Streaming TV Performance vs. Search

Billboards at $0.75 CPM. Streaming TV you can actually measure. Tim Rowe breaks down how to blend OOH + CTV to drop blended CAC, spark geo-lift, and build “living-room” brand equity—without massive budgets.

Streaming has turned TV into a performance channel you can buy, cap, and measure like digital—often at CPMs rivaling or beating social. Tim explains how their ad server + pixel connect living-room exposure to down-funnel actions, with many brands seeing $3–$4 cost per visit and 3–4× higher conversion vs other traffic sources. On OOH, the overlooked arbitrage is static or digital boards priced like real estate: win by buying the biggest formats in the largest markets at the lowest biddable entry price, then engineer earned media (social virality) and geo-lift. Start with ~$5k for a real CTV test (smaller tests can still work as an add-on), measure blended CAC, branded search, and market-level lift, and let creative—not hyper-granular targeting—do the heavy lifting.

Guest

• Website: https://cognitionads.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troweactual
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/oohinsider
• Tim’s newsletter/resource hub: https://stateofstreaming.com/

What You’ll Learn

• Why streaming made TV relevant again—and cheap ($1–$2 CPMs in some geos).
• How to attribute TV exposure → search → site visit → purchase within a 48-hour view-through window.
• The out-of-home (OOH) arbitrage: buying big signs in big markets for sub-$1 CPMs.
• How OOH + CTV lower blended CAC and lift branded search in target geographies.
• Practical first tests: budgets, pixels, frequency caps, creative, and geo measurement.
• Event playbooks: digital billboard trucks, rideshare screens, street teams, and QR flows.
• Targeting reality: on CTV, less targeting often wins—use creative as the filter.
• Retargeting on TV (yes): pixel site traffic and follow with CTV/audio/display.

Timestamps & Chapters

• 00:00 — Why TV is “back”: streaming CPMs and geo-targeted buys
• 01:30 — Direct attribution: 48-hour view-through from TV → search → site → purchase
• 03:45 — OOH primer: static vs digital, programmatic buys, and PMP tips
• 06:05 — The arbitrage: big boards, big markets, tiny CPMs (often <$1)
• 09:15 — Measuring lift: branded search, Search Console, geo-heatmaps, blended CAC
• 12:10 — Earned media by design: turning boards into social fuel
• 15:20 — Event playbook: mobile LED trucks, rideshare TV, coffee-cart sponsorships
• 18:05 — CTV mechanics: ad server + pixel, frequency caps, “hands on keyboard” setup
• 21:10 — Budgeting your first test (~$5k) and what “good” looks like
• 23:00 — Targeting truth: broad wins; use creative, use your 1P data for segments/lookalikes
• 26:10 — Retargeting on TV and building a full streaming funnel
• 28:00 — Who this works best for (DTC, local services, ABM/SaaS, events)
• 30:00 — Getting started and where to reach Tim

Playbooks & How-Tos

1) Fast OOH Test (2–4 weeks)

• Pick 1–2 large markets your sales team targets.
• Buy largest formats you can afford (static or digital) at the lowest CPM; test via https://www.blipbillboards.com/
  (entry-level) or via PMPs/direct with operators.
• Creative: one bold claim + large logo + simple URL/QR. Design for 0–3 second read.
• Measure: branded search & direct/organic sessions from those geos; compare pre/post.

2) Streaming TV (CTV) Starter

• Pixel your site (for attribution + retargeting).
• Launch a broad geo campaign; cap frequency; rotate 1–2 :15–:30 creatives.
• Budget: aim for $5k to reach statistical signal; smaller ($1.5–$2k) still useful as a display-like add-on.
• KPI: cost per visit ($3–$4 is common in Tim’s data), conversion rate lift vs other traffic, branded search lift, blended CAC shift.

3) Event Swarm Tactics

• Digital billboard truck looping near venue entrances all day.
• Rideshare TV for the event radius; add a QR to capture emails or drive an offer.
• Street team + product samples or demo cards; sponsor a coffee cart beside the venue.

Key Takeaways (Skimmable)

• CPMs: OOH can hit ~$0.75; CTV often $1–$2 in the right geos.
• Attribution: Use a 48-hour view-through window from TV exposure to on-site actions.
• Blended CAC: Expect downstream CAC reductions across channels from brand lift.
• Targeting: On CTV, broader = cheaper CPMs and often better performance; let creative and 1P audiences do the work.
• Budget: $5k is a solid first test; smaller tests still demonstrate directionality.
• Creative: Be bold; engineer shareable moments to multiply paid with earned.

Links & Resources Mentioned

• Cognition Ads (Tim’s company): https://cognitionads.com/

• State of Streaming (news & insights): https://stateofstreaming.com/

• Blip (entry-level digital billboards): https://www.blipbillboards.com/

• The Trade Desk: https://www.thetradedesk.com/

• DV360: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/display-video-360/

• Google Search Console (measure geo-lift): https://search.google.com/search-console/about

Sponsor

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