Interactive TV ads collapse the path between entertainment and purchase. With the FIFA Club World Cup, Super Bowl LX, and 2026 Winter Olympics on the horizon, it's no wonder CTV ad spend is projected to grow by 13% this year to $26.6 billion! 70% of the US population was a CTV user in 2025. That's truly a can't-miss advertising opportunity for brands. But sophisticated media buyers are looking at ways of measuring sales conversions from CTV investments, not just awareness-related metrics like impressions, reach, and frequency. In the context of omnichannel marketing, advertisers must bridge the gap between the TV ad watch and the point of purchase for the modern shopper. Shoppable CTV ads may be the solution. What is a shoppable CTV ad? Shoppable Connected TV, sometimes referred to as T-Commerce (short for television commerce), is the newest evolution in television advertising, incorporating interactive or transactional features directly into television platforms. In other words, consumers can purchase products directly from a TV ad without ever leaving the couch. Premier Protein lets shoppers buy straight from a QR code to their phones What is an example of T-Commerce? The actual formats can vary: It could be as simple as a call-to-action (CTA) with a text message discount code, or a TV ad could display a QR code to scan and checkout via mobile phone; or a voice-activated command to a smart speaker; or even check out right from the TV Are shoppable CTV ads effective? Data shows...yes! In a recent study by LG, 51% of the 1200 CTV users surveyed said they "wish they could shop online using their TV." Many TV watchers today have their phones closer at hand than their TV remotes. This strategy capitalizes upon the increasing trend of consumers turning to digital platforms for both entertainment and shopping (we see you, TikTok Shop). With T-commerce, consumers can seamlessly explore and purchase products with a simple click while watching their favorite shows. This frictionless experience eliminates traditional barriers between content consumption and commerce, providing consumers with a more simple and enjoyable path-to-purchase journey. Technological advancements such as smart TVs, interactive content overlays, and seamless payment gateways, have played a pivotal role in making T-commerce possible, and all the major TV players want a piece of the pie. Disney, NBCUniversal, Samsung, Paramount, and others have already rolled out shoppable ad features to brand marketers and media agencies. What are the benefits of shoppable CTV ads? The shift from conventional TV commercials to shoppable CTV ads: benefits advertisers in measuring and optimizing campaigns, enhances the viewing experience for consumers, and creates new revenue streams for content creators and streaming platforms T-Commerce relies on data analytics to provide a personalized and curated shopping experience. As consumers engage with shoppable content, their preferences and behaviors are tracked, allowing for targeted product recommendations. Data-driven personalization benefits consumers by presenting them with better offerings, and it helps advertisers improve their inventory and media strategy going forward. Shoppable ads for "The Chosen" by KERV let viewers watch the trailer or buy tickets immediately How do I measure ROI on shoppable CTV ads? Every brand will have different metrics for success, which can depend on things like: price point retail availability consumption habits how target consumers interact with shoppable ads. Our media planners and ad-tech partners listen to each brand's unique objectives, provide insights on what's worked well for similar campaigns in the past, and tailor the advice accordingly. A few methods for measuring ROI in shoppable CTV include: Tracking pixels and unique landing pages: These can help attribute conversions to viewers who have seen your ad. QR Code tracking: Monitor the traffic and conversions generated from QR codes within your shoppable ads. Platform analytics: Utilize analytics tools provided by CTV platforms or integrated with your e-commerce platform (e.g., Google Analytics, Shopify Analytics) to track key metrics and performance. How do I set up cross-device tracking for shoppable CTV campaigns? Partner with a cross-device vendor. For example, The Trade Desk uses Identity Alliance to map connections between users and their devices into a single graph for better frequency management and accurate measurement. Ad-tech partners like KERV.ai can see both exposure-level data for the ad based on device and any interactor data (various engagement points with the creative) for full transparency. How do I measure across streaming platforms? Most ad-tech platforms have limited relationships with the publishers and streamers, but some (including KERV) have partnerships with all the major streamers and many TV manufacturers for accurate measurement. How do I comply with privacy laws? With the ease and convenience of shoppable TV comes the responsibility of understanding data sharing and privacy. As consumers engage with shoppable content, they need to be mindful of the information they share and the permissions granted to platforms. Contextual targeting ensures relevance and privacy by aligning ads with the content they appear in, rather than consumer identity data. For example, a kitchen gadget brand could appear during an ad break for Top Chef, or an automobile ad could appear during a travel show. Show-level data helps brands appear in front of increasingly relevant audiences without needing to extract data from the consumers themselves. How is AI shaping the future of shoppable CTV ads? AI is the engine driving the contextual targeting and shoppability mentioned above, helping both publishers and brands at the same time. Imagine the ad break in a home remodeling show being a retailer that showcases the exact furniture in the show. Or a paint manufacturer advertising the exact shade of paint in the beautiful home. Imagine ads showing the exact jeans or makeup brand your favorite character was wearing in the last scene. "What we're building today couldn't be done with traditional CTV. The publishers can make their ad breaks more relevant and their content more powerful to brands. Moving that consumer down the funnel with immediate add-to-cart...that's what's exciting and powerful in the space today." - Mark Corte, VP of Brand & Agency Partnerships, KERV With the expansion of CTV ad formats and interactive capabilities, paired with premium streaming video content and audiences hungry to buy, our programmatic advertising experts predict this space will transform in the next three to five years. Brand clients who are already testing into this will be ahead of the game. This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.

