From 'Easy As Pie' To 'Anything But Easy' - Two Of The Biggest Contributors Behind The Growing Complexity Of CTV Campaigns.
- Origin
- Oct 6
- 4 min read
Connected TV (CTV) advertising has undergone a significant transformation since its inception. In the early days, securing a consumer's attention was relatively straightforward, and brand awareness was the primary objective.
Fast forward to 2025 and the landscape has shifted dramatically. An almost simultaneous evolution in viewer behavior and campaign objectives means brands and their agencies have have to fight on two fronts, which are in direct conflict with one another.
In short: how does one achieve so much more, when at the same time it's becoming so much harder to achieve anything at all?
Let's discuss...
The Early Days: Easier Attention, Simpler Metrics
When CTV advertising first emerged, it offered brands a unique opportunity to reach audiences in a more engaged environment. Viewers were less distracted by objects such as phones, and it was widely understood that the novelty of streaming content made them more receptive to advertisements. Consequently, securing consumer attention was relatively easy, and as such, brand awareness became a primary (and deeply reliable) key performance indicator (KPI).
For instance, almost all of Origin's early campaign briefs focused on building brand recognition through engaging content and strategic placement. These efforts were effective in increasing visibility and fostering a connection with the audience - as you can see here in this client story from 2021.
The Shift: Fragmented Attention and Demand for ROI
By 2025, the advertising landscape had evolved. Viewers have more fighting for their attention than at any time in history, and if anything, ad breaks are helping teach us how to multitask.
Simultaneously, it is now completely normal for brands to expect more from their advertising investments. In fact, the seismic shift in KPI's from mere brand awareness to achieving measurable ROI has been gentle enough for many not to notice and yet aggressive enough to land us where we are. Advertisers now seek concrete evidence that their campaigns are driving sales, store visits and other tangible outcomes.
Adapting to the New Reality: Innovative Strategies
In response to these challenges, Origin has continually stepped up to the mark to make sure our innovative solutions evolve in-line (or ahead of) emerging brand expectations. One such innovation was the progress we made with the Slingshot native CTV ad format, taking it from being a series of static assets rotating against an ad, to one which is dynamically data-fed and changing in close to real time. By combining dynamic content animation with proprietary ad-serving technology to create highly engaging 15-second native content that serves directly adjacent to regular ad creatives, the best possible story can be told to every audience being targeted. By immersing viewers in contextually and personally relevant content, value is being offered in exchange for attention (a topic you can read more about here).
For example, a 2024 campaign for Orangetheory Fitness utilizing Slingshot yielded 28,984 unique website engagements and almost 1,000 'Join Now' sign up events. This
significant increase demonstrated the effectiveness of native content in re-engaging distracted audiences. Origin
The Need to PROVE a Tangible ROI
With brands continuing to seek more provable/verifiable outcomes, a material area of focus at Origin is knowing who to partner with. Whether it's choosing solutions such as NCSolutions who lets us track in-store purchases for a major disposable tableware brand or FourSquare who can help measure foot traffic for a globally loved retailer, any strategy aimed at converting brand awareness into actual sales must be verifiable measurable - especially during a campaign. By gauging return on advertising spend (ROAS) but also drove incremental sales among loyal buyers, knowing exactly how well a campaign is doing as close to 'in the moment' as possible is mission critical.
Where Does It Go From Here?
The speed of evolving needs by CTV advertisers reflects both broader trends in consumer behavior and brand expectations. As viewers become more selective and multitask during content consumption, advertisers must innovate to capture attention. Simultaneously, the demand for measurable ROI requires advertisers to adopt data-driven strategies that demonstrate the effectiveness of their campaigns.
In this dynamic environment, staying ahead of trends and continuously adapting strategies will be crucial for advertisers aiming to succeed in the evolving CTV landscape.
If you find this topic interesting and would like to know more, you can schedule a consultation with one of Origin's CTV specialists by clicking here.
Origin is a multi-award winning provider of creative solutions and services for media buyers, creative teams and brands who want to transform conventional CTV ad creatives into powerful, personal and provocative advertising experiences.
With unparalleled creative capabilities and proprietary ad serving technology, Origin’s unique suite of dynamic ad overlays and native CTV ad extensions allows advertisers to engage distracted audiences and achieve the results they need.
Founded by media veterans Stephen Strong and Fred Godfrey, Origin is driven by the belief that winning viewers today requires breaking free from how it was done yesterday.
Learn more at: originmedia.tv
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