As CTV spend goes up, so does scrutiny. And that’s a good thing.

Every emerging channel is an opportunity for exploitation of gray areas, and CTV is no exception. These days, especially as adoption increases and costs tick up with it, it’s crucial to ask the right questions about placements, audiences, inventory, and more – essentially, to make sure you know exactly what you’re paying for.

I’m happy to report that the questions are getting better, which is only going to make CTV a stronger channel in the long run. As some of the stories in this month’s newsletter indicate, big players are starting to invest in transparency because that’s what potential customers are demanding.

Quick Hits

CTV Becomes TV’s Growth Engine as Linear Collapses — Per eMarketer (one of my favorite sources for all things marketing), linear TV has fallen to just 12% of global ad spending, while CTV is on pace to exceed 40% by 2030.

Gracenote Report (Featured in Desk.net): Targeting/Goal Misalignment Curtails CTV’s Effectiveness — Brands aren’t yet sure what kind of targeting to use to accomplish their CTV goals? This is my shocked face. Experienced partners make a huge difference in expectations and outcomes.

AppsFlyer and Roku’s New SRN Integration Will Shed Light On CTV Campaign Impact — This could be a significant move for app advertisers hoping to more effectively measure their streaming video campaigns across all Roku platforms.

Why Impression-Based Advertising Will Redefine Search and CTV

Yours truly - Martech.org

The death of the cookie – and with it, a shift from click-based measurement – is being drawn out, to say the least. But there are signs that even advertising platforms who make billions of dollars from clicks are reading the tea leaves.

In my new column for Martech, I shine a light on a recent release from Microsoft Ads and why that gives me, as a fan of CTV and other traditionally undervalued impression-based channels, lots of hope for a healthier marketing landscape.

Rakuten TV Releases CTV Transparency Report, Expands B2B Unit

Rakuten - Martech Cube

You don’t necessarily think “B2B” when you hear the name Rakuten, so one of the highlights of a recent report they released on CTV transparency was the scope of the resources they’re putting into their B2B offering. Another notable insight from the report:

“More than 9 in 10 (91%) of UK marketers say they would increase CTV investment if full transparency into where ads run was guaranteed.”

In other words, CTV appetite is there on the brand side; it’s up to the partner ecosystem to provide assurances that investments will be made in the right placements and channels.

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