A performance-minded guide to planning and measuring streaming TV ads on a midsized budget Cross-channel measurement is possible and available to midsized brands with the right tools and the right analysts on your team. Table of Contents Intro CTV Budgeting for Growth-Stage Brands The Halo Effect: How CTV Drives Downstream Growth The FAST vs. Premium CTV Tradeoff Avoiding Fraud & Protecting Brand Safety CTV Reporting That Matters Try Shoppable CTV for Performance Key Takeaways Direct response is the wrong CTV objective. CTV's real value shows up downstream—in branded search lift, paid social conversion rates, and assisted conversions—not in clicks. Measure it with MMM and brand lift studies, or don't run it yet. CTV's budget floor is market-dependent, not absolute. Single-market testing can start at $10–15K/month on FAST channels; national campaigns need $75K+/month to register. Below your market's noise threshold, you're buying impressions that don't move the needle. FAST channels aren't a compromise. 69% of CTV viewers prefer free ad-supported streaming, and growth brands often win on unit economics there. The right FAST vs. premium split depends on your audience, your creative, and your CAC target—not assumptions about quality. Vanity metrics will get your CTV budget cut. Impressions, CPM, and completion rate don't tell finance anything useful. The metrics that keep CTV in the plan are branded search lift, site traffic lift, and cost per incremental action. Learn tested and proven methods of outsmarting the competition with agility, brand positioning, and creativity. Intro Connected TV (CTV) refers to internet-connected television sets and the digital content they stream. It's a powerful way to reach vast audiences with visually captivating advertisements. EMARKETER projects CTV ad spend will surpass traditional TV by 2028, reaching $46.89 billion! And it's easy to see why: Brands love the broad scale CTV offers for building brand awareness and the cultural importance of the shows and movies they can align with. However, streaming platforms are fragmented. This fragmentation makes targeting and measurement difficult. Attributing ad views to actual product sales can be a challenge. Add the generally higher cost of CTV inventory compared to social buys, and some growth-stage brands may wonder if the juice is really worth the squeeze. We've mastered the art of hands-on campaign management for midsized brands like Premier Protein, New Belgium Brewing, and TV's "The Chosen." You can too, with this guide. This quick yet comprehensive guide to programmatic advertising will help you make smarter investments in CTV, Display, Video, DOOH, and more. CTV budgeting for growth-stage brands Brand marketers often ask, "What's the minimum budget needed to run an effective CTV media campaign?" There's no one-size-fits-all answer. Your CTV budget floor depends on your geography and goals: For single-market dominance or performance testing, $10-15K/month in smaller markets or on free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels can work. Mid-market brands in major DMAs might need $40-50K/month for meaningful share. National brands need $75K+/month to register. Below your market's 'noise threshold,' you're buying impressions that don't register. The more important questions to ask yourself are: What specific objectives am I trying to accomplish? What would success actually look like? Where are your target consumers located? What channels or content do they enjoy watching? These two titan media channels are joining forces to close the loop for full-funnel advertisers. The Halo Effect: How CTV drives downstream growth Many growing brands chase direct response on CTV. They run a spot, watch for immediate conversions, see nothing, and cut the budget. That's actually backwards and wastes money. Per The Hollywood Reporter, TV's share of global ad revenue is declining from 15.8% in 2024 to a projected 13.9% in 2026. Advertiser budgets are moving toward more performance-driven digital channels. A lot of that budget migration comes down to measurement confidence. Performance channels give marketers a dashboard full of precise numbers. In contrast, TV gives them fragmented reach and visibility. The math seems easy: follow the metrics. But one channel's dashboard doesn't show the whole story. If you measure only CTV-direct conversions, you'll miss 60–70% of the incremental value. A campaign that looks "inefficient" on CTV alone often shows 3–5x return when you connect it to downstream channel lift and cross-device journeys. Planning media for the Super Bowl is very different from the World Cup. Learn how to plan one-night bursts and monthlong tournaments alike. How to set up a halo funnel: Use MMM to connect your TV investment to downstream outcomes. TV's cross-channel effects—lifted search volume and improved paid social conversion rates—don't show up in a standard dashboard. Marketing mix modeling is how you find them before someone cuts the budget. Run a brand lift study and tie it to mid-funnel signals. The more you invest in brand, the lower your customer acquisition cost should trend over time—but you need the data to prove it. Pairing a brand lift study with CAC tracking is how TV gets a seat at the performance table. Start testing shoppable CTV formats. Upper-funnel doesn't have to mean unmeasurable. Shoppable CTV ads incorporate interactive or transactional features directly into television platforms. This gives you conversion data alongside reach. Brands testing it today will have a meaningful head start as the format matures. If you're running CTV without MMM, brand lift studies, or multi-touch attribution, you're flying blind. Better to wait until you have the measurement budget than to run a campaign you can't defend. Predictive analytics and big-picture insights make marketing mix modeling tools invaluable to brand marketers of all industries. The FAST vs. Premium CTV tradeoff for brands Many assume that premium CTV networks like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ are automatically superior to FAST channels like Tubi or Pluto. But that's not necessarily true. In reality, 69% of CTV viewers prefer FAST channels. Challenger brands can take advantage of their lower barrier to entry. (The Trade Desk provides unified buying and targeting across both!) Let's compare the pros and cons: Where FAST wins the race How Premium takes the cake Lower CPMs ($15-30 vs. $25-60) Targeting affluent, younger audiences Less programmatic competition New product launches (premium context = high brand perception, safety) More frequency for same budget = better brand lift May convert more often than FAST = lower CAC Shorter, punchier creative (15-30sec) & lower frequency Longer ad formats, higher completion rates Avoiding fraud & protecting brand safety Some brand marketers worry about fraud in the programmatic advertising supply chain or their ads showing up next to harmful content. That's understandable! But our expert traders have mastered brand safety, data privacy, and waste prevention. Here's how: Platform defenses Tier 1 (Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, Roku, etc.) have strong safeguards (first-party content, curated supply). Tier 2 (Pluto TV, Tubi, Samsung TV+, etc.) have moderate safeguards (some UGC content, but editorial review). Tier 3 Open marketplace (via SSPs like PubMatic) has lower safeguards (all publishers welcome). For growth-stage brands, we recommend sticking to tier-1 and tier-2 platforms unless the budget is very small. Also, The Trade Desk integrates pre-bid fraud detection (ads.txt enforcement, Supply Path Optimization) and partners with third-party verification vendors IAS and DoubleVerify. This gives human traders full placement transparency, not a black-box algorithm. Agency defenses We don't leave programmatic trading up to managed services. Our in-house trading experts personally oversee every transaction and negotiate the best rates for our clients. To that end, we create publisher inclusion and exclusion lists in DoubleVerify that supersede any automated content partners. We continuously monitor ad placements for factors like viewability, fraud, contextual relevance, and quality of environment. "Brand safety isn't a filter you bolt onto programmatic after the fact — it's a function of how precisely you understand the inventory you're buying. The more contextual signal and show-level data a brand can get before the impression hits the bid stream, the more confidently they can show up next to content that actually reflects who they are — and stay out of content that doesn't." SEAN EDWARDS, Director of Programmatic & E-Commerce Media CTV Reporting That Matters Don't get caught up in vanity metrics like impressions and CPMs—they mean nothing if those views don't translate to actual sales or brand growth down the road! Growth-stage brands don't have the budget to waste optimizing toward the wrong KPIs. Vanity Metrics Meaningful Metrics Impressions (not predictive) Branded search lift (2-4 weeks after exposure) CPM (doesn't mean better CAC) Site traffic lift (from GA4, attributed to CTV exposure cross-device) Reach (raw number is meaningless without frequency & attribution) Completion rate (global benchmark 95% or higher) Shopping cart additions Cost per incremental action (from incrementality test) A scientific approach to measuring upper-funnel media's impact on actual sales growth And the scheduling or cadence of your reporting matters too. Since CTV is largely a top-of-funnel brand-building tactic, you might see very real effects later down the road. If you're too quick to evaluate and change your strategies after just a week or a month, you may be cutting the very things keeping your brand moving up and to the right over time. Here's a better timeline for reporting, which you can modify to your specific campaign objectives and parameters: Try Shoppable CTV for Performance Shoppable CTV, or T-commerce, is a hugely popular ad format for its ability to collapse the path between entertainment and purchase into a single tap. It incorporates interactive elements into TV ads like QR codes, "Add to Cart" buttons, or "Email me this" links that viewers can use with their remote control or smartphone. These campaigns can be very effective—but not always for the reason you think. Exverus' Media Supervisor Melanie Mogey ran a shoppable CTV test for TV's "The Chosen" and explained to Digiday that direct sales were not the primary KPI—video completion rate (VCR) was. In other words, Mogey and other media buyers have found that this kind of play isn't always a converter, but rather a strong awareness-builder. That's an outcome well worth striving for, but it does require different planning and measurement. CTV works for growth-stage brands when it's planned honestly: right budget for your market, right measurement infrastructure, right mix of FAST and premium inventory. The brands that win aren't the ones with the biggest budgets—they're the ones who know exactly what they're measuring and why. If you're ready to build a CTV strategy that connects to real business outcomes, let's talk. For more media buying tips, campaigns, and agency news; subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter here. AI Disclosure: We use AI models to quickly consolidate information from top industry sources and combine it with our real-world expertise. Every word drafted is carefully reviewed, edited, and confirmed by human eyes and hands for accuracy and quality. All information on exverus.com has been executive-approved and is updated daily.

A brand marketer's programmatic advertising guide: DSPs, SSPs, benefits, risks, channels (CTV, DOOH, audio), first-party data strategies & AI optimization. Key Takeaways Programmatic advertising is the automated buying and selling of digital ad inventory in real time, using machine learning to run auctions, target audiences, and optimize campaigns toward KPIs. Programmatic advertising runs on two sides. Demand-side platforms (DSPs) such as The Trade Desk and DV360 let advertisers and agencies bid on inventory, while supply-side platforms (SSPs) such as Magnite and PubMatic let publishers sell it. Programmatic now reaches well beyond display banners, covering connected TV (CTV), online video, mobile, audio, digital out-of-home (DOOH), and retail media. AI has powered programmatic platforms through machine learning for years. Turning platform tools into an effective omnichannel plan still takes a strategic media team. FAQs about programmatic advertising What is programmatic advertising? What are programmatic advertising platforms? What are the benefits? What are the risks? Which media channels can be bought programmatically? Is Google Ads considered programmatic? What is the difference between digital advertising and programmatic? What is the role of first-party data in programmatic advertising? How is AI used in programmatic advertising? What is programmatic advertising? Programmatic advertising (or programmatic marketing) is a method of buying and selling digital media (ad inventory) in real time. Programmatic advertising is powered by AI and machine learning to power the auctions themselves, serve targeted ad experiences to consumers, and optimize towards KPIs for efficient marketing efforts. What are programmatic advertising platforms? The programmatic auction has two platform sides: demand-side platforms (DSPs) and supply-side platforms (SSPs). DSPs allow ad buyers, inclusive of media agencies (like Exverus), to bid on display, online video, connected TV (CTV), digital out-of-home media, audio, and rich media across multiple partners in milliseconds. Examples of DSPs include DV360, The Trade Desk, Yahoo, Nexxen, etc. Meanwhile, SSPs allow media owners and publishers to manage their advertising inventory efficiently. Examples of SSPs include Magnite, Google AdX / Ad Manager, PubMatic, and OpenX, among others. Thanks to Eskimi.com for this handy visual What are the benefits of programmatic advertising? Precision Targeting: Programmatic allows you to target specific audiences based on various criteria such as demographics, interests, and behavior. This precision targeting allows advertisers to reach the right people, at the right time, with the highest likelihood to complete the desired outcome (purchase, video view, download, subscription, etc.) Real-time Optimization: With programmatic, you can adjust your ad campaigns in real time based on a suite of performance data. This flexibility and ability to learn delivers better results, such as higher click-through rates or conversions. Efficiency and Cost-effectiveness: Programmatic advertising automates the ad buying process and provides transparency and efficiency. Additionally, the ability to target specific audiences and outcomes reduces wasted ad spend, making advertising campaigns more cost-effective. Access to Premium Inventory: Programmatic platforms often have access to a wide range of ad inventory (and always expanding), including premium placements on popular websites and apps. This access allows advertisers to reach target audiences across a variety of channels with added visibility, control, and opportunity to optimize towards the most successful tactics and placements. Data-driven Insights: Programmatic advertising provides detailed data and analytics on campaign performance. This information can help advertisers understand their consumers better and make informed decisions for future campaigns. Cross-device Targeting: Programmatic advertising reaches people across multiple devices, including desktops, mobile devices, and connected TVs. Brand Safety & Suitability Controls: Programmatic platforms offer tools to ensure ads are displayed in brand-safe environments pre- and post- bid. These parameters can help protect a brand’s reputation by avoiding ad placement on inappropriate sites or within unsuitable content. High quality media placements yield stronger results. A performance-minded guide to planning and measuring streaming TV ads on a midsized budget What are the risks associated with programmatic advertising? Complexity and Fragmentation: The programmatic advertising ecosystem is complex and fragmented, with multiple platforms and technologies involved. This can make it challenging for advertisers to navigate and optimize their campaigns effectively without a strategic investment and activation strategy in place. Ad Fraud: One of the biggest concerns with programmatic advertising is ad fraud, where bots or made-for-advertising (MFA) websites generate fake ad impressions. This can lead to wasted ad spend and reduced campaign effectiveness, but there are many ways to protect brands from this risk. Lack of Transparency: Without proper oversight and transparency, programmatic advertising may seem like an opaque ad buying process, but actually allows for increased transparency and control vs. traditional advertising buying practices. The best way to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of programmatic buying is to work with a seasoned media agency that specializes in media planning and data analysis across the ever-changing traditional and digital media landscape. Which media channels can be bought programmatically? Programmatic platforms can be used to buy media across a variety of channels, such as: CTV: Connected TV devices, such as smart TVs and streaming devices, allowing advertisers to reach audiences watching streaming content. Over-the-top (OTT) video content is often included in this category. Display Advertising: This includes standard display banner ads, rich media ads, and native ads that are displayed on websites and apps. Video Advertising: This includes pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll video ads on YouTube and other video streaming services. Optimal video ads are between :06-:30s for digital advertising. Mobile Advertising: Includes all mobile devices, smartphones, and tablets, across apps and mobile websites. Social Media Advertising: Social media platforms offer similar buying platform options for ads, allowing advertisers to target specific audiences on platforms such as Meta (Facebook/Instagram), TikTok, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. There are also ways to connect social and programmatic activations for continuity in digital advertising campaigns. Audio Advertising: Audio ads that are played on streaming services, podcasts, and other audio platforms. Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH): Some DOOH providers offer programmatic buying options, allowing advertisers to purchase ads displayed on digital billboards, screens, and signage -- for example, Vistar and Place Exchange. Buying digital out-of-home media programmatically offers stronger ROI, more precise targeting, and easier measurement than ever before. Paid Search: While not traditionally considered part of programmatic advertising, some platforms offer programmatic buying options for search ads, allowing advertisers to bid on keywords in real time and can connect to other media types for optimization and continuity. Retail / e-commerce: Includes on and offsite retail media networks, e-commerce digital shelves, and purchase data and trends that can be used for enhanced audience targeting and measurement for online and offline sales. Is Google Ads considered programmatic? Yes! Google’s Display & Video 360 (DV360) platform allows advertisers to programmatically target specific audiences, buy ad inventory across a wide range of channels, and optimize campaigns in real time. But here at Exverus, we're more of TTD (The Trade Desk) shop. As a TTD Preferred Partner, we're able to negotiate the best deals possible that brands couldn't get on their own. What is the difference between digital advertising and programmatic advertising? Digital advertising is a broad term that encompasses any form of advertising delivered through digital channels, such as websites, social media, mobile apps, and search engines. It includes both traditional direct buying and programmatic buying. Programmatic advertising is a specific method of buying and selling digital ads that uses automation and data to optimize targeting and campaign performance. CTV is now a performance channel. Learn how best to integrate shoppable ad units into a full-funnel media plan. What is the role of first-party data in programmatic advertising? Programmatic buying is all about precisely targeting the right audience segments with the right advertisements, so understanding your audience deeply is essential. First-party data is information collected directly from a brand’s customers. This is the most valuable data because it is unique, relevant, accurate, and in most cases only available to that brand. First-party data is sourced from website behaviors, purchase history, surveys, contact forms, etc. and can also be referred to as CRM data. Comparatively, third-party data is publicly available and comes from other external sources. First-party data enables strong audience builds to implement strategies and tactics within advertising campaigns (re-engagement/retargeting, suppression, modeling/lookalike etc.) (As a side note, zero-party data is information that a current or potential customer has willingly and actively offered, though this is sometimes used interchangeably with first-party data.) In addition to audience targeting, advertisers can also use first-party data for personalized messaging, retargeting, measurement & attribution, and revenue growth. How is AI used in programmatic advertising? Long before AI became a cultural phenomenon, it was the engine driving programmatic advertising platforms through advanced machine learning. AI-powered algorithms analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and trends in user behavior – that data is used to create highly targeted audience segments based on demographics, interests, and online behavior, as mentioned above. Media platforms tout their AI-powered ad buying tools, but a proper team is still needed to stitch them together into an effective, omnichannel plan. This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.

