Marketers can test Connected TV (CTV) with a minimal budget by using the YouTube ads platform. The strategy involves uploading an existing audience list (e.g., email subscribers), setting the campaign to target *only* TV devices, and then running existing video creative to gauge performance in a television environment.

Don't dismiss a channel like TV as unsuitable for direct response. By acknowledging the common user behavior of dual-screening (watching TV while using a phone), you can create innovative hand-offs like "send to phone" or QR codes. This turns a passive viewing experience into an interactive conversion funnel.

While often seen as an upper-funnel tool, CTV is a powerful engine for new customer acquisition. It reaches untapped audiences that are saturated on social platforms. For example, hair care brand Lola V saw a 53% increase in new customers year-over-year from their Roku campaign.

Manscaped's success stems from treating TV not as a sporadic, campaign-based brand play, but as an always-on performance channel. This requires the same analytical rigor, continuous testing, and focus on business outcomes as paid search or social, unlocking its full potential as a demand generator.

Historically, TV advertising required massive budgets and long commitments. Self-serve connected TV (CTV) platforms now offer low minimums, allowing DTC brands to test and iterate creative with the same agility and small budgets used for search and social channels.

When costs on paid social and search platforms rise, instead of bidding higher for the same saturated audience, use TV to generate new demand. This top-of-funnel lift improves the efficiency of lower-funnel channels by increasing branded search, direct traffic, and conversion rates.

Tatari provides Manscaped with a "halo impact analysis" that quantifies how TV advertising lifts performance in other channels like paid search and social. This proves TV's role as a full-funnel driver and moves the conversation beyond direct, last-touch attribution to its total business impact.

During tentpole holidays, Resident activates CTV to retarget users who recently visited but didn't buy. They view this not as a performance channel with measurable ROI, but as "marketing hygiene"—a necessary, common-sense tactic to capture high-intent buyers on a big screen, even if direct attribution is impossible.

The next major shift in ad tech is performance-based CTV. This merges the attention of linear TV with the accountability of digital media, allowing advertisers to tie ad spend directly to outcomes like sales—a revolutionary change from traditional television's limitations.