6 Actionable Takeaways for Marketers to Maximize Their CTV Investment

Author: Annmarie Gatti, Head of Marketing, Premion.

2024 has been another banner year for CTV advertising, marked by rising ad spend and growing optimism. In a recent VAB webinar, “What Marketers Need to Know About 2024 CTV Advertiser Priorities,” Lindsay Aiello, Director of Sales Enablement at Premion, unpacked key findings from our 2024 CTV/OTT Advertiser Study and offered actionable insights to help advertisers optimize their CTV investments now and in the future.

Among the key takeaways:

Adopting a Multifaceted Buying Approach

Many advertisers are adopting a multi-faceted approach, combining managed service and programmatic buys. This trend emphasizes that buyer preference is a significant factor—providers should be attentive to these preferences and accommodate all of them. Additionally, regardless of the buying method, premium inventory is key. For marketers, understanding inventory quality is crucial; whether purchased programmatically or through managed services, they want ads that align with trusted, premium content. Advertisers also seek transparency about what they’re buying and where their ads are running to ensure their campaigns reach the right audience.

Breaking Down Silos with Integrated Buying Teams: A notable shift is how companies are structuring their CTV budgets. Historically, CTV was handled primarily by digital teams, often kept in silos. Today, over half (56%) of CTV/OTT budgets are managed by integrated or hybrid buying teams. This holistic approach enables advertisers to develop cohesive strategies that combine CTV and linear and reflects a growing trend toward a total TV buying strategy.

Refining CTV Targeting Strategies for Maximum Impact: CTV targeting has evolved significantly. Today, CTV advertisers can leverage rich data to create detailed audience personas based on behavioral attributes, purchasing intentions, and broader interests, enabling them to build sophisticated lookalike audiences for precise targeting. However, hyper-targeting may not always deliver the scale marketers need. In many cases, a broader approach can be more effective, especially for reaching potential buyers who aren’t yet actively searching for a specific product.

By combining hyper-targeting with broader targeting strategies, advertisers can influence consumers earlier in their journey, driving awareness and engagement before the purchase phase. For instance, a mattress brand might see better results by targeting people interested in health and wellness rather than just those actively shopping for mattresses. This broader targeting helps introduce the brand’s offerings to audiences before they enter the decision-making stage. Engaging consumers earlier in their journey helps drive better awareness and higher engagement when they are ready to purchase.

Optimizing with Multiple Audience Segments: Advertisers should leverage a mix of audience segments to improve performance. Partnering with a provider that offers advanced measurement tools allows brands to track each segment’s contribution to campaign success and adjust their strategy accordingly. Additionally, advertisers should ensure they work with a data provider that regularly updates audience data. For example, when targeting a hyper-focused “intender” audience, it’s essential for data to be updated immediately after a purchase, removing consumers from that segment. By utilizing multiple segments and prioritizing regular data updates, advertisers can refine their targeting strategy and achieve more effective campaign results.

Maximizing Full-Funnel Impact: Achieving full-funnel CTV attribution is not only possible but is also driving increased investment from marketers. CTV is particularly effective for the mid-funnel, bridging the gap between awareness and purchase. Advanced attribution solutions enable advertisers to track key metrics, such as website visits. Additionally, brand lift studies allow advertisers to assess how their campaign message influences consumer consideration and purchase intent compared to those who haven’t been exposed to the ad. These capabilities offer valuable insights into full-funnel performance, helping advertisers make data-driven decisions to move consumers from awareness to sales conversion. With access to powerful CTV measurement tools, advertisers can optimize strategies and drive better campaign outcomes.

Prioritizing Brand Safety and Premium Content: Brand safety is more important than ever in the age of AI. Our findings show that 89% of advertisers prioritize premium video content, 84% emphasize ad fraud prevention, and 83% highlight brand safety as a crucial component of their strategy. Ensuring brand safety involves more than just ad placement—it means partnering with trusted providers committed to secure ad environments. Advertisers should look for the TAG Brand Safety Certified Seal of approval to ensure they’re working with a provider that operates to a set of rigorous guiding principles to promote brand safety.

The immersive viewing experience of CTV, combined with new innovations in advanced targeting and measurement tools, is driving more advertisers to shift larger budgets to CTV. By leveraging these strengths, brands can optimize campaign performance and achieve measurable outcomes.

Watch the full webinar replay here.

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