How to Reach the Right Audiences with Connected TV Advertising

Connected TV Audience Targeting: How CTV Helps Brands Reach the Right Viewers

As Connected TV (CTV) usage continues to grow, brands are exploring new ways to leverage the medium to reach the right audiences more efficiently and with higher ROI.

Making marketing decisions—especially in an uncertain economy—means every dollar needs accountability. With budgets tightening, brands need to know where to increase spend and where to pull back. CTV is becoming a clear answer to that question.

Why Brands Are Prioritizing CTV in Their Media Mix

As traditional broadcast and linear TV usage declines, CTV adoption continues to rise. This shift creates an opportunity for marketers to reach fragmented audiences in more targeted, measurable environments.

• CTV content reached 142M+ U.S. adults weekly (Nielsen, 2021)

• Over 1.1B CTV devices are in use worldwide

• 79% of U.S. households watch streaming (paid or ad-supported)

• Smart TV demand is growing at a 20.8% CAGR through 2028

With ad-supported streaming inventory expanding, brands that previously couldn’t compete on traditional TV can now enter the market—and compete effectively.

Why CTV Gets Budget Attention

CTV carries the benefits of TV advertising:

• High-trust environment

• Large screen, sound-on format

• Higher message retention

…but with digital precision:

• Audience-based targeting, not broad programming buys

• Behavioral, demographic, and geographic segmentation

• Real attribution and performance visibility

This combination makes CTV one of the most budget-efficient brand and performance channels today.

How to Get Started With CTV Advertising

CTV historically felt “off-limits” due to cost and access. Now, it’s available to:

• Smaller brands

• Niche industries

• Performance and attribution-focused advertisers

First-movers stand to benefit the most.
Brands that test and scale early build a mental moat around their category through consistent presence.

“This is a unique and short-lived moment where first movers really can build a mental moat around their brand in consumers’ minds,”
— Aaron Grote, Senior Director, Identity & Attribution, Stirista

What Makes CTV Efficient for Targeting

CTV enables targeting based on:

• Behavior

• Demographics

• Intent signals

• Geography

• Device usage

…and it allows advertisers to:

• Tie campaigns to business goals → not vanity metrics

• Measure performance through attribution

• Coordinate sequencing with email, display, and social

(This is where many brands finally see ROI clarity beyond traditional TV spend.)

Even B2B Brands Are Moving Into CTV

Stirista research shows:

• 52% of B2B marketers plan to add CTV in the next 12–24 months

• 46% cite lack of knowledge as their adoption barrier

Knowing where CTV fits in the B2B funnel can be the advantage.

Multiple Devices = More Addressable Data

A single viewer can connect through multiple devices, creating more opportunities for:

• Smarter profiling

• Identity matching

• Personalized messaging

This results in:

• Higher relevance

• Better engagement

• Stronger recall

“Look for a partner that provides radical transparency and highly detailed delivery reporting.”
— Aaron Grote

CTV Helps Brands Reach Key Audiences More Effectively

CTV is no longer a trend—it’s a strategic advantage.
Brands adopt CTV not just because it’s popular, but because:

• It reaches fragmented audiences

• It brings TV creative to performance marketing

• It drives measurable, attributable business outcomes

CTV makes TV performance-driven.

Explore our resource: “The New Age of CTV: Why Cable is Cuttting the Cord on Marketers“