Fear the Walking Dead, Not Poor Ad Performance

3 Min Read

The Walking Dead. The Living Room. What do they have in common? They’re both key parts of what makes Connected TV advertising so effective.  

Okay reading that back, the connection may not be abundantly clear without some additional context. So here’s what we mean:

• The Walking Dead: Premium, episodic programming that creates a connection with viewers and establishes television as a prestige format in the minds of consumers.
• The Living Room: Where viewers settle in to watch their favorite shows on TV with friends and family. 

Top-tier content and an ad experience to match—that’s something you really can’t find on digital ad channels like social media. Now throw in precision audience targeting and accurate campaign measurement, which traditional TV advertising lacks, and you can see why advertisers are set to spend over $26 billion on CTV in 2023.

TV’s Not Dead!

With its series finale in the books, The Walking Dead wrapped up a run of 11 memorable and terrifying seasons. And between the zombie massacres, betrayals, post-apocalyptic love stories, and even more zombie massacres, it built an emotional connection with millions of viewers. That’s what makes TV so special amongst advertising mediums—it has an unparalleled ability to tell a story. This extends to TV ads as well. Case in point, MNTN Chief Creative Officer Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort resurrected four Walking Dead characters in a series of ads for the finale (one of which is not-so-coincidentally for MNTN).

And while the journeys of <spoilers redacted> came to an end, television’s ability to captivate audiences lives on. The same goes for its longevity. 

That’s because Connected TV has brought new life to television. Over 225 million viewers regularly watched CTV in 2022, and that number will continue its upward trajectory in 2023 (230 million) and well into 2026 (242 million). It has firmly re-established television as a key piece of the media puzzle in the connected age, even when the focus has become increasingly on smaller screens. Speaking of which…

Connected TV as the Cure for Decaying Ad Performance

The viewership numbers above should reassure any traditional television advertiser concerned about reach. But what about those who care more about measurable performance? 

Thousands of advertisers, and billions of dollars in ad spend, flow through digital channels like social media. Unfortunately, paid social hasn’t been able to deliver the same impact it once did—be it due to stricter privacy laws disrupting targeting and measurement, changes in management, or higher CPMs.

But fear not, performance marketers. When equipped with a tech stack that optimizes CTV for KPIs tied directly to your bottom line, it delivers the return on investment crucial to your business’ growth. Here at MNTN we’ve built marketing software that lets you target your ideal audience, set a performance goal (ROAS, CPA, etc.), and then serve ads across top-tier networks like AMC.

So when viewers tune in to watch how <massive spoilers redacted>, your ads are optimized to reach the ones who will engage with your message and take action—be it visiting your website or making a purchase. 

That’s what makes CTV so great for advertisers. When you combine television’s impact with digital precision and measurement, you transform it into a performance marketing machine. One that stands right alongside paid search and social as a go-to for thousands of advertisers. Or to put it in zombie-related terms: it makes CTV a no-brainer.