cheaper. Consequently, CPM for smaller audiences is higher, and for larger audiences, it is lower.

If your brand’s potential customers are baby boomers, the CPM for your campaign would be lower than if you were trying to reach the 18-25 group on traditional TV.

Here are some examples of CPM for different audiences - 8-25 and 55+, over a period from March 2024 to May 2024. As you can see, linear TV CPMs for 55+ are significantly lower and more stable than 18-25 because they are still relatively plentiful in traditional TV.

The next chart shows us the average CPM for the 18-25 and 55+ age groups across four different genres: Drama, News, Reality, and Sports. The CPM for the 18-25 group is significantly higher in all genres, especially in News, where it reaches close to $800. The CPM for the 55+ group is minimal across all genres.

Programs with the largest audiences typically command the highest CPMs. Prime-time shows, for instance, often boast the highest CPMs due to their broad reach. These shows, airing during the coveted evening hours when most people are tuned in, attract a vast and diverse audience.

The scarcity of ad slots during these highly-rated programs further intensifies competition among advertisers, driving up CPMs even more, especially in the scatter market. Here, last-minute ad buys become a frenzy of competition, with brands vying for those few remaining spots. This dynamic creates a premium environment where only the highest bidders secure their place in front of millions of viewers.

So be ready that during the season premiere of a highly-anticipated show, the season finale of a extremely popular series, Presidential debates, or especially the Super Bowl, CPM will be sky-high.

Here is an example of how the CPM changed due to the May 2024 Presidential Debate.

On this chart, we indexed the previous CPMs to the CPMs of the Presidential Debate and contrasted the previous two months’ CPM relative to it. As you can see from the chart below, CPMs prior to the debate were significantly lower – coming in at x% one month below, and y% two months below. Tentpole events like the Presidential Debate give networks (like CNN) the opportunity to charge significantly higher CPMs for an event that would attract a larger audience versus the status quo.

During festive seasons, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, CPMs typically rise due to increased consumer spending and heightened competition for ad placements. Especially high CPM would be driven by high advertising demand from such categories as retail, fashion, electronics, travel, and, counter-intuitively, financial services - people might open new accounts or take out loans during this time. Even car purchases see a boost.

Traditionally, ad position within a program or break does not significantly impact the CPM. The position of an ad, whether at the beginning, middle, or end of a break, typically does not alter the cost per thousand impressions. However, potential influences can arise with sponsorships or special placements. For example, if an ad is part of a sponsorship package or strategically placed during a high-visibility moment, it might affect the CPM. Even then, the impact on CPM is not always guaranteed, as it depends on the specific terms of the sponsorship and the perceived value of the placement.

Common challenges in managing CPM for TV campaigns

 CPM is typically negotiated based on a network's sales estimates, which are often inflated.

Networks might need to use Audience Deficiency Units (ADUs) to meet guaranteed CPMs. ADUs are free advertising slots given to advertisers to compensate for viewership shortfalls during the contract period.

Popular shows and peak viewing times have limited ad inventory.

This scarcity drives up CPMs, making it tough to secure placements at reasonable rates.

Advertisers compete fiercely for slots during high-profile events like the Super Bowl.

This competition can significantly raise CPMs, straining the budgets of smaller advertisers.

Traditional linear TV relies on metrics like Nielsen ratings, which may not accurately reflect real-time audience reach beyond basic demographics (age and gender). That is why specific tool, like Simulmedia’s TV+ platform, which helps advertisers work with audiences, is needed

This inconsistency can complicate the assessment of CPM effectiveness.

Broader economic factors can influence advertising budgets and spending behavior.

Economic downturns may lead to reduced ad spending, affecting CPM rates and availability.

While not directly a part of CPM, ad quality and relevance significantly impact its effectiveness.

High-quality, relevant ads are more effective in driving engagement and achieving lower CPMs. Advertisers should continuously produce content that resonates with audiences.

