CTV Isn’t Just Another Screen—Why Brands Need a New Strategy for Shoppable Ads
While shoppable ads are gaining traction and were a clear focal point during this year’s NewFronts/Upfronts, shopping on CTV isn’t the same as shopping on mobile or desktop—and treating it that way leaves performance on the table. Unlike the one-click experiences on personal devices, CTV requires an experience built for lean-back viewing, entertainment-focused mindset and remote-based navigation.
BrightLine’s latest insights show that consumers are engaging with shoppable CTV ads differently and more intentionally—favoring rich, interactive formats like carousels and branded destinations. In fact, through research with MediaScience, Brightline found interactive ad drives 36% higher unaided brand awareness compared to one exposure to a standard video.
However, to drive results, brands must understand the unique nature of the TV purchase journey. In that same research, BrightLine found 95% of consumers said they preferred an “add to cart” option over “buy now” when shopping on TV. Additionally, nearly 30% of viewers prefer to research before purchase, and desire for further consideration and time to think.
In this Q&A with Joshua Blum, Director of Research & Analytics at BrightLine, he delves into further detail about BrightLine’s recent findings.
A key element of BrightLine’s latest findings is that consumers engage with shoppable CTV differently than when shopping on mobile or desktop, with a significant preference for interactive experiences. What are some primary reasons TV viewers prefer more interactivity when shopping via CTV?
TV viewing is unique from other platforms in that it's built around long-form video content intended for passive viewing. Streaming and video-on-demand content have given viewers control over the content they watch and how they watch it, but ad experiences on CTV are still largely thirty-second video spots. As an alternative to standard video spots, interactive ads such as shoppable CTV change the dynamic and give viewers the same experience of control as they do with streaming content, allowing viewers to participate in the ad experience rather than remain a passive consumer.
How do interactive ads help drive brand awareness in ways specific to TV viewing, compared to the typical one-click experiences on personal devices?
Unlike typical ads on mobile or desktop, interactive ads on CTV offer the opportunity to interact and participate in the ad experience within the ad environment itself and without pulling viewers away from the content.
BrightLine's research with MediaScience confirms that interactive ads on CTV significantly outperform standard video ads in driving memory metrics, which lead to long-term brand equity. Interactive ads on CTV do this because the ads break-through from conventional video ads making the ads more meaningful and memorable to the viewer.
What are some types of interactive CTV experiences that have been found to work best for increased ad conversions?
An ad conversion on CTV happens when a viewer picks up their remote and engages with the experience. The ad formats that drive the highest engagement rates are our gamified ads, where viewers can play a round of trivia or a custom game related to the advertiser. Our choice-based units, where the viewer chooses from multiple ad experiences, also see high selection rates.
Since most viewers have their phones on hand while watching, how can remote-based navigation be integrated with mobile shopping for a more seamless buying experience across devices?
Even though most viewers have a phone nearby while watching TV, they're far more likely to use their remote to interact with a CTV ad because it feels seamless and native to the viewing experience. In fact, our latest data shows that viewers are 188x more likely to use their remote than to scan a QR code with their phone. And, these remote-based interactions aren't just more frequent, they also drive stronger brand equity, which often leads to downstream purchases through organic or offline means.
While the idea of creating an integrated funnel from CTV to mobile is compelling, most advertisers on CTV aren’t seeking an immediate mobile conversion. Categories like insurance, travel, and automotive have longer purchase cycles, while others including QSR and CPG, still see most purchases happening in physical retail locations. In these cases, remote-driven CTV engagement remains the most impactful entry point.
BrightLine found that 95% of consumers preferred an “add to cart” option over “buy now” when shopping on TV, and nearly 30% prefer to research before purchasing. What are some main reasons for this, and how can advertisers create TV shopping experiences that best facilitate these preferences?
The TV ad format is primarily a 30-second window of opportunity for an advertiser to make an impression, and we can't expect viewers to make a purchase within those thirty seconds. However, interactive ads give advertisers the ability to optimize the ad experience and prime viewers to make a purchase beyond the impression. Consumers are aware that a purchase journey isn't an instantaneous conversion, and advertisers should be mindful of that, too.
Have there been any findings about how different demographics (such as age, ethnicity, and gender) shop via CTV, and if so, how can platforms adjust their shoppable TV experiences to these different behaviors?
While BrightLine's research to-date has generally been among overall streaming audiences, we have anecdotally seen that receptivity for interactive ads tends to mirror streaming consumption behavior. Like streaming usage patterns, younger viewers are more inclined to engage and respond to the ad, while older viewers are adapting to the functionality.
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