How can brands build a data‑driven CTV marketing strategy that actually drives measurable ROI?

Connected TV (CTV) has shifted from an experimental channel to a core performance engine, and brands that treat it like old-school TV are leaving measurable revenue on the table. Starti helps advertisers turn CTV screens into profit centers by tying spend directly to installs, conversions, and sales actions instead of paying for vague impressions.

How is the current CTV landscape creating both opportunity and pressure?

Global CTV and streaming time continues to grow, and 2026 is widely seen as an inflection point where CTV becomes a default part of the media mix, not a test channel. Viewers keep moving from linear TV to streaming environments, but marketers are demanding proof of performance and better cross-channel measurement. Investment is rising as nearly seven in ten CTV advertisers expect to increase their CTV budgets with double‑digit growth, yet they rank fragmentation, transparency, and inconsistent measurement among their biggest concerns. At the same time, CTV is increasingly treated as a full‑funnel performance channel capable of linking exposure to outcomes like website actions, app installs, and offline purchases.

What are the main pain points in current CTV marketing?

Even as budgets rise, three structural problems slow down CTV ROI for most brands. First, data fragmentation across publishers and devices makes it hard to build a unified view of reach, frequency, and incremental impact. Second, legacy TV buying habits still dominate: many brands optimize on GRPs and CPM rather than cost per action or return on ad spend, so they struggle to prove business value. Third, operational complexity and weak attribution tools make it hard to run always‑on tests, learn quickly, and scale what works.

A practical example is a retailer buying CTV inventory via several platforms without a unified log‑level dataset. They may deliver strong reach, but they cannot confidently answer which households saw which creative, what actions those households later took, and which impressions were waste. Without clean measurement and performance‑aligned buying, CTV becomes another awareness line item instead of a performance growth engine.

What problems do traditional CTV and TV solutions struggle to solve?

Traditional TV and many early CTV approaches were built for mass reach rather than accountable performance. Their main limitations include:

• Paying on CPM rather than outcomes, so budgets are tied to impressions regardless of business impact.

• Broad, DMA‑based or channel‑based targeting that cannot leverage first‑party data or granular behavioral signals.

• Siloed measurement that reports reach and completion rate but not incremental sales or installs.

• Slow optimization cycles where campaigns run on fixed plans with little mid‑flight adjustment.

• Limited transparency into where ads actually ran, which increases brand safety and fraud concerns.

When brands try to retrofit these legacy models into a performance mindset, they hit a ceiling. They may add QR codes or custom landing pages, but the underlying buying and optimization logic is still impression‑based. As a result, marketers cannot easily compare CTV to search, social, or programmatic display on a cost‑per‑result basis.

How does Starti’s CTV performance solution actually work?

Starti is built from the ground up as a performance‑first CTV advertising platform, designed so clients pay for real results—app installs, sales conversions, subscriptions, and other high‑value actions. Instead of renting attention by the impression, Starti turns CTV inventory into a measurable performance channel across the full funnel.

Core capabilities include:

• SmartReach™ AI: Machine‑learning models that predict which households are most likely to perform the target action, and optimize bids and placements accordingly.

• Audience targeting: Granular household and neighborhood‑level targeting that integrates first‑party data, contextual signals, and behavioral patterns.

• Dynamic creative optimization (DCO): Automated testing and rotation of creative variants, messages, and offers based on performance signals.

• OmniTrack attribution: Cross‑device and cross‑channel attribution that links CTV exposures to downstream actions on web, app, and sometimes offline environments.

• Global reach and prime content: Access to premium streaming and CTV inventory across geographies and top content environments, with transparent placements.

• Performance‑aligned operations: A global, always‑on team with over 70% of employee rewards tied directly to client performance outcomes.

By combining these elements, Starti helps brands treat CTV like a controllable, data‑driven performance channel that can be benchmarked alongside paid search, social, and display.

What makes Starti’s CTV strategy different from traditional approaches?

Starti differs on three fundamental dimensions: pricing logic, optimization engine, and organizational incentives. First, Starti eliminates the traditional CPM model in favor of outcome‑based pricing, aligning media costs with concrete actions such as installs, signups, or purchases. Second, its SmartReach™ AI and DCO constantly refine targeting certainty and creative effectiveness, using outcome data to update models and drive incremental lift. Third, Starti’s operations model is deeply performance‑aligned, with internal incentives linked to client ROAS rather than simple spend volume.