Los Angeles headquartered agency also wins 2024 Ad Age Media Campaign of the Year. LOS ANGELES (JULY 25, 2024) -- Exverus Media has been awarded the GOLD title of Ad Age Small Agency of the Year: Media for the second consecutive year, having won the SILVER title the year prior and again in 2020. Ad Age annually bestows the title upon small media agencies who show outstanding revenue growth, employee growth and retention, technological innovations, creativity, and agency culture. Ad Age reports: "Exverus has embraced the melding of media channels for clients, using AI-powered ad tech to plan and target marketing to achieve unique business outcomes and tapping into growing channels such as social commerce, retail media networks, and retail ad formats in CTV." Exverus also took home the silver trophy for Small Agency Media Campaign of the Year 2024 for our 'Premier Nutrition: Winning Prime Day' campaign, which combined social influencer marketing with retail media dayparting to make Premier Protein shakes the top-selling food/beverage item on Amazon Prime Big Deal Days in October 2023. That same media campaign previously won a WARC Effectiveness Award for Best Path to Purchase in May 2023. Founded in 2014, Exverus is a Los Angeles headquartered media agency elevating growth-stage brands through traditional and programmatic advertising, retail media networks & e-commerce, paid search, social media advertising, and measurement. Our data-driven media plans combine precise market research with creative ideas to confidently allocate every ad dollar for the maximum return. Named for the Latin phrase "from the truth", Exverus is dedicated to transparency and long-term client trust. Our incredible staff of media planners & buyers, performance marketers, ops technicians, and data analysts have shown yet again they're the best in the biz, and we couldn't be more proud or grateful to you all. Time to celebrate!! Please send all press inquiries to Michelle Andrade at michelle.andrade@exverus.com. For more agency news and advertising industry insights; subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter here.

Exverus VP of performance marketing discusses omnichannel commerce with Stephanie Paterik, editor in chief of The Current by The Trade Desk Photo Credit: The Current by The Trade Desk Unpopular opinion: Hillary Kupferberg wants AI to take her job! She says passing off tedious and mundane tasks like billing to an AI assistant would free us all up to focus on more creative ideating, the fun part of the ad business. Watch what else our performance marketing expert had to say about: the rise of retail media & e-commerce social media becoming increasingly shoppable, and full-funnel campaign measurement below! To speak with Hillary or another one of our media buying experts, send queries to: Michelle Andrade Senior Manager, PR & Communications michelle.andrade@exverus.com And for more ad buying news and tips, join our free, weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter.

Growth-stage brands can't afford wasted video advertising spend. Stretch every dollar with smarter placements, formats, and channel mix. Fortune 100 companies may enjoy unlimited digital media budgets, but challenger brands need every dollar to work harder. As the media agency of record for growth-stage brands like Premier Protein & Dymatize, New Belgium & Bell's Brewery, and indie show "The Chosen," Exverus' media planners have mastered the art of meticulously placing video assets where they'll bear the most fruit. Video ads grab attention, boost engagement, and drive conversions. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: most brands are overspending — not because video doesn’t work, but because it’s not being used strategically. For example, YouTube is now a dominant force in CTV, commanding more living-room TV watch time than any other single streamer, yet some brands remain hesitant to commit the same budgets they would allocate to traditional television. That hesitation is costing them reach, efficiency, and relevance. Meanwhile; Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch are all expanding their presence on TV screens, blurring the line between social and premium video. The living room is now the battleground for attention, and the old playbook doesn't work there. What this means for marketers: Smart brands are treating CTV as the anchor of integrated campaigns. Launch with CTV for brand awareness, retarget engaged viewers with shoppable social ads, then convert them through retail media at the point of purchase. The data connectivity between these channels finally makes true closed-loop attribution possible. The brands still siloing "TV budgets" from "digital budgets" are the ones wondering why their media mix models show diminishing returns. Key takeaways: Video advertising can't do all the heavy lifting Shoppable CTV isn't just about sales Instructional beats promotional content Prioritize UGC over AI Repurpose your social videos for Display YouTube reigns supreme for Gen Z viewers Tap into the right frequency Video advertising can't do all the heavy lifting Video is powerful for storytelling, but diminishing returns kick in fast. A heavy YouTube or CTV buy doesn’t automatically equal stronger results. Often, brands keep layering spend on video because it feels safe, not because it’s proven to be incremental. The problem isn’t the medium, it’s the mix. Too much video comes at the expense of reach in other channels that may drive more efficient impact (audio, OOH, retail). Over-investment also creates frequency waste: the same users see the same ads repeatedly, while new audiences remain untapped. The question isn’t, “Are we spending enough on video?” but rather, “What role is video playing in the funnel — and is it carrying too much weight?” Actionable Insight: Run a reach and frequency analysis on your current video campaigns. If 20% of your audience is seeing your ad 10+ times while half your target hasn’t seen it once, reallocate a portion of spend into complementary channels that expand reach. A brand marketer's guide to one of the fastest-growing, most dynamic areas of media buying. Shoppable CTV isn't just about sales Interactive, shoppable CTV (or T-commerce) is an increasingly popular way to shorten the path between TV and purchase this year, but our actual reports show it serves a different purpose, too. Interactive TV ad units collapse the path between entertainment and purchase. Learn how we've run it successfully. After reviewing the performance of QR codes and tappable trailers for "The Chosen" 2025 theatrical campaign, Exverus by Brainlabs Media Supervisor Melanie Mogey explained to Digiday, “The scanning of QR to buy tickets was not the primary KPI for these units. VCR on the trailer for awareness was the focus....despite the interactive units gaining 28.8 million impressions, they drew just 7,500 QR code scans. The scans are not the most impressive numbers in relation to the impressions and completed views." Other agencies have been finding similar results -- brands of all types can benefit from shoppable CTV, not CPG or retail, but the impact is more broad-funnel than sales-focused. Instructional beats promotional content People browsing videos on social media, YouTube, or TV are looking for useful information and entertainment. They're more likely to engage with videos that teach them something valuable, rather than just self-promoting and asking. Demonstrate how your product solves a problem, showcase its features, or offer step-by-step tutorials. This approach boosts brand affinity and consideration. In fact, TikTok's own research demonstrated that videos displaying product usage saw: +25% lift in ad recall +32% lift in ad likability +65% lift in brand affinity, and +18% lift in product consideration. The average engagement for a 3-5 minute instructional video is a whopping 74%! Knowing