Using data analytics to improve CPM Rates

Utilizing data analytics effectively can significantly enhance CPM rates by focusing on two key strategies:

Through data analysis, advertisers can pinpoint underutilized segments of inventory, such as specific networks or dayparts, where there is low demand but a high concentration of the target audience. These segments often present more cost-effective opportunities for ad placement, as they tend to have lower CPMs compared to highly sought-after slots. By strategically placing ads in these underutilized areas, advertisers can reduce their overall CPM and maximize the value of their media spend.

Targeting high-concentration audience segments

Data analytics also helps in identifying audience segments that are densely populated within certain inventory buckets. Targeting these high-concentration segments ensures that ads reach a large portion of the desired demographic without the premium costs associated with more competitive slots. This targeted approach not only improves ad efficiency but also enhances the effectiveness of the campaign by aligning ad placements with audience behavior and preferences.

Generally, a higher number of impressions should lead to a better ROI, provided that you are effectively targeting the right audience.

Higher CPMs can potentially yield better ROI when the ads effectively engage and resonate with the target demographic. Advertisers must ensure that the CPM costs align with the expected increase in sales or brand awareness. For instance, a strategically placed ad during a high-demand program can significantly boost returns, justifying the higher CPM.

However, measuring ROI from TV campaigns presents unique challenges. Unlike digital advertising, where clicks and conversions are directly trackable, TV advertising requires alternative methods for attribution. To address this, advertisers can use statistics provided by TV networks or leverage platforms like Simulmedia TV+, which aggregates data from various providers. This approach helps in assessing the impact of TV ads more accurately and linking them to sales increases or improved brand metrics.

In this guide, we’ve explored the complexities of CPM (Cost Per Thousand Impressions) in TV advertising, shedding light on its role and implications for effective campaign management. Here are the key points discussed:

 Smaller audeinces and more targeting generally lead to higher CPMs due to limited viewership (makes them harder to find), increased demand, and competition. Broader audiences, while less expensive to reach, often come with a higher CPM.

 The distinction between upfront and scatter markets affects CPM rates. Upfront buys typically have lower CPMs compared to scatter buys, which are more expensive due to limited inventory. However, scatter works better for your timing and provides marketers with a greater degree of control to manage their spend

 High-demand programs and peak viewing seasons drive up CPM rates, making it essential for advertisers to plan strategically to balance costs and visibility.

 Traditionally, the position of an ad within a program does not significantly impact CPM, except in cases of sponsorships or special placements, which might offer some influence on costs.

 Advertisers face various challenges, including inflated CPM estimates, competition for limited ad slots, inconsistent measurement metrics, and broader economic factors that affect budget and CPM rates.

 Data-driven strategies, such as identifying underutilized inventory and targeting high-concentration audience segments, can improve CPM rates and enhance campaign efficiency.

The industry's fixation on CPM vs. cost-per-reach

The advertising industry often fixates on CPM as a primary metric, but this approach may not always align with the broader goal of maximizing reach and engagement. CPM focuses on the cost of impressions, but a more comprehensive perspective would be to emphasize cost-per-reach. Cost-per-reach evaluates the cost of reaching a unique individual, providing a clearer picture of ad effectiveness in connecting with the target audience.

Argument for a greater emphasis on cost-per-reach

Shifting focus to cost-per-reach can offer a more nuanced understanding of ad performance. By evaluating how efficiently an ad reaches unique viewers, advertisers can better assess the true impact of their campaigns and optimize their budgets accordingly. After all, the life in likelihood of a consumer to take action is greatest when moving them from 0 exposures to 1 exposure – you can expect far greater exposure there than moving them from 6 exposures to 7. This reach-first approach ensures that advertising dollars are spent effectively, reaching as many potential customers as possible while avoiding unnecessary overspending on high CPM slots that do not significantly contribute to overall reach.