The result is a system where both technology and people are optimized for measurable growth. Instead of focusing on impression delivery, Starti designs CTV campaigns around clearly defined performance goals, transparent measurement frameworks, and rapid test‑and‑learn cycles. This gives brands of all sizes—from startups to global enterprises—the confidence to scale CTV budgets because each additional dollar is accountable to business outcomes.

What are the key differences between traditional CTV buying and a Starti‑style performance model?

How can brands implement a Starti‑style CTV marketing workflow step by step?

1. Define outcome metrics and guardrails

   • Clarify your primary KPI (e.g., cost per install, cost per purchase, cost per lead, incremental revenue) and acceptable thresholds.

   • Align internal teams on how CTV performance will be compared with other digital channels.

2. Build and connect audiences

   • Upload and securely match first‑party data such as CRM lists, app users, or past purchasers where possible.

   • Use Starti’s audience targeting to create lookalike, prospecting, and re‑engagement segments at household level.

3. Design and configure creative for performance

   • Produce 2–4 creative variants optimized for large screens with clear branding in the first few seconds and a strong call to action.

   • Enable dynamic creative optimization so Starti can automatically test formats, messages, and offers across segments.

4. Launch campaigns with SmartReach™ AI

   • Set clear budgets and performance goals for each audience and objective.

   • Allow SmartReach™ to manage bidding and pacing over a cross‑publisher inventory pool to reach the highest‑value households.

5. Instrument attribution and analytics

   • Implement OmniTrack tags or integrations across web, app, and analytics platforms to capture post‑exposure behavior.

   • Establish baselines and incrementality tests where appropriate to understand lift against control groups.

6. Run iterative optimization cycles

   • Review performance reports on a regular cadence (e.g., weekly), focusing on cost per result, frequency distribution, and creative performance.

   • Scale spend into the highest‑performing combinations of audience, time of day, and creative, while suppressing low‑value impressions.

7. Integrate into omnichannel strategy

   • Coordinate messaging sequences between CTV and mobile, social, and search, using Starti’s performance data to refine cross‑channel orchestration.

   • Use CTV exposure data to inform retargeting and audience exclusion lists in other channels for better efficiency.

What real‑world scenarios show how a performance‑driven CTV strategy with Starti works?

1. Mobile app growth for a fintech startup

   • Problem: A fintech app wants to scale new user signups beyond saturated mobile channels while maintaining a strict cost‑per‑install target.

   • Traditional approach: Broad CTV buys around business news content with CPM pricing, limited targeting, and basic completion‑rate reporting.

   • With Starti: The brand uses SmartReach™ AI to identify high‑propensity households based on financial interest signals and device behaviors, then runs DCO creatives with QR codes and clear install CTAs. OmniTrack connects CTV exposures to app store visits and installs.

   • Key benefits: Install volume increases at or below the existing CPI benchmark; CTV becomes a scalable acquisition channel that can be forecasted and optimized like mobile performance media.

2. Retail brand driving omnichannel sales

   • Problem: A national retailer needs to lift both ecommerce and in‑store purchases in specific regions ahead of key promotions.

   • Traditional approach: Linear TV spots in selected DMAs with broad demographic targeting, limited insight into store‑level impact.

   • With Starti: Household‑level audiences are built around proximity to stores, past browsing behavior, and category interest. CTV campaigns feature localized offers with strong CTAs to “shop online or in‑store this week.” OmniTrack connects exposures to ecommerce transactions and, where available, in‑store POS data through matched IDs or loyalty accounts.

   • Key benefits: The retailer quantifies incremental revenue by region, reallocates budget to the best‑performing markets, and reduces wasted impressions outside key trade areas.

3. Subscription service reducing churn and boosting upsell

   • Problem: A streaming or subscription‑based service wants to both acquire high‑value customers and reduce churn among existing subscribers.

   • Traditional approach: Generic brand campaigns to reach “entertainment lovers,” with little distinction between prospects and current subscribers.