where to allocate your social media advertising budget means the difference between breakthrough growth and wasted spend. Prioritize UGC over AI Consumer sentiment on AI-generated video ads is at an all-time low. Generative AI tools like Invideo and Gemini Veo can quickly churn out content, but the rise of misinformation and low quality concerns highlights the need for a human touch. If you're going to use AI, always double-check facts, ensure accuracy, and prioritize a personal, relatable voice. Or, better yet, try UGC. EMARKETER data from 2025 shows 36% of marketers say user-generated content (UGC) is "extremely important" to their social media strategy, compared with just 2% who say the same about AI. Why is UGC such an effective digital video advertising format? Trust sells. There's a reason why "authenticity" is a burnt-out buzzword in marketing: A 2024 study of 8,000 consumers showed almost half (47%) consider user reviews of products the most influential content when shopping online, compared to just 11% for brand content and 10% for influencer posts. This boils down to one key element: trust. Peer reviews are much stronger purchase drivers than brand advertisements. Northwestern University's Medill Spiegel Research Center agrees: The purchase likelihood for products with 5 reviews is 270% higher than those with none. That's a powerful testament to the impact of UGC video. What's the difference between an influencer and a creator? How do I choose the right one? Answers to these questions and more. Repurpose your social videos for Display Imagine you’re perusing various websites on your phone. Instead of the usual square, static or video ads around the content, you see vertical video ads like on TikTok or Reels. In 2025, Exverus by Brainlabs partnered up with SeenThis to develop the first-to-market Social Reach, which expands vertical video ads to the open web and improves upon them with high-quality streaming delivery and premium placements in brand-safe environments. Premier Protein's 6-week Social Reach by SeenThis campaign beat Meta Ads in efficiency by 50%! Social Reach powered by SeenThis vertical video ads can deliver in standard display ad slots, giving brands the ability to scale their campaigns across more of the open web and reach their audiences in new ways. “Social Reach powered by SeenThis streaming vertical video gives us access to new environments to deliver social creative to audiences beyond the social walled-gardens,” said Hillary Kupferberg, VP Performance Marketing at Exverus. "This represents the next generation of much needed social extension. SeenThis’ adaptive streaming technology takes existing social assets and delivers them more efficiently than standard social formats via targeted inventory from PubMatic across the open web." Premier Protein was the first brand to run a Social Reach campaign, and it outperformed Meta Ads in terms of efficiency in the first 6 weeks! YouTube still reigns supreme for Gen Z viewers While TikTok may seem like the popular kid at school, YouTube remains a dominant force for Gen Z viewers. EMARKETER's 2025 Gen Z Social Media Usage report showed that over half of Gen Z social media users are spending more time on YouTube than they did a year ago. This reinforces the notion that Gen Z can be captivated by longer, horizontal videos if the content is compelling and the creators build connection. In other words, the length isn't as important as telling a compelling visual story. Additionally, 59% of Gen Zers have used YouTube as a search engine, making it ripe for brand discovery and product reviews on par with TikTok and other social-search platforms. Most brands advertise on YouTube wrong. Learn the right framework, measurement, and real-life examples. Tap into the right frequency For FY26, we need to shift away from static frequency caps to a more performance-based approach that finds optimal exposure levels through data and modeling. There's a "sweet spot" where campaign performance peaks -- Amazon Ads' testing showed optimal results at 2 exposures per user, with efficiency declining outside of that. Rather than arbitrarily setting caps like "once every 24 hours" or "three times per week," advertisers should use total exposure modeling that considers the consumer's entire cross-channel journey, including digital, streaming, and even linear TV. The goal is to identify the specific frequency threshold where your campaign achieves maximum impact—which Amazon demonstrated with 15% lower CPCs at optimal frequency versus no frequency targeting. Remember, video content is an investment, not a quick fix. By embracing the power of storytelling, leveraging the latest trends, and understanding your target audience, you can create video marketing magic that drives engagement and fuels brand growth. For more media buying tips, agency news, and case studies, subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter.

Creative agency Optimism BH and media agency Exverus by Brainlabs launch a springtime-ready rebranding campaign, “Fresh Like That,” for California-based Habit emphasizing the fast-casual chain’s growing product line of fresh burgers, salads, sandwiches, and bowls. The campaign’s hero spot, “Float On,” sets the tone for the Fresh Coast — a sun-soaked world where everything is fresh – the food, the people, even the tiny flotation device that delivers ranch poolside. The video-first storytelling campaign will run across premium CTV (Hulu, Peacock, Paramount), high-profile moments like March Madness, paid social, search, and OOH to strengthen Habit’s brand salience and bring in new audiences. “This spring, we’re balancing brand equity-building for Habit across the country with driving immediate store sales in its key western markets,” explains Exverus Media Director Georgia Schreiner. “The campaign’s colorful, sunny creative reinforces Habit’s southern California roots while expanding the freshness to new audiences.” Habit’s rebrand comes at a time when the “fast casual” restaurant category is eroding into a sea of sameness, squeezed between QSR value deals and casual dining bundles. Habit aims to present its cooked-to-order Santa Barbara Cobb Salads, Tempura Green Beans, Sirloin Steak Sandwich, and more in premium media environments to differentiate itself as the elevated option. This will be the first full-funnel media launch with Exverus, which signed on as MAOR in late 2025. “We believe our freshly cooked menu and fresh ingredients set us apart,” explains Habit CMO Jack Hinchliffe. “We prepare our food with fresh ingredients, so it tastes great and is something our guests can feel good about. That commitment is why we’re growing traffic and winning awards.” The campaign also marked a milestone beyond the creative itself. Habit was evolving its visual identity in parallel, giving Barrett Hofherr the rare opportunity to shape a new brand world and a refreshed brand identity in tandem, ensuring everything launched as one cohesive vision. “A lot of brands say “fresh”, said Todd Eisner, Executive Creative Director at Barrett Hofherr. “But Habit actually is – they use fresh avocados and make their ranch by hand daily. Their most popular side is tempura green beans. So we actually drew inspiration straight from the menu to take a different approach.” Looking ahead, Habit will bring its #1 award-winning food to Dodgers Stadium with a new location in Centerfield Plaza this year. As seen in AdAge: https://adage.com/creativity/campaigns-commercials/aa-creative-ads-today-aw-canada-axe-garage-beer-habit-burger-grill-met-rx-taylormade/ MarComm News: https://marcommnews.com/habit-burger-grill-launches-fresh-like-that-a-new-brand-platform-from-barrett-hofherr/ Ads of the World: https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/new-brand-platform-fresh-like-that For further reference Placer.AI: https://www.placer.ai/anchor/articles/q2-2025-restaurant-recap-a-cautious-consumer-shapes-dining-trends