The Cord is Cut: 3 Reasons CTV is the Right Channel for Fundraising
Now is the time for non-profit organizations to leverage the emotional connection of television with the precision of direct mail and tracking capabilities of digital media.
CTV has been around since 2002, but as we all know, it was 2020 that cemented video streaming into the daily lives of most Americans. Whether you call it Connected TV (CTV) or Over-The-Top (OTT), streaming television content has hit critical mass and changed the television landscape forever.
Connected TV is Here to Stay
According to Nielsen, in 2020, there was a 74% increase in time spent streaming television, and the most significant gains were in the older demographics. And as predicted, this trend continued to increase in 2021.
According to a recent study by AARP, Adults 50+ continue to stream more often. In 2021, 62% of those over 50 stream daily or weekly, with the largest increase in those 70+ where 53% are frequently streaming TV.

And, as noted in the same study, 24% of Adults 50+ primarily or exclusively streamed television content versus watching through broadcast or cable channels and over a third of respondents watch television on cable or over-the-air broadcast.
So, not only is Connected TV a viable channel for direct response, but it’s the perfect complement to DRTV by not only increasing the frequency with the target audience but also extending the reach with light linear TV viewers.
Increased Opportunities for Advertising
If 2020 was the year of streaming, then 2021 was the year of ad-supported streaming and the “plus.” Services like Peacock, Discovery+, and Parmount+ are becoming a part of a consumer’s streaming portfolio, and we will see this continue with services like CNN+ available in the Spring.
According to the 2021 Video Trends Report from Tivo, the average household has over eight streaming subscriptions, five are paid, and three are free. Furthermore, Adults 50+ have an average of five paid or free streaming subscriptions.

While consumers subscribe to more content, the monthly spending threshold remains the same. According to J.D. Power, 79% of respondents spend the same as six months ago.
So, a record number of viewers opt for a free ad-supported plan, trade down to a plan with ads to pay for additional services or use free services.
Free streaming services like Peacock, TubiTV, and PlutoTV are essential in the rise in CTV usage and ad inventory, especially with Adults 55+. And more publishers like SlingTV are beginning to offer free versions, which we expect to increase this year.
Bottom line – there is more ad inventory than ever before. Since more of your target audience is consuming more streaming video, there is a bigger opportunity to reach a specific audience with CTV.
Making Television Targetable
Like any digital tactic or direct mail drop, data and targeting are at the core of every CTV campaign.
There is no denying the response and halo effect a National DRTV media buy can have on your organization. Linear television will generate a mass reach, unlike any other advertising channel.
A television buy starts with the demographic profile for a particular network. But, CTV flips the script and chooses the individual first, then serves the ad wherever they watch. The key to this approach is using the best data.
Some digital companies might rely on third-party data to find people who are likely charitable donors or have an affinity for a specific cause. But if you leverage your donor file and website data, you will see a much bigger return on ad spend (ROAS). This is the magic of CTV. You can take it a step further by using your data co-op. Now, you are not only leveraging your donor information, you can expand your pool of prospects to donors of like-organizations.
CTV supports several fundraising tactics. There are options to serve a television commercial to highly-targeted groups, such as donor acquisition models, lapsed donors for reactivation, or co-targeting direct mail or other offline efforts to lift results and increase cross-channel giving behavior. And more importantly, track the impact and results.
For years, Connected TV and cord-cutting were for the 18-34 group and unrelated to fundraising. Today, our key donor demographic is investing in tech and using it more than ever. