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Bonjour Millionaire,

Slasher movie? I’m nervous, but let’s do it.

Zombie apocalypse flick? I can handle it.

Supernatural horror that’s an allegory about the collective unconscious? Whoops, dozed off.

Wait. I’m kidding and everything scares me.

You know what’s REALLY scary?
Doing 2027 planning in the middle of Q4.

Which I assume you’re doing right now. Jumpscare. Relatable. Has to be done though.

Here for you, boo.

If you’re also haunted by the need to close 2026 strong and figure out how to carry your wins into 2027, you’re in good company.

Maybe you’re looking at your channel mix. Maybe you’re ready for CTV, but too nervous or time-crunched to jump in. Maybe you think social has lower CPMs (spoiler for later: not so much).

Or maybe…you’re waiting to study the brands already winning on TV. 

If that’s you, GREAT news: I’ve just gotten my mitts on a new report all about what the best-performing advertisers are doing on CTV, from Paramount Ads Manager.

They surveyed hundreds of advertisers, analyzing what the top performers did differently. When they looked at the 1s meeting or beating goals, 6 specific habits kept appearing over & over.

So, now that we know what the literal best operators are doing on CTV…Let’s copy them.

Download the report here, or keep reading for the 6 ways to CTV like an MVP.

BUT 1ST: A CTV BUDGET TREND UPDATE

54% of the advertisers surveyed in the report increased their CTV budget in 2026. In fact, it was the ONLY channel they planned to grow in H2.

The #1 reason: CTV reaches audiences that AREN'T on social and search.

The unreachables.

There are other reasons (stay tuned). But since time is of the essence, let’s first talk about how to reach these “unreachable” streaming audiences…in Q4 and beyond.

P.S. If you’re really in a hurry, the fine people at Paramount have given us a deal: spend $10k, get a bonus $5k in credits before the end of the year.

Is it insane to want this suit? I don’t want it actually. It’s not black.

HOW TO CTV LIKE AN MVP
(ACCORDING TO CURRENT MVPS)

Huddle up, team! To win CTV in Q4, you need to HUSTLE. Fortunately, the channel's a holiday MVP (Most Valuable Platform)

Here's the gameplan: 3 plays to run this quarter, + 3 to build into 2027.

3 Q4 PLAYS TO RUN BEFORE THE CLOCK RUNS OUT

1️⃣. Treat Q4 like the main event.
56% of top performers plan to increase spend during the holidays.

Fall’s full of peak moments, too:
🍂: 50% invest in fall TV programming.
🏈: 38% play in fall sports.
🦃: 32% gobble up views on Thanksgiving.

If you’re just starting CTV, you came at the right time! Even if I’m still waiting for the release date of Dutton Ranch S2.

2️⃣. Build the full funnel first.
53% of advertisers that meet or EXCEED their CTV goals made brand awareness their initial focus. Awareness builds the audience you’ll retarget later, so they’re ready when you need them. Your 2027 self will thank you.

CTV can (and does!) drive conversions, too: keep awareness for a few months, then layer site traffic and retargeting on top. Like I said last year, it's full-funnel, with receipts.

And, if there’s 1 thing I hope we leave behind in 2026, it’s the idea that brand isn’t a growth play. Vindication!!

3️⃣. Add a CTV pixel.
You can’t manage (or win) what you can’t measure. If you ever wonder why I harp on getting your MMM/MTA buttoned up, allow my to drop some EVIDENCE:

• Advertisers with a pixel are 28% more likely to meet their goals and 2x as likely to confirm cross-channel lift.

• 55% of advertisers reported their lift reflected in paid social and search.

55% (!!!)

If your budget lives on Meta/Google, that’s your big halo! CTV shows up on CTV, but also everywhere else.

And why would we skip the pixel anyway? Paramount Ads Manager pixel integrates with Shopify, and works with Triple Whale, Northbeam, and INCRMNTAL, so you don’t have to take their word for it.

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Just getting these 3 things in place will impact your Q4. But they’ll also deliver more 2027 runway to plan, build, & refine your CTV game. You’ll be a pro by Arbor Day.