In summary, while CPM remains a crucial metric in TV advertising, integrating cost-per-reach into your evaluation strategy can provide a more holistic view of campaign effectiveness and enhance overall ROI.

Discover key factors influencing TV Advertising CPM and how to optimize your campaigns with data analytics, balancing cost-per-reach and CPM for better ROI.

Mastering CPM: How Audience Demographics and Ad Placement Influence TV Advertising Costs

How Beyond Meat spiced up their cross-channel campaigns with TV+

Before engaging with Simulmedia, Beyond Meat faced significant challenges in their TV advertising efforts. As a relatively small brand, they lacked dedicated budgets and resources for television campaigns. With limited personnel and budget constraints, they struggled to execute effective TV campaigns efficiently. The traditional approach to TV advertising required pricey tools and large teams, presenting obstacles Beyond Meat found difficult to overcome. Moreover, they were frustrated by the lack of transparency from prior vendors. But they were convinced their small but mighty team could make an outsize impact.

Traditional linear TV remains a vital channel for broad audience engagement and impactful creatives. However, in the data-driven marketing era, measuring the true impact of these campaigns on crucial metrics is challenging. Marketers struggle to understand how TV ads influence actions like website visits amid a complex marketing landscape with multiple competing channels. The rise of CTV adds further complexity. While Simulmedia offers "

," this blog focuses on challenges unique to traditional linear TV attribution. Simulmedia's Incremental Lift Studies for Linear TV provide clarity by disentangling the web of advertising influences. This feature empowers marketers to accurately assess the impact of their traditional linear TV campaigns, offering a methodology that separates signal from noise. By making data-driven decisions, Simulmedia's 

 optimize the effectiveness of traditional linear TV campaigns.

What is Incremental Lift Measurement and why it matters

Lift measurement quantifies a marketing campaign's additional impact on desired outcomes. 

 aim to precisely measure added conversions and conversion rates from TV advertising. These studies compare exposed group (TV ad viewers) and a control group (non-viewers) using deterministic attribution for accurate measurement.

Traditional attribution and media mix modeling face challenges assessing TV campaign impact, particularly for linear TV, due to shared limitations:

Inability to Account for External Factors: 

Difficulty distinguishing TV ad impact from concurrent events leads to imprecise measurements.

Over-reliance on Short-term Data Spikes: 

Focusing on short-term spikes neglects long-term impacts, missing valuable insights for effective decisions.

Media mix modeling demands substantial resources, limiting accessibility, especially for smaller businesses.

Built for specific timeframes, media mix models lack adaptability for emerging trends or market shifts.

Simulmedia's Incremental Lift Studies provide a refreshing alternative to overcoming these challenges. By bypassing traditional attribution methods and resource-intensive media mix modeling, these studies offer a cost-effective, flexible, and precise approach for assessing TV campaign impact in today's complex marketing landscape.

 are synthetic control groups, transforming how marketers gauge their TV campaign impact. This method lets advertisers craft a control group mirroring the test group via advanced statistical techniques and user data—without physically splitting these groups per campaign. This offers an accurate, statistically identical comparison, eliminating costs tied to running PSAs for control group creation, making A/B testing cost-effective.

Choosing a synthetic over a hold-out group stems from linear TV's unique nature, where budget decisions aren't at the individual level. Creating a pre-campaign hold-out plan with similar granularity and control proves challenging. In a landscape valuing accurate measurement, synthetic control groups give marketers a potent tool to confidently attribute observed lift to TV campaigns, minimizing control group expenses. This precise method empowers advertisers, unlocking traditional linear TV campaign potential, and facilitating data-driven decisions with unmatched confidence, optimizing marketing efforts for superior results.

Benefits of Incremental Lift Studies for Linear TV

 enhance the effectiveness of TV advertising campaigns in several ways:

Comparing statistically identical test and control groups enables the pinpointing of the true impact of a TV campaign, eliminating external influences for a clear cause-and-effect relationship.

Purpose-built Synthetic Control Group for TV: 

Our methodology ensures the synthetic control group mirrors the test group, considering demographics and viewership behavior, providing precise measurement while minimizing confounding factors.

Merging Linear TV Reach with Digital Attribution: 

Seamlessly combining the expansive reach of linear TV with precise, deterministic digital attribution offers a comprehensive picture of campaign performance, leveraging our viewership panel.

Confident Measurement of Incrementality Across Web Outcomes: 

Incremental Lift Studies facilitate the measurement of a TV campaign's incremental impact on various web outcomes, offering insights into actions such as website visits and app installs.

Identification of Incrementality Parameters: 

Dissecting campaign performance by network, daypart, and creative empowers advertisers to optimize targeting, maximizing the effectiveness of advertising efforts.

Simulmedia's Incremental Lift Studies provide advertisers with a comprehensive, flexible, and precise approach to measuring the true impact of linear TV campaigns and making data-driven decisions for superior results.

Unlocking the power of Incremental Lift Studies for Linear TV

 effectively, grasp the essentials of initiation and result interpretation. Follow this guide for a seamless experience:

Activate the SM Pixel on your website or employ Kochava integration for in-app events.

Share target metrics with your client success manager.

Define your target audience and intended budget; consult your client success manager.

Notify your client success manager about your interest in an Incremental Lift Study.

We create a synthetic control group by simulating a plan on unexposed households, matching them to your network allocation and exclusion list.

Interim results will be accessible in a Tableau dashboard after two days.

Your dedicated Customer Success Manager will share the final report shortly after the attribution window ends.

Results are finalized at the attribution period's end; expect no further dashboard updates.

The dashboard details the linear TV campaign summary, including incremental lift %, incremental conversions, and the cost per incremental conversion. Remember that "conversions" represent the action you chose to track – which could be website visits, app installs, or actual purchases and transactions.

The dashboard provides a side-by-side comparison of the control group attributes versus the test group attributes.

Drill-downs to the network level provide insights on publishers delivering more incremental lift, facilitating plan optimization. Breakdowns are also available per daypart and creative.

With these insights, embark confidently on your journey into Incremental Lift Studies for Linear TV, unlocking valuable information for better results.

Unveiling the mechanics: How Incremental Lift Studies work

Curious about the inner workings of Simulmedia's 

? Let's delve into the process that empowers marketers to confidently uncover the true impact of their TV campaigns.

We kick off by setting up the SM Pixel on the client's website or integrating with Kochava for mobile app attribution. After the campaign, we analyze impressions on our viewership panel to assemble the 'exposed' group.

Step 2: Creating the Synthetic Control Group.

With the exposed group in sight, we simulate media plans adhering to the campaign's criteria to craft a synthetic control group—no need to physically split groups per campaign, saving costs.

Step 3: Ensuring Statistical Representativeness.

Demographic data overlays both groups, ensuring shared characteristics. Our post-stratification algorithm guarantees statistical representativeness in geographic location, demographics, and viewership patterns.

Step 4: Running Deterministic Attribution.

We finalize by running deterministic attribution at the Household IP level, using the Simulmedia Pixel or MMP integrations for conversions, precisely measuring the TV campaign's impact.

We compare conversion rates between the test (exposed) group and the synthetic control group, providing a clear view of the incremental lift generated by the TV campaign.

To guarantee the representativeness of both groups, we employ advanced methods:

We create multiple simulated plans to ensure the control group mirrors the viewing habits of the test group. This rigorous process eliminates individuals unlikely to have seen your ad, such as cord cutters or households on your suppression list.

Simulmedia applies sophisticated techniques, including Weighted Attribute Matching, ensuring the control group shares the same demographic and geographic attributes as the test group, leaving no room for discrepancies.