FastCasual: https://www.fastcasual.com/news/limited-service-visits-decline-as-customer-service-value-perceptions-hit-new-lows/ QSR Magazine: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/which-restaurant-brands-are-getting-credit-for-value-and-other-spending-trends/ About Exverus by Brainlabs Founded in 2014, Exverus is a global, independent media agency growing brands through full-funnel media planning & buying, traditional and programmatic advertising, retail media & e-commerce, paid search, paid social, and analytics. Our data-driven media plans combine brand and performance under one scientific brain to confidently allocate every ad dollar for the maximum return. Named for the Latin phrase "from the truth,” Exverus (acquired by Brainlabs in 2025) is dedicated to transparency and long-term client trust. Learn more at exverus.com, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Exverus Press Contact: michelle.andrade@exverus.com About Barrett Hofherr Barrett Hofherr, founded in 2012, is a full-service creative advertising agency that builds brand and business momentum. Client partners include DoorDash, Airbnb, Chime, Habit Burger & Grill, Sutter Health, Ariat, and more. For information, visit barretthofherr.com, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. Barrett Hofherr Press Contact: stephanie.farmas@barretthof.com About Habit Burger & Grill Born in sunny Southern California in 1969, Habit Burger & Grill is known for Charburgers cooked-to-order over an open flame. But the menu extends far beyond burgers—it's a celebration of Californian-inspired flavors. Alongside the brand's signature Charburgers is a meaningful array of handcrafted sandwiches, crisp salads, and creamy shakes, ensuring there's something for everyone. Habit Burger & Grill has earned notable recognition, with its Double Char being ranked #1 by USA Today 10Best, its Tempura Green Beans also reaching a #1 rank in USA Today 10Best, and its Chicken Club recognized as the best grilled chicken sandwich by The Daily Meal. Habit Burger & Grill has since grown to over 385 restaurants across 14 states and internationally. Learn more at habitburger.com, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn. Habit Burger & Grill Press Contact: HBGMedia@yum.com Credits Creative Agency - Barrett Hofherr CCO - Jamie Barrett ECD - Todd Eisner Copywriter - Maddy Cormier Art Director - Emily Joslin Head of Production - Conor Duignan Senior Producer - Marianne Lawlor Head of Accounts - Krista Osol Account Director - Jane Han Associate Strategy Director - Kevin Albrecht Media Agency - Exverus by Brainlabs Media Planning Director - Georgia Schreiner Media Supervisor - Corey Boyle Media Planner - Jillian Telman Assistant Media Planner - Karla Calderon VP, Planning & Strategy - Tasha Day Director of Programmatic & E-commerce - Sean Edwards Director of Search & Social - Ryan Schuster, MBA VP, Analytics - Josh Edelman Production Company - Fela Executive Producer/Line Producer - Fuliane Petikyan Director - Pedro Pinto Director of Photography - Liam Reardon Editorial - Cut + Run Editor - Frank Effron Assistant Editor - Lara Tillotson Executive Producer - Brian Stanley Junior Producer - Julie Plascencia VFX + Finishing - Jogger Executive Producer: Alicia Cargile CD: Kingsley Harden Colorist: Dan Swierenga Finishing Producer: Ron Rendon Flame Artists: Cary B. Welton, Miles Kinghorn, Lou Schachte Flame Assist: Tim Tom, Jorge Tanaka Animator: Daniel Chang Music Company - Human Executive Producer - Kamela Anderson Creative Director/Composer - Gareth Williams Mix/Audio - One Union Audio Engineer - Joaby Deal Executive Producer - Michael Swarce

Exverus by Brainlabs won a 2026 MediaPost OMMA in the Best QSR/Fast Casual Campaign category for Habit's "Gotta Habit Meal Deals", which contributed to 7% system sales growth in a down market. Key Takeaways Habit's Gotta Habit Meal Deals offered $6, $8, and $10 bundles across 15 states and launched alongside Habit's new brand platform, "Fresh Like That." Exverus by Brainlabs' incrementality study showed that control markets with no media support showed no comparable lift, pointing to the campaign as a driver of the sales increase. The media plan integrated brand and performance across the full funnel and was built to clear reach and frequency thresholds rather than optimize for last-click efficiency. Habit reported 5% same-store sales growth and 7% system sales growth in Q1 2026, the quarter the campaign ran, with media as one of several contributing factors. The Challenge: Balance value with price In 2026, deal-seeking visits account for close to a third of all restaurant traffic - among the highest rates tracked in decades! Habit Burger & Grill felt that pressure directly. The brand needed a value offer strong enough to compete on price but built to protect the "Fresh Like That" positioning it had just introduced. Our media team built the ad campaign behind Habit's Q1 2026 Gotta Habit Meal Deals, a tiered $6, $8, and $10 bundle offer that ran across 15 states, spanning established California markets and newer expansion territory. We set out to prove something specific: that an ad campaign could move sales in a five-week window, in a category that was largely stuck. The Strategy: Measuring for causation We designed the campaign around a controlled incrementality study, running live inside the media flight itself. Sales performance in five key test markets running Gotta Habit Meal Deals was measured against comparable regions receiving no media support at all. A full-funnel channel mix, balancing upper-funnel reach with lower-funnel conversion, supported the test while keeping the plan focused on long-term brand health and short-term sales simultaneously. The incrementality study let us attribute any lift directly to the campaign. The Results: MediaPost OMMA-worthy sales In just 5 weeks, the Gotta Habit Meal Deal's share of total Habit sales in test markets rose 18.6% above pre-campaign baseline, at 99% statistical significance. Meanwhile: Control markets with no media investment showed no comparable trend, which points to the campaign itself as a driver of that lift. And the impact extended past the test markets: Habit's parent company, Yum! Brands, reported that the Habit division grew system sales 7% and same-store sales 5% in Q1 2026, one of the brand's strongest quarters in years! Most fast casual brands running a deal can point to redemption counts or a short-term traffic bump. But few can show what an ad campaign actually contributed versus what would have happened anyway. Building a controlled test into a live, full-funnel ad campaign gave Habit a repeatable framework for evaluating future value plays against real, measured lift. The team behind the work The campaign was built by Media Director Georgia Schreiner (Ad Age 2023 Media Planner of the Year) with Media Supervisor Corey Boyle, Senior Media Planner Jillian Telman, and Assistant Media Planner Karla Calderon. Sean Edwards and Lexi Semanskee led Programmatic Advertising, while Paid Search and Social ran through Ryan Schuster, MBA and Michael Robbins. Aaron Silva, associate director of ad operations, kept the campaign running. Leading the charge were Tasha Day, vp of media planning & strategy; Hillary Bram, vp of performance marketing; Josh Edelman, vp of analytics; Jack Win, head of operations; Talia Arnold, managing partner; and William Durrant, executive director. Congratulations to the whole team, to our creative partners at Optimism BH, and to our clients at Habit, whose willingness to measure from the truth made this result possible. If your brand is navigating the same pull between value and differentiation, let's talk about how we plan brand and performance together. For more media buying tips, campaigns, and agency news; subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter here.

