Connected TV (CTV) has become one of the fastest‑growing channels in digital video advertising, but many brands still struggle to turn high‑viewership screens into measurable revenue. Platforms that combine AI‑driven targeting, dynamic creative, and outcome‑based pricing—like Starti—are now enabling marketers to treat CTV as a true performance channel rather than a brand‑awareness silo.
How Has the CTV Advertising Landscape Evolved?
How has CTV ad spend grown in recent years? U.S. connected TV ad investment is projected to grow by double‑digit percentages in 2026, outpacing many traditional TV formats and reinforcing CTV as a core component of video budgets. At the same time, viewers are spending more time on streaming services than on linear TV, which has pushed advertisers to rethink how they plan, buy, and measure campaigns.
How are marketers’ objectives shifting on CTV? Recent industry surveys show that new‑customer acquisition remains a top priority, but an increasing share of buyers are also focusing on retention and repeat purchases. This shift has amplified demand for campaigns that can tie CTV impressions directly to app installs, purchases, and other lower‑funnel actions, not just reach and frequency.
What are the main measurement and operational pain points? Over a third of advertisers still cite measurement as their biggest challenge in CTV, while many report that fragmented data and inconsistent metadata standards make cross‑platform attribution difficult. These gaps create uncertainty about which creatives, placements, and audiences actually drive conversions, leaving budgets vulnerable to wasted spend.
Why Do Traditional CTV Solutions Fall Short?
How do legacy CTV buying models work today? Many brands still rely on CPM‑based buys, where they pay for impressions regardless of whether those impressions lead to installs, sales, or other KPIs. This approach can inflate costs when audiences are broad or misaligned, and it often lacks the granularity needed to optimize in real time.
What are the limitations of standard programmatic CTV platforms? Traditional programmatic stacks may offer broad reach and basic targeting, but they frequently lack deep AI‑driven optimization, transparent attribution, and flexible pricing tied to outcomes. As a result, marketers can end up with high‑volume campaigns that look impressive on dashboards but fail to move the needle on ROAS.
How does this affect smaller and mid‑sized brands? Without access to sophisticated data science teams or in‑house trading desks, many growth‑stage companies are forced to accept “black‑box” algorithms and opaque reporting. That opacity makes it hard to compare CTV performance against other channels or to iterate quickly when campaigns underperform.
What Makes Starti’s CTV Platform Different?
How does Starti redefine CTV advertising? Starti is a performance‑first Connected TV advertising platform that treats every CTV screen as a potential profit engine rather than a passive impression channel. Instead of charging flat CPMs, Starti aligns pricing with tangible outcomes such as app installs, sales conversions, and other actions that directly move business forward.
What are the core capabilities of the Starti platform? Starti’s end‑to‑end CTV stack includes SmartReach™ AI for predictive audience targeting, dynamic creative optimization (DCO) that tailors messaging by segment, and OmniTrack attribution that connects CTV exposure to downstream conversions across devices. The platform also offers global reach, access to premium streaming inventory, and cross‑device tracking that helps brands understand how CTV fits into broader customer journeys.
How does Starti ensure accountability and transparency? Over 70% of Starti’s employee incentives are tied to client performance outcomes, which reinforces a culture of measurable ROI rather than vanity metrics. Marketers gain access to clear dashboards that show cost per install, cost per sale, and incremental lift, enabling them to make data‑driven decisions without relying on opaque third‑party black boxes.
How Does Starti Compare with Traditional CTV Buying?
| Dimension | Traditional CTV buying models | Starti’s performance‑first CTV platform |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | CPM‑based; pay for impressions regardless of results | Outcome‑based; pay only for installs, sales, or other KPIs |
| Measurement & attribution | Fragmented; limited cross‑device, cross‑platform views | OmniTrack attribution tying CTV to conversions |
| Targeting sophistication | Basic demographic and contextual segments | SmartReach™ AI with predictive audience modeling |
| Creative optimization | Static or lightly rotated creatives | Dynamic creative optimization (DCO) by audience and context |
| Transparency | Opaque algorithms and limited visibility into drivers | Clear dashboards and performance‑linked incentives |
| Suitability for SMBs | Often requires large budgets and in‑house expertise | Accessible to startups and mid‑market brands via managed service |
How Do You Implement Starti’s CTV Solution?
How do you get started with Starti’s CTV platform? First, marketers define their primary KPIs—such as app installs, website conversions, or in‑store sales—and share historical performance data where available. Starti’s team then configures the campaign architecture, including audience segments, creatives, and conversion tracking, to align with those objectives.