With these meticulous methods, Simulmedia ensures Incremental Lift Studies provide unparalleled precision and statistical representativeness. This rigorous approach empowers advertisers to confidently attribute observed lift to their TV campaigns, setting us apart in the industry. Marketers can optimize their traditional linear TV campaigns with unwavering confidence, leading to superior results

Unlock the future of TV measurement with Simulmedia's Incremental Lift Studies

 equip you with the tools to unlock your TV campaigns' true impact. Bid farewell to uncertainty and embrace the future of measurement. By leveraging this innovative feature, you can make informed decisions for better results, elevating your marketing efforts. Don't let uncertainty hinder you from harnessing the incredible power of TV advertising. The future of measurement is here, and it's time to embrace it.

Ready to elevate your TV advertising? Reach out to your dedicated Customer Success Manager or email us at 

 to learn more and get started. Your success in the world of TV advertising awaits.

Traditional linear TV remains a vital channel for broad audience engagement and impactful creatives. However, in the data-driven marketing era, measuring the true impact of these campaigns on crucial metrics is challenging. Marketers struggle to understand how TV ads influence actions like website visits amid a complex marketing landscape with multiple competing channels. The rise of CTV adds further complexity. While Simulmedia offers "Incremental Lift Studies for CTV," this blog focuses on challenges unique to traditional linear TV advertising. Simulmedia's Incremental Lift Studies for Linear TV provide clarity by disentangling the web of advertising influences.

Measure the true impact of TV with incremental lift measurement

 is paramount for digital advertising success. This comprehensive guide delves into the intricacies of crafting a winning strategy for Connected TV (CTV) and Over-The-Top (OTT), shedding light on the importance of precision and adaptability in the ever-evolving landscape.

Grasping the Core of Strategy: Defining Strategy and Its Significance

Essentially, a strategy functions as the guiding framework for your actions, ensuring that each step is in harmony with your business goals. In the context of streaming advertising, precision is crucial. This segment will delve into the fundamental aspects of a streaming strategy, underscoring the importance of a meticulously designed plan that connects seamlessly with the audience, guaranteeing optimal influence and return on investment (ROI).

Marketers face a pivotal decision in choosing between CTV and OTT campaigns, as each comes with distinct characteristics. The primary consideration revolves around screen size and user experience. CTV campaigns are designed for the big screen, offering an immersive, lean-back experience. In contrast, OTT campaigns extend across various devices, accommodating on-the-go and interactive viewing experiences on smaller screens.

Marketers need to decide which platform aligns better with their campaign goals and audience preferences. Opting for CTV ensures a focus on the premium, larger screen experience, while OTT caters to the flexibility demanded by smaller screens and diverse devices.

Adding to the complexity, vendors often use the terms CTV and OTT interchangeably, leading to potential confusion for marketers. Understanding the distinction is crucial, especially since CTV advertising tends to be more expensive due to its exclusive focus on larger screens. Marketers must be clear about what they are paying for and choose the platform that best suits their campaign objectives and target audience.

This section takes a top-down approach, addressing the fundamental questions of why, what, when, where, and how of CTV strategy:

Why (Goals): Clarifying the ultimate goal of your streaming campaign.

Clarifying the ultimate goal of your streaming campaign is the foundational step. Defining the objectives of your streaming initiative, whether centered on brand awareness, increased traffic, enhanced sales, or app installations, establishes a clear roadmap for the entire campaign. Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as site visits, revenue generation, and return on ad spend (ROAS) become pivotal benchmarks for gauging success.

Who (Target Audience): Understanding the target audience through detailed buyer personas.

Gaining insight into your target audience involves developing detailed buyer personas through a blend of qualitative and quantitative research. This process goes beyond demographic information, delving into psychographics to foster a deeper connection with viewers. Aligning content with buyer personas not only shapes campaign targeting strategy but also ensures a cohesive and resonant approach.

What (Message in Creative Strategy): Crafting a compelling message that adds value and resonates with your audience.

The heart of a streaming campaign lies in the creative strategy's message. Craft a compelling message by addressing the fundamental problems or tasks your audience seeks solutions for. Promotions that resonate personally with your audience add value to your message, creating urgency and excitement.

