Television advertising has changed dramatically. Consumers are increasingly watching content through internet-connected televisions, streaming devices, and digital platforms. This has created a major opportunity for advertisers: Connected TV advertising.
What Is CTV Advertising?
Connected TV, or CTV, refers to television content delivered through an internet-connected device, including smart televisions and connected streaming devices.
CTV advertising allows brands to deliver video advertisements within streaming environments.
Why CTV Is Different
Traditional television advertising has historically focused on broad audiences. CTV can combine the large-screen experience of television with many digital advertising capabilities.
Depending on the platform and campaign setup, advertisers can use audience and geographic targeting and measure campaign delivery using digital advertising metrics.
Why Brands Use CTV
CTV can help brands achieve brand awareness, audience reach, targeted campaigns, and cross-channel marketing objectives.
CTV vs. Traditional TV
Traditional TV campaigns often rely heavily on broad programming and audience estimates. CTV provides more flexibility in audience targeting and digital measurement.
The two approaches can also be used together as part of an integrated media strategy.
Video Creative
CTV is a video-first environment. Strong creative should establish the brand quickly, communicate one clear message, maintain viewer attention, use strong visual storytelling, and include an appropriate call to action.
Measuring CTV
Depending on the campaign, advertisers may evaluate impressions, reach, frequency, video completion rate, viewability, website visits, conversions, and brand lift.
Measurement should reflect the campaign objective.
CTV and the Customer Journey
CTV can be useful during awareness and consideration. A brand may introduce a new product through CTV, while the same audience later encounters display or social advertising. Search advertising can capture users who actively search for the brand or product.
Common Mistakes
Mistakes include treating CTV exactly like traditional television, using weak creative, failing to establish measurement before launch, and ignoring audience overlap and frequency.
Is CTV Right for Your Business?
CTV may be valuable for brands that want to build awareness, reach specific audiences, launch a product, support a major campaign, complement other digital channels, or reach streaming audiences.
Final Thoughts
CTV is helping reshape television advertising by combining premium video environments with digital targeting and measurement capabilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Connected TV (CTV) refers to television content delivered through internet-connected devices such as smart TVs and streaming devices. CTV advertising delivers video ads within those streaming environments.
Traditional TV often relies on broad programming and audience estimates. CTV can combine the large-screen TV experience with digital capabilities like audience targeting and more flexible measurement.
CTV helps brands build awareness, reach specific audiences, run targeted campaigns, and connect television with other digital channels as part of an integrated media strategy.
Depending on the campaign, advertisers may evaluate impressions, reach, frequency, video completion rate, viewability, website visits, conversions, and brand lift. Measurement should match the objective.
CTV can be valuable for brands that want awareness, specific audience reach, product launches, major campaigns, or to complement other digital channels—but fit depends on goals, budget, and creative.