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In this interview:
- The evolution of TV buying
- CTV picks up where search and social left off
- The growth marketer's playbook
CTV is often viewed as just another advertising channel, but that undersells its impact.
In a recent appearance on Nik Sharma’s Limited Supply podcast, Roku’s Jeff Katz discusses how streaming adoption has transformed TV from a fixed, upfront-driven channel into one that is flexible, measurable, and accountable. What was once limited to large budgets and long planning cycles is now more accessible thanks to self-serve tools like Roku Ads Manager, improved measurement, and data integrations.
Below, we share some excerpts from the interview, edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the whole podcast here.
The evolution of TV buying
Jeff Katz: I've sold pretty much everything in our industry, with the exception of print. I now lead sales for Roku Ads Manager, which is our self-serve platform for the largest streaming company in North America.
[Selling TV] was an interesting experience because television's gotten so much more measurable in the last 10 years. The accountability of your dollars, and even things like the Super Bowl, is really felt now.
We used to say that, "Roku is the beauty of television and the brains of digital.” I still think that's the case today. Just the ability to tell your story on the television screen, but then also have the measurability,” marketers are used to from other digital channels.
Katz: One of the most exciting developments in CTV is there are no minimum commitments. We’re leaning into AI tools to democratize the creative process by modifying search and social creative for CTV. So much of the barrier to entry has been [for growth brands who] don’t have a 30 second spot to put on the television screen. We're going to see more and more ads on our TV screens that look similar to what they look like in our TikTok feed.
Nik Sharma: When I talk to brands today, most of them are basically leveraging their e-commerce photo shoot or video shoot as their content to then go and craft a TV commercial. They'll grab a bunch of primary video and a bunch of B-roll. Maybe they merge some stills in. Now you can sort of animate stills as well. And then they'll add text overlays with some music. You ‘ve basically got a full commercial there with a voiceover.
Sharma: How do you pitch TV to brands that are basically scaling on social and search?
Katz: We all know at this point that you’ve got to have an omnichannel strategy once you hit a certain threshold of investment. You're probably going to hit scale on those search and social platforms. The benefit of TV is that you're not getting lost in the algorithm of a YouTube or a Meta. No shade towards them, but I think there’s an opportunity to really stand out in front of your audience.
Sharma: If you're going to leverage [TV] as you're scaling, then it's the best way to pave the road before you drive on it. So you have a smooth drive with your lower funnel channels. TV also can be used as a lower funnel channel; players like you can [help brands] be more aggressive versus just a sprinkling up front.
The growth marketer's playbook
Sharma: Sometimes I’ll track a growth marketing person as they move [from one brand to another]. The VP of ads doesn’t exist anymore. I find growth marketers to be one of the hardest roles to find consistent talent.
Katz: Yes. Once you have a playbook, you can take that to any brand. If I'm the GM of growth for a life insurance company and I understand return on ad spend and lifetime value, I could take that playbook and bring it to any other brand because I know the goals. I know the creative options. I know how to optimize. And I think that’s super interesting and a huge deviation in terms of where our industry is going.
With Roku Ads Manager, you get real time reporting through our conversions API. This provides the ability for brands to understand, did you drive any sort of outcome for me? Or do I have to wait three months for you or someone else to tell me if something actually happened?
