The Requirements for Unlocking CTV’s Full Value as a CMO

Originally published by CMO Alliance at:
https://www.cmoalliance.com/unlock-ctvs-full-value-as-a-cmo/

By Betsy Rella
June 24, 2025

There’s no question that connected TV is now a fixture in the media landscape. While linear TV remains the foundation for campaigns, CTV has become essential for reaching today’s fragmented audiences.

But CTV isn’t just a line item to check off—it’s a strategic layer that can unlock deeper impact if it’s approached with the right ingredients.

The true value of CTV comes not just from adding it to your plan, but who you partner with, the content your ads are placed in, and transparency in reporting.

Let’s explore the key elements that determine whether your CTV strategy is simply present—or truly powerful.

CTV doesn’t replace traditional TV

TV is still the heavyweight when it comes to reach. In an analysis of more than 45,000 multiscreen campaigns, nearly three-quarters of campaign reach came from traditional TV, while about 16% was unique to streaming.

That means streaming isn’t replacing linear—it’s extending it. Especially for advertisers seeking full-market penetration, a linear-plus-CTV strategy is the most efficient way to reach both broad and incremental audiences.

Zooming in on local markets reveals just how entrenched CTV has become: In the New York DMA, according to the MRI Cord Evolution Study, adults 35+ now spend over a third of their viewing time on CTV.

That shift underscores why CTV can’t be an afterthought—it’s a major touchpoint, particularly for engaged, purchasing-power-heavy consumers.

Why premium content makes the difference

Let’s start with the most important driver of CTV performance: content quality. The type of inventory you buy matters—significantly.

Premium content, including professionally produced episodic shows, delivers a markedly stronger brand impact than user-generated or non-curated video.

Research shows that exposure to ads in premium OTT environments can drive a 37% higher lift in unaided brand awareness compared to non-premium video. Consumers also say they prefer professional content by a factor of three to one.

And when it comes to attention—a crucial currency in a cluttered media environment—TV-style content earns about twice as much attention as user-generated content.

This effect isn’t limited to perception. In studies where all content was viewed on a TV screen, ads running within premium, long-form content showed a 58% lift in unaided recall compared to those shown in non-premium content.

These lifts demonstrate that premium content is significantly more valuable for advertisers as it results in higher ad recall.

Transparency and brand safety should be table stakes

With CTV buys spanning a complex ecosystem, transparency and brand safety are must-haves. In addition, advertisers need clear, verifiable reporting—not just on impressions, but on where, when, and on which devices their ads ran.

According to Ad Perceptions, a Freewheel survey of marketers and agencies, as well as a Comcast survey of video sellers, more than 80% of the buy-side and the sell-side agreed that, when buying premium inventory, they place a high importance on their ads flighting within a trusted and brand-safe environment, and that the ads are seen by real people.

In an environment where not all inventory is created equal, buyers should seek out non-skippable placements and full-screen ad formats that ensure their creative is seen as intended.

In addition, inventory sourced directly (rather than bought programmatically) reduces exposure to invalid traffic and minimizes the risk of serving ads on questionable content.

Also, reliable partners use a combination of internal and third-party tools to ensure impressions are served only when the TV set is on and to validate human viewing.

These safeguards don’t just protect brand equity—they also ensure advertisers aren’t wasting dollars on phantom impressions.

Don’t overlook measurement

Measurement is the other side of the value equation. The days of relying solely on impressions or GRPs are long gone. Today, advertisers need tools that can tie CTV exposure to real outcomes—from sales lift to store visits to web activity and even tune-in conversions.

Advanced measurement frameworks also allow for constant optimization. With audience targeting and daily monitoring, campaigns can be refined in real-time to maximize performance against KPIs.

And detailed reporting—down to the network, program, date, and device level—helps brands understand what changes might need to be made to deliver on goals.

Local news and live sports deliver high engagement

Some of the highest-performing inventory in CTV today comes from live, lean-in content like local news and sports. Streaming news platforms offer consistent reach and relevance, giving advertisers a way to align with trusted, community-based content that people actively seek out.

Live sports, meanwhile, continue to be one of the few environments where viewers are fully engaged. TVision data shows that over half of all ads aired during live sports are watched by two or more people, and those ads are significantly more likely to be watched in full compared to ads during average programming.

In fact, attention can vary by sport—ads shown during auto racing, for example, are 19% more likely to be viewed in their entirety.

These programming options not only boost CTV campaign performance but often carry a built-in halo effect—especially for brands that want to align with moments of cultural or local significance.

Get the right support

Finally, perhaps the most important requirement for unlocking CTV’s full value is having the right strategic guidance. Buying CTV effectively means navigating a fast-evolving landscape of platforms, partners, and performance metrics. It requires careful calibration—especially when integrating with linear TV.

Marketers shouldn’t have to go it alone. Working with experienced sellers that understand how to strike the right balance between platforms, target the right audiences, and deliver actionable insights is key to elevating your CTV campaigns from simply functional to truly impactful.

CTV’s promise is real—but realizing its full potential means going beyond checkbox buys. It means prioritizing quality, demanding transparency, measuring outcomes, and choosing partners who can help you do it all with confidence.

Advertisers who lean into a smarter, more intentional approach to CTV will be the ones who unlock stronger performance in a media environment where every dollar counts.