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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