When (Timing, How Long, How Often): Determining your campaign's optimal timing, duration, and frequency.

Timing, duration, and frequency are critical elements. Consider the nature of your product and determine the most opportune moments to showcase it. Whether adopting a continuous or seasonal approach, finding the right balance ensures your message remains impactful without overwhelming your audience.

Where (Media Buying Avenues): Identifying strategic places to connect with your audience in the CTV landscape.

Pinpointing the ideal places to connect with your audience in the CTV landscape is pivotal. Understanding the CTV supply chain, differentiating between publishers and sellers, and navigating potential challenges ensure effective media buying strategies.

How Much (Investment, Cost-per-reach Targets): Strategically planning the investment and setting cost-per-reach targets.

Strategic investment planning involves understanding audience distribution between linear TV and CTV. Utilizing planning tools and media mix models ensures optimal budget allocation. Clear cost-per-reach goals refine the investment strategy for optimal outcomes.

Against Whom (Competitor Analysis): Analyzing competitors to disrupt and increase brand visibility.

Thorough competitor analysis is imperative for a disruptive CTV strategy. Understanding competitors' reach and success sets the stage for strategic maneuvers, including conquesting campaigns that target the same audience, disrupting competitors' share of voice, and amplifying your brand's visibility.

How (Campaign Strategy): Optimizing campaign strategy across the entire funnel.

A nuanced understanding of the target audience and product is crucial for a successful CTV campaign strategy. Tailoring strategies at each stage of the customer journey, including geographic priorities, demographic targeting, and contextual relevance through content genres, ensures a comprehensive and effective streaming strategy. Let’s next dive into the specifics of designing CTV campaigns to support the strategy.

Designing CTV Campaigns to Support the Strategy

Strategic Harmony: Crafting a Holistic CTV Approach for End-to-End Growth

To craft a holistic CTV strategy that sustains growth across the entire customer journey, marketers need to take a holistic approach to campaign planning by considering both upper and lower-funnel campaign strategies:

Upper-Funnel Campaigns: Strategies for building brand awareness and engagement.

Upper-funnel campaigns serve as the launchpad for building brand awareness and engagement. Marketers strategically cast a broad net, capturing attention and forging an extensive audience base. Crafting effective upper-funnel strategies involves answering key questions about geographic priorities, demographics, behavioral characteristics, content genres, and viewing behaviors.

Lower-Funnel Campaigns: Retargeting high-intent audiences for lower-funnel success.

In the lower funnel, precision targeting takes center stage, directing efforts toward high-intent audiences. CTV retargeting becomes a powerful tool, capitalizing on established familiarity with potential customers. Metrics in this phase focus on lower-funnel metrics such as successful purchases, transactions, or leads generated from form fills.

The key to CTV success lies in orchestrating a balanced approach across the entire customer journey. While optimizing for lower-funnel conversions is vital, neglecting the upper funnel can stifle long-term growth. Crafting a holistic strategy sustains growth by continually feeding the marketing funnel with new prospects and awareness.

Elevating CTV Advertising: Strategies for Creative Excellence

Crafting diverse and compelling creatives is instrumental in making a lasting impression on your audience. This facet of your upper-funnel campaign involves tailoring creatives for different audience segments, ensuring a resonance that goes beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. By diversifying your creatives, you create a tapestry of messaging that captures the attention of varied viewers, each with their unique preferences and interests.

Advertisers used to the linear TV world need to recognize the opportunities presented in the CTV world by dynamic ad insertion technology. This technique enables advertisers to serve personalized ads to viewers in real-time, tailoring the content based on their interests and behavior. This seamless integration into live or on-demand video content, whether on CTV devices, streaming services, or OTT providers, empowers advertisers to create targeted and relevant ad campaigns. By utilizing data such as device type, geographic location, and viewer behavior, advertisers can deliver ads that speak directly to the unique characteristics of their audience. This approach not only enhances the relevance of the message but also provides the ability to measure and analyze the performance of each ad, optimizing for the best results. Dynamic ad insertion is a linchpin in CTV advertising, offering a more personalized and engaging experience for viewers and, consequently, improving the effectiveness of advertising efforts.