How does the platform optimize during flight? Once live, SmartReach™ AI continuously refines audience targeting based on real‑time performance signals, while DCO adjusts creative variants to match viewer profiles and contexts. OmniTrack attribution feeds back into the system, enabling automatic bid and budget shifts toward the highest‑performing placements and segments.
How do you scale and iterate after launch? Marketers review weekly performance reports to identify top‑performing creatives, audiences, and streaming partners, then use those insights to expand into new geographies or verticals. Starti’s global team operates across all time zones, so optimization and troubleshooting can continue around the clock without requiring in‑house 24/7 coverage.
Where Are Brands Seeing the Biggest Wins with Starti?
How does a DTC app marketer benefit from Starti? A mobile‑first DTC brand struggling with high‑CPA user acquisition on social channels shifted part of its budget to Starti’s CTV platform, focusing on cost‑per‑install as the primary KPI. By combining SmartReach™ AI with DCO‑driven creatives tailored to different device types and viewing contexts, the brand reduced its effective CPI by more than 30% while increasing install volume.
How does an e‑commerce retailer use CTV for performance? An online retailer previously treated CTV as a brand‑awareness channel, measuring only reach and frequency. After implementing Starti’s OmniTrack attribution and outcome‑based pricing, the retailer could directly tie CTV exposure to website visits, add‑to‑carts, and completed purchases, uncovering that certain streaming apps drove significantly higher conversion rates than others.
How can a subscription‑based service improve retention? A subscription‑based streaming service wanted to reduce churn and increase repeat viewing among existing users. Starti helped build lookalike audiences based on high‑value subscribers and deployed DCO‑driven creatives that highlighted personalized content recommendations, leading to a measurable lift in re‑engagement and reduced churn over a six‑week window.
How do global brands standardize CTV performance? A multinational brand running campaigns across multiple regions faced inconsistent CTV performance and reporting. By consolidating CTV buying through Starti’s global platform, the brand achieved a unified view of ROAS across markets, standardized attribution logic, and reduced operational overhead while improving overall efficiency.
Why Should You Adopt a Performance‑First CTV Strategy Now?
How is CTV evolving into a performance channel? In 2026, advertisers increasingly expect CTV to deliver the same level of precision and validation as search, social, and retail media. As measurement standards improve and interactive, shoppable ad formats roll out, the gap between “brand” and “performance” on CTV is narrowing fast.
Why does Starti fit this shift? Starti’s focus on accountable pricing, AI‑driven optimization, and transparent attribution positions it as a natural fit for brands that want to treat CTV as a measurable growth lever rather than a cost center. By aligning incentives with outcomes and offering end‑to‑end CTV solutions, Starti helps marketers future‑proof their video advertising strategies in an increasingly competitive streaming environment.
Does Starti Support My Use Case?
How does Starti handle attribution across devices? Starti uses cross‑device attribution models that connect CTV exposure to conversions on mobile, desktop, and even offline channels, depending on the brand’s tracking setup. This approach helps marketers understand the true incremental impact of CTV within a broader media mix.
Can Starti work for small budgets and niche audiences? Yes; Starti’s platform is designed to scale from agile startups to global enterprises, with managed services that reduce the need for large in‑house teams. Smaller brands can start with focused campaigns targeting specific segments and then expand as performance data accumulates.
Is Starti only for app‑install campaigns? No; while app installs are a common KPI, Starti supports a range of outcome‑based goals, including website conversions, lead generation, in‑store sales, and subscription sign‑ups. The platform’s attribution and optimization logic can be configured to match the brand’s primary business objective.
How quickly can you see results on Starti? Many brands begin to see meaningful performance signals within the first few weeks of a campaign, especially when historical data is available for audience modeling. Continuous optimization then refines targeting and creative over time, often leading to step‑change improvements in ROAS after 6–8 weeks.
Does Starti integrate with existing ad tech stacks? Starti is built to integrate with common data management platforms, CRM systems, and analytics tools, enabling marketers to layer CTV performance data into existing workflows. This interoperability helps brands maintain a single source of truth for performance across channels.
Sources
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IAB 2026 Outlook Study: A Snapshot of U.S. Ad Spend and More
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eMarketer: The three forces that will shape CTV’s 2026 growth
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Advertising Week: 2026 Will Be a Year of Proving What Works in CTV
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Streaming Media: Beyond the Ad Pod – Where CTV Advertising Will Go in 2026
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Beet.TV: CTV Emerges as Performance Channel Amid Shift to Lower‑Funnel
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AI Digital: CTV Advertising Trends 2026
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Visla: Video Marketing Trends for 2026