Bonus: The CTV Blueprint for DTC Brands: Build in Summer, Convert in Q4 (Paramount Ads Manager)
DTC Podcast · with Emily Huo · July 15, 2026 · 32 min
Summary
DTC brands are missing a massive opportunity by underinvesting in Connected TV (CTV) advertising, despite its high engagement. This episode outlines a blueprint for DTC brands to leverage CTV, specifically using Paramount Ads Manager, to build awareness in the summer and drive significant conversions in Q4 with social-like targeting, measurement, and competitive CPMs. Learn how to strategically allocate budget, measure impact, and craft compelling 30-second spots for premium content.
Key takeaways
DTC brands should allocate an experimental 10% of their ad budget to CTV, expecting a three-month ramp-up before scaling based on performance metrics.
Implement a seasonal CTV strategy by building brand awareness campaigns during Q2/Q3 (summer) and then retargeting those audiences for conversion-focused campaigns in Q4.
Utilize Paramount Ads Manager (or similar platforms) to access premium connected TV inventory and apply social-like targeting and measurement capabilities, starting with broad targeting and refining based on real-time viewing data rather than just Meta personas.
Develop 30-second unskippable CTV ad creatives that focus on compelling brand storytelling, even for new or lesser-known brands, to effectively capture audience attention on premium platforms.
Measure the true impact of CTV campaigns by implementing geo holdout tests to understand the halo effect on your brand and sales, rather than solely relying on third-party attribution tools.
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupMost DTC brands put the bulk of their paid budget where attention is thinnest. Viewers spend about 99 minutes per session on Connected TV and 8 minutes per session on social, yet only 9% of standard marketing budgets go to CTV. This episode is about closing that gap on CTV with the same measurement & targeting you get on social (starting at $7 CPMs!)Emily Huo built ad businesses at X (Twitter), Reddit, and Spotify, and now runs SMB advertising at Paramount. She walks through how a DTC brand actually gets onto Survivor, Landman, or RuPaul's Drag Race, what to spend, and how to know if it worked.Sign up for Paramount Ads Manager today. Get your brand on TV tomorrow.This episode, we get into:The seasonal play: build awareness over the summer, retarget in the fall, convert in Q4Why you start broad on targeting and let the data tell you who is really watching, not the persona you imported from MetaThe pixel setup that ties a TV impression to a site visit, a lead, or a purchaseThe geo holdout test for measuring halo effect with no third-party toolsWhy a 30-second unskippable spot changes how you tell a brand story when you are not a household name yetBudgeting: carve out 10% as experimental, expect a three-month ramp, scale from thereWho this is for: DTC founders and growth marke
What does this episode say about paid acquisition?
DTC brands should allocate an experimental 10% of their ad budget to CTV, expecting a three-month ramp-up before scaling based on performance metrics.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Implement a seasonal CTV strategy by building brand awareness campaigns during Q2/Q3 (summer) and then retargeting those audiences for conversion-focused campaigns in Q4.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Utilize Paramount Ads Manager (or similar platforms) to access premium connected TV inventory and apply social-like targeting and measurement capabilities, starting with broad targeting and refining based on real-time viewing data rather than just Meta personas.
What does this episode say about analytics & attribution?
Develop 30-second unskippable CTV ad creatives that focus on compelling brand storytelling, even for new or lesser-known brands, to effectively capture audience attention on premium platforms.
What does this episode say about paid acquisition?
Measure the true impact of CTV campaigns by implementing geo holdout tests to understand the halo effect on your brand and sales, rather than solely relying on third-party attribution tools.
