Changes in television viewing habits have been happening for a few years now. People are canceling cable TV services in droves and turning to Connected TV (CTV) because of the array of content options available.

What is CTV?                                                                                                                                                         

Most homes are equipped with smart TVs that integrate with the internet allowing viewers to access on-demand streaming channels and regular TV programming, also called CTV. All it takes to access a digital channel on your TV is to download the App if it isn’t already included on your smart TV.

Millennials and GenZ have been driving the shift to CTV for a few years because they prefer to consume content on demand and anywhere. It’s not unusual to see them lounging on the couch, in the car, or at a friend’s place consuming streaming TV. 

IBC predicts that most young adult viewers will leave traditional TV by 2025, taking a 21% drop in ad spending with it. A study by Ebiquity found CTV positioned to be the number one growth channel.

Advertising Opportunities

Most mainstream marketing channels are off-limits to cannabis brands, making it challenging for marketers. But, as more and more states legalize and cannabis normalizes, we are seeing more advertising platforms open their doors to cannabis advertising like we recently saw with Twitter. CTV seems to be loosening the reins too. 

Most people watch TV as a way to unwind at the end of the day, and it most likely includes a cocktail or a joint. The relaxed setting makes it easier to get the viewer’s attention and engage them on a large-screen format instead of inundating them with banner ads on a computer screen during a hectic workday. 

The other benefit of CTV advertising is that viewers can’t skip ads unless they pay for a premium subscription service. And your ad will not compete against multiple popup ads or ad blocking as it does for internet advertising.

ROKU, AppleTV, Prime Video, Food Network, Tubi, CANNected TV, and Comedy Central are a few channels willing to promote cannabis brands.

Targeting and Measurement

CTV ads are delivered and measured through programmatic advertising, allowing you to target your audience demographics, interests, impressions, viewability, behavioral data, and other key metrics that traditional TV advertising cannot. And because of CTV’s digital targeting capabilities, brands can stay compliant with cannabis advertising restrictions state by state. 

Just be sure your programmatic advertising partner is cannabis-focused because they possess a privacy-compliant database of known cannabis consumers and their buying habits that can be used to build look-alike audiences to target a specific demographic on CTV. 

Cannabis TV Is Firing Up

Kerri Accardi, CEO of CANNected TV is trailblazing the first CTV channel dedicated to cannabis content. She sticks with creating edutainment material to keep things safe and acceptable for the time being. They are also launching a QVC-style show for cannabis brands to sell products within their states. 

Atmosphere TV is another media and production company that creates and streams custom content for bars and other establishments that welcome cannabis advertising. Tiffany Lemon, Atmosphere’s sales executive, claims more and more cannabis brands are signing up to advertise with them. 

As competition heats up and over-saturation takes hold, branding is more important than ever. Is it time for your brand to seize the opportunity on Connected TV and capture market share as a first mover in the space?