Discover how Connected TV (CTV) can amplify your influencer marketing strategy.
Consumers are bombarded with messages every day, from Google searches to Instagram ads to SMS texts. This saturation has made brand storytelling an essential tool for engaging consumers in a meaningful way. According to NEXTATLAS, storytelling delivered through multi-sensory and immersive experiences has seen +168% and +40% YoY growth in social media conversations. Digital media provides brands with new opportunities to tell stories and engage consumers through interactive and immersive experiences—with the human element remaining core to storytelling. This is evidenced by the trust consumers place in influencers.
Creator content has become the gold standard for engagement, yet brands and agencies continue to limit the potential of their influencer investments by siloing creators to social media. This approach misses a key opportunity with the rise in retail media networks like Walmart Connect providing access to their first-party data. Creator content is finding a new place in the media landscape, driving increased Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and enhancing measurement capabilities with Connected TV (CTV).
Traditional TV viewers continue their mass exodus, shifting towards CTV. According to IAB, CTV, social, and online video combined have taken 52% of the US video advertising market, surpassing linear TV. FAST/AVOD (Free Ad-Supported TV/Ad-Supported Video on Demand) is expected to grow by 9.53% between 2024 and 2027, outpacing SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand), which is expected to grow by 8.27% in the same timeframe. This shift presents a significant opportunity for brands to leverage influencer content on CTV. When Acorn tested influencer content against brand creative head-to-head, the influencer content drove 17x the engagement of the brand assets alone. Creators provide authentic, engaging content that alleviates advertising fatigue and builds genuine relationships. Yet, despite the benefits, CTV remains an underutilized space for creator content, offering a fresh avenue for brands willing to act quickly.
Additionally, CTV offers several advantages over traditional TV advertising:
Acorn partnered with Mondélez to create a “Season of Giving” program illustrating how a holistic campaign supported by influencer content can drive impressive results.
The approach: Family and friends' hosting traditions bring the holiday season to life, filled with favorite holiday snacking moments. Acorn vetted and handpicked influencers, like past Next Level Chef contestants and TikTok stars, to create content ranging from inspirational to achievable recipes that brought holiday snacking opportunities to life with Mondélez products. Each influencer was chosen based on their audience makeup to ensure a diverse and relevant reach.
The rollout: Content was leveraged on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, with paid social amplification on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Media was deep targeted with third-party audience data to reach verified Walmart shoppers in-market for the cookie/cracker category. Content was further scaled through Walmart Connect with targeted, brand-safe ads running on platforms like Paramount+, Disney+, Roku, HBO Max, and Food Network.
The result: A cohesive, inspiring campaign that maximized efficiency across channels to drive new and incremental ROAS and engagement for Mondélez.
By leveraging customized targeting and repurposing content across multiple channels, brands can drive meaningful engagement and achieve significant returns on their influencer investments. CTV offers a promising avenue for brands looking to expand their reach, comply with escalating privacy laws, and connect with consumers in a more authentic and impactful way.
To learn more about adding CTV to your influencer marketing strategy, contact Acorn.
