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Industry expert warns advertisers against treating CTV like display campaigns

Programmatic director identifies four critical mistakes marketers make when activating connected TV campaigns, from open-market targeting to web-based measurement approaches.

Luis Rijo

• 10 min read
Connected TV screen displaying streaming content in modern living room environment
Connected TV screen displaying streaming content in modern living room environment

Digital advertising professionals transitioning from performance marketing backgrounds frequently mishandle connected television campaigns by applying display and video web strategies to fundamentally different streaming environments. Vlad Chubakov, Associate Director of Programmatic at Delve Deeper, outlined four common mistakes in a detailed LinkedIn post shared on November 4, 2025, drawing responses from industry professionals who confirmed widespread challenges in CTV campaign execution.

The first critical error involves running open-market campaigns without inventory curation. According to Chubakov's analysis, advertisers targeting the open market typically serve advertisements on FAST channels with massive supply volumes. The supply share difference between FAST channels and premium streaming inventory proves dramatic enough to require strategic intervention. "If you target the open market, you'll likely end up serving ads on FAST channels with massive supply (their share vs. premium channels will be dramatic)," Chubakov stated in the post.

FAST channels have experienced substantial growth, with 42% expansion documented in recent industry analysis. The three leading FAST platforms—Pluto TV, Tubi and The Roku Channel—accounted for 5.7% of total TV usage in May 2025, representing a 36% increase from the previous year. Tubi usage alone reached approximately 14% among adults 18 and older by the second half of 2024, up from roughly 10% in the first half of 2023.

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Chubakov recommends advertisers whitelist desired inventory at minimum, or preferably execute Private Marketplace deals or Programmatic Guaranteed arrangements directly with inventory providers. This approach addresses contextual targeting gaps identified in recent research, where survey data from 600 media executives revealed that while professionals prioritize brand awareness as their top CTV objective, most continue relying on narrow audience-based targeting methods better suited for performance marketing.

The second mistake involves measuring inappropriate key performance indicators. Cost per Completed View and Completion Rate metrics provide minimal actionable intelligence, according to Chubakov's assessment. CPCV functions merely as a proxy for CPM, while completion rates almost always reach 99.99% across streaming environments. "Some marketers use it to show they're 'meeting KPIs,' but it's meaningless for optimizing performance or quality," Chubakov explained in the post.

Chubakov advocates selecting KPIs based on specific campaign goals rather than proxy metrics. His typical focus centers on conversion lift or cross-channel conversion lift analyses. Depending on campaign objectives, appropriate measurements might include brand lift, search lift, or geo lift studies. This measurement philosophy aligns with recent industry guidance from the Interactive Advertising Bureau, which released a comprehensive guide on October 30, 2025, urging industrywide implementation of server-to-server data frameworks to transform CTV into an outcome-driven advertising channel.

Survey data from that IAB research reveals 75% of publishers identify purchases as the most commonly implemented signal through Conversion APIs, while 64% track views and 61% monitor add-to-cart actions. Two-thirds of advertisers report improved return on ad spend after implementing Conversion APIs, according to the findings.

Creative adaptation represents the third major error category. Reusing creative assets from online video campaigns produces suboptimal results in CTV environments. Connected television proves highly sensitive to creative quality, requiring authentic television-style formats with strong storytelling, high-quality audio, cinematic framing, and larger text elements. Before launching CTV campaigns, Chubakov recommends investing in creative development that incorporates great sound, clear brand mentions, readable text, and cohesive narratives.

Industry research published in July 2025 confirms widespread creative adaptation challenges. Smartly and EMARKETER surveyed 220 marketers between March and April 2025, revealing that 72% reuse or slightly modify assets across social media and connected TV platforms, while just 25% tailor creative for both channels. The findings highlight significant challenges in cross-channel storytelling as video consumption patterns reshape the advertising landscape.

Jasmine Enberg, vice president and principal analyst at EMARKETER, emphasized the strategic disconnect. "The lines between social media and CTV are blurring, with more people watching social videos and creator content on TV sets," Enberg stated in the research announcement. "Marketers must break down the silos between media and creative and think more holistically about their video strategies."

