Observed Signal · Feb 5, 2026 · Brand & Market Positioning · Source: Feedspot/RSS · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Rethinking CTV: Embrace Full-Funnel, Not Just Performance
An AdExchanger column by Erez Levin argues that the term “Performance CTV” is misleading because it oversimplifies how television delivers value. The piece contends that TV drives both short- and long-term outcomes, and that an exclusive focus on short-term performance (often measured over a single short window) risks sacrificing longer-term brand impact. Levin recommends adopting “Full Funnel CTV,” measuring impact over longer periods and valuing both immediate and delayed effects. He cites a range of brands (Airbnb, Adidas, P&G, Uber, Chase, LEGO, Nike) that experienced a “performance penalty” from over‑prioritizing short‑term tactics and later shifted back to brand-focused strategies. The column notes exceptions where Performance CTV can make sense (SMBs or temporary short‑term sales drives) but warns that Performance CTV generally faces scale, incrementality, and CPA-efficiency challenges versus search and social.
Relevant industry commentary on CTV measurement and buying strategy that informs media planning and inventory valuation but is an opinion piece rather than a platform policy or technical release.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- The article argues the label “Performance CTV” oversimplifies how television drives value and can lead to misinterpreted campaign results.
- The author states TV has both short-term and long-term impact and recommends measuring impact over longer windows rather than single short timeframes.
- The column promotes “Full Funnel CTV” as a preferable approach that accounts for both short- and long-term advertising effects.
- The article cites brands (Airbnb, Adidas, P&G, Uber, Chase, LEGO and Nike) as examples that experienced a “performance penalty” from over-reliance on short-term performance tactics.
- The piece warns Performance CTV typically has lower CPA efficiency and harder-to-prove incrementality compared with search and social, and may struggle to scale against Full Funnel CTV demand for limited CTV inventory.
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Performance CTV: Overhyped Attribution Hurts TV Credibility
The article is an opinion piece by David Nyurenberg criticizing performance CTV companies for overpromising that CTV can behave like search and social, with simplistic pixel-based attribution and CPA metrics. Nyurenberg argues that television is fundamentally different, with users watching from a couch, and that outcomes often occur days later and across devices. He highlights technical challenges like IP targeting inaccuracies, Apple's privacy changes affecting identity infrastructure, and discrepancies in conversion tracking. He urges the industry to focus on better measurement, including incrementality tests, MMM, and server-to-server conversion feeds, rather than presenting misleading dashboards. The piece warns that false promises could damage advertiser trust in CTV as a medium.
Rethink Shoppable TV: Focus on Targeted Ads Instead
The article argues that shoppable TV — interactive overlays, QR codes, and remote-control checkout on connected TV (CTV) — has low consumer adoption and disrupts the viewing experience. Citing industry data that only 10% of U.S. adults have purchased via shoppable CTV formats, the piece says the format is being pushed to fit click‑based attribution frameworks rather than responding to viewer behavior. Television is described as a primarily passive medium that drives awareness and brand lift over time, not immediate on-screen purchases. The recommended alternative is to treat CTV as a performance channel by investing in hyper-targeted audiences, experimenting with skippable ads to surface relevance signals, adopting viewer-first media buying, building first‑party data strategies and measuring impact via incrementality studies rather than click-through metrics.
Agencies urged to plan CTV as performance channel
The article argues that while CTV has evolved into a performance channel with advanced targeting, optimization, and measurement capabilities, many agencies still plan it like traditional TV, focusing on reach, frequency, and video completion rate. It highlights research showing over 70% of marketers would increase CTV investment if they had stronger proof of business outcomes. The piece presents case studies: one streaming subscription advertiser identified 3,224 incremental subscriptions with 99.98% confidence and 365% ROAS; a footwear retailer achieved a 3.96x blended ROAS by including in-store sales; and another advertiser reduced customer acquisition cost from above $350 to under $150 through optimization. The article urges agencies to start with business questions, plan around customer geography (ZIP codes, store footprint), and optimize continuously like performance media.
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