Mastering video advertising on CTV is the pinnacle of creating an impactful and memorable brand presence. Given that CTV advertising revolves around video content, it's crucial to ensure that your video ads are not only engaging but of high quality. Platforms like Roku and Amazon Fire TV provide a myriad of targeting options, allowing advertisers to tailor their video ads to specific demographics and interests. Video advertising's versatility, whether in pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll formats, enables advertisers to choose the level of engagement that aligns with the content and viewer behavior. With a higher retention rate than text or banner ads, video advertising on CTV becomes a powerful tool for enhancing brand awareness and recall. The storytelling capabilities of video content make it an effective medium for conveying messages, demonstrating products, and creating a lasting impact on the audience.

CTV Targeting Mastery: Precision Strategies for Impactful Campaigns

 strategies is integral to a successful advertising campaign. Each element, from geographic priorities to behavioral nuances, contributes to a finely-tuned outreach plan. Here's a focused exploration of key aspects empowering advertisers to unlock the full potential of CTV targeting:

Determining the geographic priorities of your campaign is foundational. 

 ensures precision by narrowing down the audience to DMAs, cities, regions, or zip codes. A local restaurant, for example, can maximize CTV impact by reaching potential customers within a specific radius.

Moving beyond age and gender, a nuanced demographic approach involves considering marital status, income, and more. Tailoring ads to reach distinct demographic groups, as seen with a skincare brand targeting both young adults and mature individuals, fosters a deeper connection.

Understanding personal preferences, lifestyle habits, and experiential stages is crucial for impactful CTV targeting. This involves delving into a rich mosaic of human subtleties, utilizing third-party data providers like Nielsen, TruAudience, or comScore to enhance insights into different demographic groups and their viewing habits. For example, a travel agency aligning with individuals researching European destinations can use this data to create a highly targeted and effective CTV campaign.

Behavioral insights from third-party data empower advertisers to optimize ad delivery for maximum impact, ensuring that CTV advertising budgets efficiently reach the right audience. This precision not only deepens the understanding of the audience but also increases the likelihood of conversions by reaching the right people at the right time.

 becomes paramount, allowing marketers to align their message with specific content genres. Genres serve as effective proxies for audience profiles, offering a workaround for precise targeting. A fitness brand sponsoring health and wellness content ensures contextual relevance and a genuine connection.

Profiling the TV viewership behavior of customers and identifying similar prospects is powerful. Lookalike modeling allows for precision expansion, as seen with an online fashion retailer targeting audiences mirroring the TV consumption patterns of their loyal customers.

Retargeting in CTV Advertising: Engaging the Interested Viewer

Retargeting in CTV advertising is a powerful strategy aimed at individuals who have previously interacted with your brand or website. This approach significantly enhances the likelihood of conversions by reaching an audience that has already shown interest in your products or services. Utilizing cookies, pixels, and tracking technology, 

 is executed on platforms like Roku or DV360, optionally combining various targeting options such as demographics, behavior, and frequency capping for maximum effectiveness.

 requires a well-prepared foundation. Ensuring that your website and other platforms are configured appropriately to collect and store data is crucial. Technological infrastructure must be in place to track and target users seamlessly. This strategy not only boosts brand reach by reconnecting with users but also serves as a versatile tool for promoting new products, offering special deals, and improving overall return on investment (ROI).

In mastering these CTV targeting strategies, advertisers can navigate the complexities of the advertising landscape with precision, ensuring that their campaigns resonate, engage, and drive impactful results.