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Performance data supports the importance of creative optimization. Research from Kargo announced on August 19, 2025, demonstrated that CTV campaigns measured 78% more effective at keeping viewers engaged compared to industry benchmarks. The study from television measurement company TVision examined Kargo's campaign performance across multiple duration formats. Fifteen-second advertisements delivered 50% higher eye-on-screen effectiveness than standard CTV benchmarks, while 30-second formats achieved 74% superior performance compared to industry standards.

The fourth mistake involves applying web-based measurement frameworks to television advertising. Click-based metrics including bounce rate, click-through rate, and cost per click do not apply to CTV environments where viewers watch advertisements on television devices rather than clicking through to websites. Chubakov advises using TV-specific metrics and measurement frameworks appropriate for the medium.

Joseph Taylor, Co-Founder at Vidium, agreed with this assessment in the comment thread. "Too many treat CTV like just another digital placement instead of its own ecosystem," Taylor responded. "Getting the basics right (inventory quality, frequency, measurement) changes everything."

The measurement challenge extends beyond basic metric selection. Recent partnerships demonstrate industry focus on comprehensive attribution, as Criteo and WPP Media announced commerce-driven CTV activation on July 29, 2025. The partnership combines Criteo's real-time commerce signals from $1 trillion in annual ecommerce sales with WPP Media's Open Intelligence platform, delivered through curated Deal IDs that enable performance measurement beyond traditional brand metrics.

Chubakov's main recommendation emphasizes that CTV requires fundamentally different approaches than standard digital channels. The medium demands specific skill sets and solid ecosystem understanding. Advertisers should focus on Private Marketplaces or Programmatic Guaranteed deals where contextual targeting customization remains possible. Measurement should focus on CTV's revenue impact through conversion or geo-lift studies, supplemented by always-on brand lift studies. Creative investment proves essential, as does education on CTV metrics that differ completely from standard web-based advertising.

Christoph Bakke, who helps marketers make smarter media decisions, confirmed budget management challenges in the comment thread. "CTV will eat through a budget fast if you don't control supply and pacing," Bakke warned, comparing unmanaged CTV campaigns to Thanksgiving turkeys gobbling up advertising spend.

The recommendations gain urgency as Connected TV's share of media budgets doubles from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025, with 72% of marketers planning to increase programmatic advertising investment. This growth creates opportunities but also amplifies the consequences of strategic mistakes for advertisers unprepared for CTV's unique requirements.

Sofie Sue Rutgeerts, Senior Manager at egta and founder of Zophir & Zeal, emphasized the importance of educational content. "CTV attracts professionals with a non-tv background so any form of delivering insights on this ecosystem is precious," Rutgeerts commented on Chubakov's post.

Industry platforms have introduced solutions addressing the measurement and targeting challenges Chubakov identifies. Teads launched deterministic CTV measurement on October 23, 2025, enabling advertisers to move beyond standard metrics like impressions and completion rates. The solution tracks exposure to action, bringing accountability to connected TV campaigns for the first time outside the United States.

Taboola and Paramount announced a partnership on October 22, 2025, introducing Performance Multiplier designed to help small and medium-sized businesses measure and extend connected TV advertising campaign reach across the open web. The integration marks the first time a major streaming provider has adopted Taboola's Realize AI technology.

Viant integrated with Wurl on August 19, 2025, becoming the first demand-side platform delivering scene-level contextual intelligence across Connected Television through BrandDiscovery technology and IRIS_ID classification. The integration spans Wurl's premium Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV inventory across 55+ streamers worldwide, with 95 billion monthly available CTV impressions.

The broader infrastructure supporting CTV advertising continues developing rapidly. LG Ad Solutions announced the Agentiv artificial intelligence platform on October 30, 2025, supporting more than 20 intelligent agents that enhance operational workflows and data-driven processes. The platform features natural language query functionality, persona-based permissions, clean room integration, and optimization support for CTV advertising.

Will Proops, Programmatic Partnerships & Supply Lead at Sportradar, acknowledged persistent educational challenges despite available resources. "100% agree on all points, it still feels like pushing water uphill explaining this to teams so they get it," Proops commented on the post 23 hours after publication.

The conversation thread included specific questions about KPI implementation. Karan Mahajan, Associate Manager of Media Performance at Publicis, asked for clarification on CTV KPIs, noting that clients frequently choose completion rate as the primary metric regardless of the demand-side platform running campaigns.