And if you only do 1 thing? Just get in there with at least 1 30-second ad repurposed from social. Leave it all on the field.

Now, for next year.

BRB, riding into Q5

3 PLAYS FOR NEXT SEASON (AKA 2027)

4️⃣. Plan 3+ months ahead.
The early bird gets the $$$$. 51% of advertisers that plan this far ahead meet or exceed their CTV goals. You don’t have this opportunity in Q4, but you will in 2027. Especially if you spend $10K and get $5K in credits.

5️⃣. Treat creative like an ecosystem.
CTV ads typically run 15 seconds or 30 seconds. Campaigns that use a MIX of the 2 drive 51% more site visits than those that only run 30-second ads. 56% of top performers build net-new TV assets and 35% repurpose social video.

Paramount Ads Manager offers 3 tools to get TV-ready assets:

💻: Creative Express: An AI tool that pulls branding from an existing URL to build ads in minutes.
🎬: Creative Plus: Hands-on AI creative production by the Paramount team.

Think of the 2027 creative library you could build! Can be as simple as collecting 30-second ads for different seasons, products, and audiences. Then make 15-second cutdowns from each of them.

6️⃣. Always on + seasonal.
Almost half of advertisers (49%) only turn on CTV for specific moments, like a launch or the holidays, and just 38% of them hit their goals. It's a strong start, but leaves SO MUCH potential untapped. Not winning behavior.

Year-round campaigns with moments sprinkled in keep audiences warm and build bigger retargeting pools for later. Only 18% of advertisers did always on plus seasonal…but 71% of those MEET or EXCEED their CTV goals

Plus, advertisers with 2+ campaigns on Paramount Ads Manager see 5.3x higher ROAS than 1-timers. More vindication!!11

THE BUDGET SHIFT BRANDS & AGENCIES ARE MISSING

So, why IS so much budget shifting into CTV? Like I said, CTV is reaching audiences who aren’t scrolling social or searching. 84% of viewers use social monthly, but the other 16% DON'T. (That's your "unreachable" audience.)

The #2 reason advertisers raised their CTV budgets: results, honey. Duh.

Sorry, had to.

But there are other factors. Take Paramount Ads Manager.

Yes, it’s proven, and measurable right alongside the rest of your mix using the tools you already use (Northbeam, Triple Whale, etc).

And that CPM spoiler? 67% of advertisers think CTV costs more than social. But 65% of active CTV advertisers pay ~$10-20 CPMs, right around Meta's $11.54 average. On Paramount Ads Manager, CPMs start at $7.

It’s also got a premium audience to match its premium catalog.

Paramount+ has a 21% HIGHER ad attention rate than other ad-supported streamers, and Paramount viewers are 11% more attentive to ads in Q4 than in Q3. I know I’m locked in on my beloved Beth Dutton, and my overdeveloped “add to cart” reflex comes with me.

These buyers also pay attention, BTW, because CTV ads are UNSKIPPABLE. They play full-screen, sound-on, often for more than 1 viewer (Daniel can still hear ads as he’s getting me snacks during Landman). The completion rate’s around 96%!

In the U.S., 1 of every 5 streaming minutes is spent watching Paramount-Skydance content. Whether it’s me on Dutton Ranch & Landman, or everything else your audience watches on CBS, Showtime, MTV, Comedy Central, the biggest games in all of sports, and soon HBO Max. It’s a whole (Para)mountain range of content.

Just think about it: the biggest shows, with your brand in between…

C(TV) FOR YOURSELF

I said it last year, and I’ll say it again (because we have the data! vindication!): I just believe in CTV. And I think you will, too.

Not to mention, it's really not too late to make $$$ in Q4 & Q5!

The only truly scary thing is planning for peak season & 2027 WITHOUT having the winners’ game film in your pocket.

So, take these winning strategies, finish Q4 strong, and level up in 2027:

👉 Download the report: HOW SMBs CAN WIN THE YEAR WITH CTV
👉 Get $5k in ad credits when you spend $10K on Paramount Ads Manager. Book a demo to claim it.

I'll be watching for you! 🍿📺

Yours,

Ari

P.S. New couples costume idea??