CTV Now: Why Cultural Intelligence Unlocks the True Power of Connected TV

Connected TV (CTV) has emerged as one of the most powerful stages for modern storytelling. The conversation often focuses on scale, targeting precision, and platform fragmentation. But the real unlock isn’t just where you place your media, it’s how well you know your audience.

Because in a world of choice, relevance wins.

CTV is a critical part of the media mix. But scale alone doesn’t drive connection. For brands looking to reach today’s multicultural consumers, the audiences shaping culture and driving purchasing power — the question isn’t whether to invest in CTV. The question is how to show up in ways that are meaningful, memorable, and culturally resonant.

 

Where CTV Fits in the Culture Economy

The momentum behind CTV is undeniable. While Nielsen first reported in July 2022 that CTV surpassed cable and broadcast in time spent viewing, the more telling signal is where the dollars are going. According to eMarketer, CTV display ad spending is projected to reach $33.35 billion in 2025, with 98.4% of that investment directed toward video. By 2028, CTV ad spend is expected to exceed traditional linear TV for the first time — $46.89 billion versus $45.10 billion. The takeaway is clear: CTV is no longer an emerging channel; it’s an essential platform for brands prioritizing both scale and sophistication.

But while the growth curve is steep, the smartest strategies won’t treat CTV as a stand-alone solution.

Today’s audiences, especially younger and multicultural consumers, don’t experience culture in silos. Discovery often begins on social platforms like TikTok or Instagram Reels, deepens through YouTube, and culminates in a streaming binge. CTV may be where audiences lean back, but social is where they lean in, remix, and share. The journey is fluid, and success happens when brands meet consumers across that full experience.

 

Audience-First, Culture-Powered Strategy

A culture-powered strategy demands more than basic demographic data. It requires culturally verified, people-based insights that reflect how identity, values, and lived experience shape consumer behavior. Through a combination of attitudinal research and cultural analysis, marketers can understand not just who their audience is, but what matters to them — and where meaningful connection happens.

What this means for CTV is clear: Success comes from aligning content, context, and culture — not from choosing one platform over another.

Consider Black Gen Z audiences. Research shows this generation is deeply engaged with fashion, music, and social activism; but these aren’t just interest areas, they’re identity touchpoints. Black Gen Z is shaping culture through both the content they consume and the stories they help co-create. They might discover a brand message through a TikTok collaboration with a creator, then engage further through a documentary series on Black entrepreneurship streamed on a CTV platform. The opportunity for marketers is to ensure these experiences aren’t disconnected moments, but part of a cohesive journey that reflects how audiences move between platforms and across passions.

 

The Future of CTV Is Cultural Relevance

CTV offers scale, precision, and immersive storytelling potential. But the brands that will win in this space aren’t just the ones spending the most, they’re the ones showing up the best.

Cultural intelligence is the missing link between media strategy and audience connection. CTV remains one of the most powerful places to reach audiences, but cultural relevance is what makes those moments stick.

Because in the end, it’s not about being platform-first. It’s about being audience-first.

 

 

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