Chubakov provided detailed guidance in his response. For brand awareness campaigns, he recommended focusing on premium publishers and measuring brand lift or search lift. He noted that reach, frequency, and completion metrics can be used but require careful interpretation because these metrics incentivize buyers to purchase the lowest CPM possible, which typically skews purchases toward low-quality inventory. The recommendation included considering reach and frequency as directional signals combined with brand lift studies and frequency cap implementation.

The technical infrastructure challenges facing CTV advertising extend beyond individual advertiser execution. Industry experts identified six critical technical barriers during an IAB Tech Lab workshop on August 5, 2025, preventing connected TV advertising from reaching full programmatic potential. Operations professionals from major streaming platforms including Paramount, NBC, DirectTV, Samsung, Fox, Disney, and Yahoo examined limitations in CTV advertising infrastructure.

PubMatic and MNTN expanded premium CTV access in October 2025, delivering 10% publisher revenue lift and 14% more unique demand. The partnership addresses critical growth challenges for publishers by expanding revenue beyond traditional advertiser segments while maintaining brand safety and inventory quality. These advertisers compete for premium placements because their performance requirements demand quality environments where audiences remain engaged.

The market opportunity remains substantial despite execution challenges. Small and mid-size businesses allocate 67% of their advertising budgets to digital channels according to Data Catalyst research, yet many lack access to television advertising with performance metrics comparable to digital channels. Recent platform launches specifically target this market segment, as Wunderkind announced programmatic Connected TV pause ads on July 16, 2025, developed through partnerships with OpenGlass.TV and PubMatic.

The programmatic approach differentiates from typical Connected TV pause advertising executions. While pause advertisements have become standard across streaming platforms, traditional implementations rely on direct insertion orders. Wunderkind utilizes Private Marketplaces to ensure access to premium publisher CTV inventory, enabling addressable targeting based on brand first-party data, custom audiences, and additional targeting parameters.

Connected TV viewership has reached historic levels that underscore the channel's importance. Nielsen's July 2025 report indicates streaming officially eclipsed the combined share of broadcast and cable TV for the first time. Streaming represented 44.8% of TV viewership in May 2025, while broadcast (20.1%) and cable (24.1%) combined represented 44.2% of total television viewing.

The education gap Chubakov addresses reflects broader industry challenges as traditional marketers and digital-native advertisers converge on streaming platforms. More than 80% of digital video buyers require strategic support when executing programmatic connected television campaigns, underscoring the ongoing need for technical expertise in campaign management and optimization despite increasing automation.

Chubakov's November 4, 2025 post garnered 80 reactions and 14 comments within 24 hours, generating 6 reposts across LinkedIn's professional network. The engagement levels reflect substantial interest in CTV execution guidance as marketers navigate rapid channel growth and technical complexity.

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Summary

Who: Vlad Chubakov, Associate Director of Programmatic at Delve Deeper, shared detailed analysis of CTV advertising mistakes on LinkedIn, generating responses from industry professionals including Dr. Augustine Fou, Christoph Bakke, Joseph Taylor, Sofie Sue Rutgeerts, Karan Mahajan, Hobie Puzak, and Will Proops.

What: The analysis identified four critical mistakes advertisers make when activating connected TV campaigns: running open-market campaigns without inventory curation, measuring wrong KPIs like completion rate and CPCV, reusing creative from online video campaigns without proper television-style adaptation, and applying web-based measurement frameworks inappropriate for television environments.

When: The LinkedIn post appeared on November 4, 2025, as Connected TV's share of media budgets doubles from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025, with 72% of marketers planning to increase programmatic advertising investment despite widespread execution challenges.

Where: The guidance applies across the connected television advertising ecosystem, including Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television channels, premium streaming inventory, Private Marketplace deals, and Programmatic Guaranteed arrangements across major streaming platforms and demand-side platforms.

Why: The recommendations matter because CTV represents fundamentally different advertising environments than display or video web campaigns, requiring specific skill sets for inventory quality management, appropriate KPI selection focused on conversion or brand lift rather than completion rates, television-specific creative investment with strong storytelling and cinematic production values, and measurement frameworks using TV-specific metrics rather than web-based approaches including clicks or bounce rates.