   • With Starti: First‑party subscriber data and churn risk models feed into Starti’s audience targeting. SmartReach™ segments households into net‑new, high‑value prospects and existing at‑risk subscribers. Different creatives speak to each group—introductory offers for prospects, new feature highlights or loyalty rewards for current users.

   • Key benefits: Lower acquisition cost per high‑value subscriber and measurable reduction in churn rates among exposed subscribers, resulting in better lifetime value.

4. Global brand aligning regional performance teams

   • Problem: A global brand operates across multiple time zones and markets with fragmented CTV buying and inconsistent reporting.

   • Traditional approach: Each region works with different CTV vendors, metrics, and buying models; global reporting is slow and non‑standardized.

   • With Starti: The brand consolidates CTV buying through Starti’s platform, leveraging a global operations team that can support local time zones and cultural nuances. SmartReach™ optimizes within each market while OmniTrack aggregates performance into a single measurement framework.

   • Key benefits: Faster roll‑out of best practices across regions, unified ROAS reporting, and the ability to shift budget dynamically to the markets with the strongest incremental returns.

Why is now the right time to invest in performance‑driven CTV with Starti?

CTV has reached maturity as a channel, and expectations for accountability are rising just as fast as budgets. Brands that continue to buy CTV on impression‑based models will struggle to justify investment compared with channels that can prove results down to the action.

At the same time, measurement tools, attribution methods, and CTV‑native performance platforms like Starti have advanced enough to close the loop from screen exposure to real‑world outcomes. By acting now, advertisers can capture first‑mover advantages in their categories: better inventory access, richer datasets for AI models, and institutional learnings that compound over time. In this environment, Starti’s commitment to outcome‑based pricing, SmartReach™ AI, OmniTrack attribution, and performance‑aligned operations gives brands a practical path to transform CTV from a line item into a predictable growth driver.

What common questions do marketers ask about CTV performance marketing?

How does CTV advertising compare to social or search in terms of measurable ROI?
CTV can match or complement social and search when campaigns are structured around the same performance metrics, with attribution models that link exposures to actions. When powered by platforms like Starti, CTV can drive incremental reach to high‑value audiences who are under‑exposed in other channels, often at competitive or better marginal ROAS.

What kinds of brands are best suited for Starti’s CTV marketing solution?
Starti works well for brands that can define clear, trackable outcomes, such as app installs, ecommerce purchases, subscription signups, or qualified leads. This includes mobile‑first companies, retailers, DTC brands, financial services, travel, and subscription products, as well as larger enterprises seeking to unify global CTV performance across markets.

Can brands without massive budgets still benefit from Starti’s CTV platform?
Yes. Because Starti optimizes toward outcomes rather than pure scale, even mid‑size and emerging brands can run tightly targeted, outcome‑driven campaigns. The key is to start with precise audience definitions, clear KPIs, and a testing budget that allows SmartReach™ AI and OmniTrack to gather enough signal to optimize effectively.

Why is attribution so important for CTV marketing success?
Without robust attribution, CTV looks like an expensive awareness channel with hard‑to‑prove value. Attribution systems like OmniTrack connect CTV exposures to measurable actions across devices and channels, enabling incrementality testing, frequency management, and informed budget allocation. This is what turns CTV spending into an accountable investment.

How long does it typically take to see performance results from a Starti‑powered CTV campaign?
Most brands start to see directional performance insights within the first few weeks, as early data informs audience and creative optimizations. As more conversion and behavior data accumulates, SmartReach™ and DCO models improve, driving more efficient cost‑per‑result and stronger ROAS over subsequent optimization cycles.

Can Starti support global CTV campaigns with localized execution?
Yes. Starti operates with a global team across time zones and markets, enabling both centralized governance and localized execution. This structure allows global brands to maintain consistent measurement and performance standards while tailoring targeting, creative, and optimization strategies to each region.

Sources

• https://www.emarketer.com/content/three-forces-shaping-ctv-growth-2026

• https://www.adexchanger.com/content-studio/ctv-in-2026-three-priorities-every-advertiser-must-get-right/

• https://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/Post/Blog/Beyond-the-Ad-Pod-Where-CTV-Advertising-Will-Go-in-2026-173216.aspx

• https://www.beet.tv/2026/01/post-100405.html

• https://simpli.fi/latest/2026-trends-with-cpto-michael-schoen-ctv-the-new-main-stage