Connected TV (CTV) is no longer the future of advertising—it’s here, and it’s thriving. With streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ dominating viewership, brands are racing to capture attention on the big screen. But while most marketers focus on using CTV for broad awareness campaigns, there’s a hidden opportunity that’s often overlooked: CTV retargeting.
Retargeting is a tried-and-true digital marketing tactic, but applying it to CTV isn’t as simple as copying what works on desktop or mobile. CTV retargeting comes with its own set of challenges—and opportunities. In this post, we’ll break down what makes CTV retargeting unique, explore the technical hurdles, and share actionable strategies to make it work for your brand.
Why CTV Retargeting is a Game-Changer (and Why It’s Tricky)
Retargeting on CTV isn’t just a scaled-up version of mobile or desktop retargeting. It’s a whole new ballgame. Here’s why:
1. No Cookies, No Problem? Not Quite: Unlike mobile or desktop, CTV devices like Roku and Apple TV don’t support cookies or persistent device IDs. This makes it harder to track user behavior across sessions and devices.
2. Household vs. Individual: CTV ads are typically delivered to households, not individuals. If you’re retargeting a household, you’re speaking to multiple people with different preferences and behaviors.
3. Lean-Back Experience: CTV is a passive medium. Users can’t click on an ad or convert immediately, so success is often measured through indirect metrics like brand lift or downstream actions.
4. A Fragmented Ecosystem: The CTV landscape is a patchwork of platforms, operating systems, and content providers. This fragmentation makes it tough to create a unified retargeting strategy.
These challenges might sound intimidating, but they also open the door to innovative strategies for brands willing to think outside the box.
The Secret Sauce: Cross-Device Identity Resolution
To make CTV retargeting work, you need to master cross-device identity resolution. This is the process of connecting user identities across multiple devices and touchpoints to create a complete picture of the customer journey. Here’s how it works:
1. Deterministic Matching
Deterministic matching uses logged-in data from platforms like Roku or Hulu to link CTV viewers to their profiles on other devices. For example, if a user logs into a streaming app on their smart TV and the same app on their phone, their identity can be matched across devices.
2. Probabilistic Matching
When deterministic data isn’t available, probabilistic models step in. These models infer connections between devices based on IP addresses, device types, and behavioral patterns. While less precise, they still provide valuable insights for retargeting.
3. Identity Graphs
Identity graphs are databases that aggregate user data from multiple sources to create a unified view of the customer. They’re especially useful for CTV retargeting because they can bridge the gap between household-level CTV data and individual-level mobile/desktop data.
By leveraging these techniques, you can create a seamless retargeting experience that follows users across devices and platforms.
Measuring Success: The Incrementality Challenge
One of the biggest hurdles in CTV retargeting is proving its incrementality—whether your efforts actually drive additional conversions or simply re-engage users who would have converted anyway. Here’s how to tackle this challenge:
1. Control Groups
Split your audience into a test group (exposed to CTV retargeting) and a control group (not exposed). This allows you to measure the incremental lift generated by your campaign.
2. Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA)
MTA models help you understand how CTV retargeting contributes to the overall customer journey. For example, if a user sees a CTV ad after visiting your website, MTA can quantify the impact of that CTV exposure on their eventual conversion.
3. Brand Lift Studies
Since CTV retargeting often influences brand perception rather than direct response, brand lift studies can provide valuable insights. These studies measure changes in brand awareness, consideration, and intent after exposure to CTV ads.
A Winning Combo: CTV Retargeting + Addressable TV
Here’s a strategy that’s rarely discussed but incredibly powerful: combining CTV retargeting with addressable TV advertising. Addressable TV allows you to target specific households with personalized ads on traditional linear TV. By integrating CTV retargeting with addressable TV, you can create a seamless omnichannel experience that reaches users across both streaming and traditional TV platforms.
For example:
– A user watches a CTV ad for your product but doesn’t convert.
– Later, they see a retargeting ad on addressable TV, reinforcing the message.
– Finally, they receive a mobile retargeting ad with a direct call-to-action, driving them to convert.
This approach leverages the strengths of both CTV and addressable TV, creating a cohesive retargeting strategy that maximizes reach and impact.
The Future of CTV Retargeting: AI and Predictive Modeling
As CTV retargeting evolves, AI and predictive modeling will play a crucial role in optimizing campaigns. By analyzing vast amounts of cross-device data, AI can:
– Predict which users are most likely to convert.
– Determine the optimal frequency and timing for retargeting ads.
– Navigate the complexities of household-level targeting by identifying patterns in user behavior and preferences.
These advancements will make CTV retargeting more precise, efficient, and effective.
Key Takeaways
- CTV retargeting is a powerful but underutilized strategy that requires sophisticated cross-device identity resolution.
- Incrementality measurement is critical to proving the value of CTV retargeting, especially in a household-level targeting environment.
- Combining CTV retargeting with addressable TV and other channels can create a seamless omnichannel experience.
- AI and predictive modeling will be key to unlocking the full potential of CTV retargeting in the future.
By addressing these challenges and exploring innovative strategies, you can unlock the untapped potential of CTV retargeting and drive meaningful results in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re ready to explore CTV retargeting for your brand, start by auditing your current cross-device identity resolution capabilities. Then, experiment with control groups and incrementality measurement to prove the value of your efforts. And don’t forget to keep an eye on emerging technologies like AI—they’re the future of CTV advertising.
