The streaming revolution has fundamentally changed not just how we measure TV advertising, but what makes it effective. While GRPs track eyeballs, they can't measure engagement or resonance—qualities that increasingly determine campaign success across fragmented viewing environments.
In Beet.TV's leadership series "Measurement for a Streaming-First World," presented by EDO, executives from major brands and agencies like Hershey's, Unilever, Havas Media, and Digitas reveal a strategic pivot: contextual relevance and creative innovation have become as important as audience targeting. Viewer receptivity to messages varies dramatically based on content environment, ad format, and cultural nuance.
To craft messages that resonate with increasingly sophisticated audiences, media investment leaders are adopting a new TV creative playbook, from interactive CTV ads and community-based targeting to AI-powered creative optimization.
Content and context matter more than ever
TV ad effectiveness isn’t just about reaching audiences but finding them in the optimal environments that enhance the brand message.
Vinny Rinaldi, VP of Media and Marketing Technology at The Hershey Company, emphasizes this shift. “At the end of the day, the content is the most important part, because it’s the consumer experience on the other side,” he says. “As we think about our business and brand portfolio, focusing on the right contextual environments and major publisher content in the marketplace is the most important thing coming for us in the next few years.”
Rinaldi notes the evolution of content integrations, with brands increasingly working with creators and shows to find ways to stand out in a crowded media landscape.
Industry leaders are also tapping into cultural trends in programmatic CTV. Parvati Vaish, SVP of Consulting at Havas Media Network, emphasizes the opportunity around community-based marketing.
"You can't just take a 'geo' or a DMA and assume everyone within that area behaves the same way. There are microcultures within these regions," she explains. Smart bidding and hyper-targeted segments enable advertisers to deliver messages tailored for each community.
The value of second screens is also becoming a critical area of focus. "What's particularly interesting is understanding how second-screen behaviors complement large-format video like CTV," says Vaish. "We need to think beyond reach and frequency to assess the incremental impact each additional screen has on conversions."
CTV technology supports creative precision
Beyond better measurement, technological advancements create opportunities for more targeted and sophisticated TV ad creative strategies.
Aaron Sobol, Head of North America Media Investment and Data Governance at Unilever, celebrates how connected TV unlocks new ad experiences. “From the instant viewers turn on their home screen, CTV is already a more personalized experience,” he says. "From an advertiser perspective, you can use data to reach your target audience in new ways through different types of formats, like pause ads or interactive ads, where viewers might engage with trivia or be invited to visit a product webpage."
Hershey’s Rinaldi notes the acceleration of creative optimization capabilities, which will help companies "understand the creative lens, get creative faster, and iterate to consumers in real time,” rather than the traditional year-long development cycles for campaigns.
Another trend around creative execution is AI. Jen Faraci, Chief Data Officer at Digitas North America, says that while "AI is still in beta,” her team is continuously investing in related software and staff training, knowing that AI “will continue to improve, permeate existing platforms, and enable new ways to be more efficient.”
Finding creative excellence in the new streaming age
While measurement provides the data foundation, it's compelling creative in the right context that ultimately drives audience engagement. The executives featured in this series demonstrate that brands winning in the streaming era understand the synergy between content environment, ad format innovation, and cultural relevance.
As Hershey's Rinaldi puts it, "the content is the most important part” – a guiding principle for leaders navigating the rapidly expanding possibilities of CTV.
WATCH NOW: Ready to revamp your TV creative strategy? Explore all nine executive interviews from Beet.TV's "Measurement for a Streaming-First World" leadership series.