Talia Arnold, co-founder and managing partner of Exverus by Brainlabs, was honored as an ADWEEK Agent of Change, presented by Empower, on October 8, 2026 for her success building a multimillion-dollar, independent agency by prioritizing work-life balance. While many companies today lose talented women and working parents, or scale back inclusive hiring practices, Exverus has retained many of its original employees for over a decade thanks to remote work, flexible schedules, and a genuine appreciation for various perspectives in the room. Flexibility is an investment that pays off exponentially; rather than being a cost or a sacrifice, it’s been an enormous growth strategy for Exverus. See ADWEEK's full Agents of Change list. "Women aren’t leaving the workforce because they’re failing to manage it all. Women leave jobs because most companies still expect them to work like they don’t have kids," says Arnold. "The system isn’t set up for them to be able to stay." Per ADWEEK: Talia Arnold and her co-founders built Exverus around a radical idea: People shouldn’t have to sacrifice family, health, or ambition to succeed in advertising. Twelve years later, that philosophy has become a competitive advantage for the full-funnel media agency. The leadership team is over 70% women and people of color, while flexible schedules, three months of paid family leave, unlimited PTO, and just one weekly office day for Los Angeles staff help working parents meet all of their obligations—and advance. Twice-yearly retreats bring remote employees together, while bonuses reward ideas that make it into client media plans. Under Arnold’s leadership, Exverus grew into a multimillion-dollar independent agency before joining Brainlabs, where its people-first culture will remain in place. Arnold's colleagues can confirm: “Because I don't have to fight for the right to make a school pickup or stay home with a sick kid, I can give my family the attention they need when they need it. Talia fosters a working environment of trust that gives me full clearance to come in and out of work as I need to and as a result, enables me to feel more fulfilled as both a professional and parent. This, to me, is a real investment in families, and it pays back in loyalty, morale, and trust long after the workday ends.” - Tasha Day, VP of Media Planning & Strategy, Exverus With 2​2 years in advertising, media planning, and entrepreneurship, Arnold has democratized data-driven measurement for midsized brands, launched in-house programmatic and retail media divisions, and sold to Brainlabs in 2025. For her effectiveness and creativity, Arnold was named a 2025 CampaignUS Inspiring Women in Media and a 2024 ADWEEK Media All-Star. Follow Talia Arnold on LinkedIn. For Talia's media buying tips, campaigns, and agency news; subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter.

The prestigious honor goes to one excellent media strategist industry-wide annually. Exverus Media's VP of Media Strategy Tasha Day has won the prestigious Campaign US title of Media Planner or Buyer of the Year for 2024! The winners were announced at a ceremony in New York City on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Tasha describes Leading Lightly: Lower Your Stress, Think with Clarity, and Lead with Ease by Jody Michael as one of her favorite leadership books. As it turns out, she also epitomizes what the book describes as “mental fitness”: the ability to engage constructively and positively in life and work every day, no matter what stressors she encounters. Day brings [19] years of media planning experience to her current role as VP, managing media strategy and operations across all but one of Exverus’ clients. Her leadership helped pull the agency out of the pandemic and into 145% growth in three years. From Stella & Chewy’s Petfluencer Contest to [winning] Tiger Woods’ TGL Golf, she is able to focus on both the small details and the big-picture ideas. Stella & Chewy’s Petfluencer Contest was one of the company’s most successful programs ever. Pet owners used Exverus’ location data technology 269% over projections, while boosted influencer posts resulted in four times the landing page traffic. Day’s use of data-enriched storytelling allowed consumers to feel seen, which was crucial to the smooth rollout of media plans. Watch Tasha talk more about this wildly successful campaign and how it naturally collected robust sets of zero-party data for the brand: Tasha helped pull Exverus out of the pandemic and up to 145% growth in 3 years while caring for a family, home, and herself. The agency celebrated industry-leading growth of 53% from 2022-2023 and has received numerous other industry accolades this year. She also initiated Exverus’ Sharing is Caring program, in which rotating team members present on industry topics to the rest of the agency. Recent topics included “The Role of Paid Search in a Media Plan”, “How to Best Utilize Chat-GPT in Marketing”, and “Taking Feedback Well”. Exverus has earned its place as one of LA Times' Top Places to Work for 2023, largely thanks to Tasha's leadership, as reflected in the agency's remarkable 92% employee retention rate in 2022 and consistently high ratings by her staff. Tasha is mental fitness epitomized (and powered by technology). Top-tier industry publications regularly cite Tasha’s expertise as a media planner, and her hard work is a key ingredient of our agency’s numerous award wins. She was recently the only agency representative chosen to speak on a major conference panel about how CPG brands can build up consumer data while respecting privacy and trust, something Tasha and her team are mastering every day. She explains how Stella & Chewy's used consumer data to build another successful, experiential campaign for long-term customer loyalty, and how data informs all of the media strategies her teams build: See all the CampaignUS 2024 Agency of the Year winners here. For more media buying tips, campaigns, and agency news; subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter here.

The prestigious honor goes to agencies who have shown significant growth & innovation in the last 5 years. (L to R): Hillary Kupferberg Bram, Tasha Day, Bill Durrant, Talia Arnold, Jack Win, Melissa Andraos We are honored to be named Adweek’s Breakthrough Media Agency of the Year!! 🏆 Our talented team and brave clients earned this award through their creativity, tenacity, and honesty. “Exverus clients appreciate the customization and personalized attention they get from the agency, as is evidenced by the brand Stella & Chewy’s, a raw pet food company that found Exverus because it could help the brand punch above its weight in the crowded pet food market. ‘They have the years of experience, but they also are incredibly nimble and are able to be reactive in the moment and adjust to suit our needs in a really thoughtful way”, Betsy Radue, senior director of media, PR, and digital marketing for Stella & Chewy’s told Adweek. "One of the best things about Exverus is how they really focus on prioritization and keep us honest about the metrics that matter to our business goals.." - Doug Cornille, chief growth officer at BellRing Brands [parent company of Premier Nutrition Company] Cornille added that, "the Exverus team is extremely proactive, challenging the brand and ensuring it has the best media plans.” Read more about our decade of successful campaigns for brands like CLIF Bar, New Belgium & Bell’s Brewery, and Kum & Go below: https://www.adweek.com/agencies/adweek-breakthrough-media-agency-of-the-year-exverus-media/ For media strategy tips, research, and analysis; subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter for free here.

