The Latest Tools Making Every CTV Campaign a Slam Dunk

4 Min Read

For years, Connected TV has been an easy layup for performance marketers looking to harness the power of television. But as a cutting-edge digital tool, CTV has no ceiling — and it’s only picking up innovative speed. With recent advancements to help fuel growth efficiency, new customer acquisition strategies, and measurement capabilities, where does this leave the current state of CTV advertising? 

Tim Edmundson, Sr. Director of Content and Research at MNTN, recently joined eMarketer to discuss the latest CTV innovations and successful strategies that brands can use to get a leg up on their competitors. You can watch a full recording of the webinar here, or you can read a small recap of what was discussed below. 

CTV is Stronger Than Ever 

In 2023, CTV became an established and integrated part of the marketing mix. At the same time, all major streaming services started to adopt ads — even those who swore they’d never use them. “This is huge,” said Edmundson. “This is the moment [CTV] has been working towards as streaming has evolved — and now we’re there. We’re at that tipping point.” 

Edmundson pointed out that more services than ever are taking advantage of free ad-supported TV (FAST) platforms for churn prevention. Nearly half of US households watch content on FAST channels every week — and one study found that most of those viewers think FASTs deliver great value. By the end of the year, it’s predicted that 158.5 million US viewers — or half the country — will be watching some form of ad-supported content.

The Hottest Tools of the Trade

While this last year saw advertising on streaming become second nature for brands and viewers alike, premium CTV ad solutions have also added some transformative new capabilities. Too many advertisers are missing out on these key tools that help to better target audiences, measure outcomes, and boost performance. Some include: 

The Rise of the Machines

The ad rush has profoundly changed the landscape by ushering in a new era of CTV ad solutions — including the use of artificial intelligence. AI is already helping brands and consumers connect in a more efficient, cost-effective way — and these tools are increasingly doing the work of matching products and consumers via ads.

CRM Targeting

The right audience targeting tools let brands worry less about fragmentation and focus on reaching their audience while they’re watching their favorite content. But targeting has come a long way in recent years, thanks to features like CRM targeting. “Let’s say you have a loyalty program,” said Edmundson. “You have their email addresses. Their repeat customers. You know the lifetime value of this audience is exceedingly high — so you probably want to engage them more. And you can do that with CTV.”

Edmundson pointed out how MNTN Performance TV lets you simply upload your email lists from your CRM — and let our technology match your CRM data to TV audiences. “This offers new campaign types never seen before on TV,” said Edmundson as he gave examples including loyalty campaigns, upsell opportunities, and lower funnel strategies. 

Full Measurement

“CTV is a performance marketing channel — which means you can target, and you can measure,” Edmundson noted. Measurement on MNTN Performance TV allows users to access their preferred measurement platforms and tools, including Google Analytics 4, Rockerbox, and other BI visualization tools. These advancements make it easier than ever to justify your investment and optimize performance across your entire marketing mix. 

Incrementality Reporting

Another example of the strides CTV has made in reporting tools lies in incrementality reporting. “Incrementality reporting is becoming more of the norm,” said Edmundson. These tools allow CTV advertisers to measure not only increased reach but the true, additional impact that their CTV efforts are making. “This in turn helps to drive better conversions and increase revenue,” noted Edmundson.

With the insights gained from incrementality reporting, brands and advertisers can make more impactful optimization and investment decisions.  

Creative Refreshes

Your ad needs to be more than funny or clever — it needs to drive results. But as audiences are streaming more and more, these ads are being seen more too — and that leads to a higher risk of burnout. Creative refreshes help to maximize impact and keep users engaged, but audiences must balance their investment in creative with what they can realistically get from it. 

“Marketers shouldn’t short-change their creative programs,” said Edmundson as he noted that it’s crucial for brands to resourcefully produce enough creative variety to A/B test and refresh regularly. 

We’re Just Scratching the Surface

There’s a lot more to uncover, including more features and capabilities — and actionable insights on how you can best apply them. To learn more, click here to watch the full recording of March Adness: CTV’s Latest Trends Are On Fire.