CTV Strategy in Multi-Channel Integrated Marketing

Aligning campaigns on Connected TV (CTV) with broader marketing strategies is pivotal for shaping a unified customer journey, ensuring enduring impact and engagement. Employing an integrated marketing approach to CTV involves delivering a consistent brand experience across diverse channels, a critical element in captivating the multifaceted modern consumer. CTV takes center stage as a linchpin in this strategy, seamlessly blending traditional TV's influence with the digital realm's interactive dynamics.

Recognizing the synergies between CTV and traditional linear TV is foundational. Rather than being in competition, these channels function as potent allies, each contributing unique strengths. While linear TV commands extensive reach, capturing varied audiences, CTV provides a more personalized viewing encounter. Insights from our TV+ advertising platform underscore that 21% of the total time spent on Linear TV and ad-supported CTV marks a substantial and growing share. A more in-depth analysis reveals that 27% of households are exclusively accessible through ad-supported TV, highlighting the trend of cord-cutting. CTV stands out as an efficient channel for engaging a significant portion of the audience.

Seamless Integration with Overall Marketing Strategy

Realizing the full potential of CTV demands its seamless integration into broader marketing strategies. Crafting a cohesive messaging approach across channels ensures a resonant and consistent brand narrative. Applying the precision honed in social media campaigns to CTV targeting refines audience segmentation. Aligning overarching campaign objectives facilitates a holistic customer journey, seamlessly intertwining touchpoints across channels.

Creative Synergies and Cross-Channel Impact

Maximizing creative assets involves seamless integration across channels. Repurposing CTV creatives on platforms like social media amplifies the message, ensuring a coherent brand narrative and maximizing visibility. Harnessing user-generated videos from influencer channels for CTV creatives taps into authenticity while upholding a cohesive brand story. Integrating CTV with a social media strategy forges a more potent and cohesive brand presence, nurturing a robust connection with the audience.

Attribution and Media Mix Modeling Across Channels

Understanding CTV's impact within the broader marketing mix is central to effective attribution and media mix modeling. Embracing multi-touch attribution models and considering the cumulative impact of touchpoints across diverse channels provides a comprehensive perspective on the marketing ecosystem. Media mix modeling evaluates the collective influence of touchpoints, empowering marketers to make informed decisions about budget distribution and campaign optimization. This integrated approach acknowledges the interconnected nature of touchpoints, maximizing the impact of every channel in the marketing mix.

In essence, CTV emerges as a versatile and indispensable tool in modern marketing, seamlessly integrating into broader strategies. Recognizing its complementarity with linear TV, leveraging cross-device engagement capabilities, and tapping into creative synergies enable brands to unlock the full potential of CTV, establishing meaningful connections with their audience across myriad touchpoints.

Conclusion: Navigating the Future of Streaming with Precision

In conclusion, this comprehensive guide has unraveled the secrets of crafting an effective CTV strategy. Precision, adaptability, and a holistic approach are key elements for success in the evolving streaming landscape. As you embark on your streaming journey, let these insights guide you to new heights of visibility, engagement, and success. Connect with your audience seamlessly, making every touchpoint resonate with your brand's narrative. The future of streaming awaits, and with a well-crafted strategy, your brand can lead the way into this exciting frontier.

 for TV and streaming advertising provides unified access to premium linear and CTV inventory across all networks and publishers. 

Developing a robust strategy for CTV advertising is paramount for digital advertising success.. This comprehensive guide delves into the intricacies of crafting a winning strategy for Connected TV (CTV), shedding light on the importance of precision and adaptability in the ever-evolving landscape.

Join the Waitlist for Skybeam: Be First to Access Our Self-Service CTV Tool!

Driving Awareness and App Activity for Streaming Crime Series

The Challenge

Reaching Custom Target Audience for Original Docuseries Debut

The Solution

Targeting Likely Viewers With a TV Campaign Across 54 Networks

The Results

Simulmedia Overdelivered on Guaranteed Impressions and Drove Digital Outcomes