When it comes to loyalty, think long-term, not last-click Key Takeaways Fewer than 1 in 4 customers say genuine brand affection is why they stay loyal — Razorfish research calls this gap the "loyalty deficit," and it's built on function (product, checkout, price, switching cost), not points. First-party data captured during a tentpole campaign has a short shelf life; brands that build segmented retargeting and lookalike audiences in the first 14 days after a spike outperform those who wait for the quarter-end report. Retail media networks (Amazon, Walmart Connect, Sam's Club Connect) already have the infrastructure to treat existing customers differently from prospects — most brands are paying for that capability without activating it. Media mix modeling is shifting from a rearview-mirror reporting tool to a forward-looking decision engine, but only 28% of marketers say their org is effective at turning MMM insights into action — and retention is the KPI most often left out of the model until it's too late. Learn tested and proven methods of outsmarting the competition with agility, brand positioning, and creativity. There’s a self-serving story many marketers tell themselves: that repeat customers keep coming back out of genuine affection for the brand. But new research from Razorfish shows that fewer than 1 out of 4 customers agree. That gap is called the loyalty deficit, and it’s costing brands more than they know. What drives customer loyalty in 2026? The answer is less romantic and more pragmatic than brands might think: whether the product works whether checkout is painless whether the price makes sense, and whether switching to a competitor feels like effort they don't want to spend. Discounts haven't lost their pull, but they've become the baseline, not the differentiator. According to the Razorfish data, the benefits gaining ground now are things like: getting first access to a drop being treated like a VIP, or receiving support during an actual day of need, not just a birthday email. Loyalty, in other words, is being built more in how a brand treats people when it counts than in how many points they've stacked up. Exverus' Director of Retail Media Jason Giammona speaks at the 2026 Brand Innovators Future of Retail & Commerce conference. And that value doesn't have to live inside one brand's four walls, either. More than half of consumers say the strongest perks are the ones that work across categories entirely — a coffee loyalty program that also gets you airline miles, or a coalition wallet like Fetch that pools value across retailers. That's real headroom for challenger brands that can't out-discount a category leader but can out-partner one. One word of caution: as brands lean on AI to personalize these experiences, execution quality matters. Razorfish's research found that AI can just as easily damage the relationship as deepen it — the differentiator is whether the technology still feels like it's coming from a person who gets you, not a script or a bot. The Habit x LA Dodgers partnership is an excellent example of instilling brand loyalty by integrating into a city's culture. Read how we did it! How can I build customer loyalty into a media plan? Audit your loyalty program against the "loyalty deficit" lens — are you offering tangible, functional value, or leaning on brand-affinity messaging consumers don't actually credit? Gather first-party data and turn it into long-term loyalty. Pilot one soft-perk benefit (early access, VIP service recovery, a milestone-adjacent empathy touch) alongside your existing discount structure. Evaluate one cross-brand or coalition partnership opportunity that could extend perceived value without eroding margin. A recap of Vanessa's advice on choosing between customer retention and acquisition in a media plan. How to preserve consumer attention post-campaign Your tentpole media campaign brought you something valuable: real first-party data captured at a moment of high intent - who clicked, on what product or category, in which channel. It’s the accuracy of that data, not just the volume of it, that makes first-party data so useful for precise retargeting and lookalike modeling as third-party cookies degrade. We know loyalty initiatives need to go beyond points and create memorable experiences consumers really care about. But that starts with what you do in the two weeks right after the spike. Day 0-1: Build the custom audience before the spike cools. Push spike-engaged users (site visitors, retail media ad clickers, DSP-served impressions) into a dedicated retargeting segment in your DSP, split by product or category clicked - not one blended pool. A blended audience gets generic creative; a segmented one gets creative aligned with what they actually looked at. Day 2-5: Retarget on the channel where intent was highest, then layer DSP and paid social around it. Sponsored search on Amazon or Walmart converts the highest-intent segment fastest; DSP Display and Paid Social extend reach to the browsers who didn't purchase yet. Day 5–7: Build the lookalike in parallel, not after. Use the same spike segment to seed a prospecting lookalike audience. The point about first-party data accuracy applies directly here: a lookalike built off real, spike-captured behavior outperforms one built off broader historical data. Day 7–14: Shift paid budget from spike-segment retargeting to loyalty-program promotion. This matters because willingness to trade data for value is real and growing. Deloitte's research found that 89% of Gen Z and 87% of millennials surveyed are willing to share personal information in return for more personalized offers or experiences. This is the window to promote loyalty or rewards incentives tailored to each segment and the category they engaged with, not a generic program ad to everyone. A one-night event and a month-long tournament are fundamentally different math problems — here's how to plan for each. Retail media: The overlooked loyalty channel Retail media networks (RMNs) have loyalty infrastructure already built in: Amazon's Brand Tailored Promotions, Walmart Connect's shopper segments, paid social suppression and sequencing, and programmatic retargeting all let you treat existing customers differently from prospects, inside the same media buy you're already running. And Walmart’s recent restructuring, which aligns Walmart Connect with Sam’s Club Connect for shared capabilities, champions the membership model as a persistent, relationship-based view of customers rather than a series of one-off transactions. It means retailers can now see not only what a customer bought, but what ads they were exposed to, how they engaged, what they did next, and how their patterns emerge over time. These first-party data points form the foundation for repeat purchases and lifetime value, not just campaign-level ROAS. That’s golden for brands, as RMNs are quietly becoming loyalty engines informing long-term brand equity, not just immediate performance. If your team is still treating every impression as a single-touch acquisition moment, you’re paying for infrastructure you’re not using. How can I build customer loyalty using retail media networks? Start with a customer analysis that compares the cost and value of acquiring a new-to-brand customer against the cost and value of retaining a brand loyalist. From there, identify which paid media channels in your current mix are being used exclusively for acquisition, and map out retention audiences that could be activated instead. Apply a framework for sequencing paid media touchpoints to existing customers based on purchase history and lifetime value tier, rather than treating all retargeting as one undifferentiated pool, and evaluate ]the RMN's closed-loop measurement capabilities to ensure no retention-focused spend is left on the table. Predictive analytics and big-picture insights make marketing mix modeling tools invaluable to brand marketers of all industries in 2026 and beyond. Media mix modeling (MMM) as loyalty engine Most teams treat media mix modeling (MMM) as a rearview mirror: run the campaign, wait for the quarter to close, then let the model tell you what worked. But EMARKETER's Media Mix Modeling Trends 2026 report (to which Exverus's own VP of Analytics Joshua Edelman contributed) confirms that gap is now the industry's biggest measurement constraint. MMM is evolving from a reporting tool into a decision engine, but most marketers aren't ready for that shift. Only 28% of marketers say their organization is very effective at converting MMM insights into action! That's likely because they’re thinking of MMM after a campaign, rather than before. EMARKETER's report shows marketers running MMM reports sporadically instead of timing them strategically. EMARKETER'S report shows marketers running MMM reports sporadically, instead of timing them strategically. The mismatch shows up hardest in customer retention strategies. Acquisition spend gets modeled aggressively because the feedback loop is fast. Retention rarely gets the same treatment — the payback is slower, the attribution murkier — so it gets planned by instinct, or worse, left out of the model entirely until someone asks why churn spiked after a tentpole event. That's backwards. As EMARKETER reports, the optimal modeling cadence depends on the decision being made, which means if retention is a KPI you’re seeking in Q4, it needs to be in the model before Q4, not reconstructed from Q3's numbers after the fact. Before you build your holiday retention budget, model it. Before you brief your loyalty program refresh, size it against your other channels in the same tool you'd use to defend a paid social increase. MMM done right doesn't just tell you retention worked — it tells you how much to put behind it before you needed it to. How do I model customer retention strategies in MMM? Add retention/loyalty as a standing line item in your MMM inputs now, ahead of Q4 planning — not as a post-hoc addition. Set your modeling cadence to match your decision calendar: quarterly retention decisions need quarterly-relevant model inputs, not just annual reporting. And require a documented expected payback for loyalty spend the same way you would for any acquisition channel — no more "soft" budget lines. For more media buying tips, campaigns, and agency news; subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter here. AI Disclosure: We use AI models to quickly consolidate information from top industry sources and combine it with our real-world expertise. Every word drafted is carefully reviewed, edited, and confirmed by human eyes and hands for accuracy and quality. All information on exverus.com has been executive-approved and is updated daily.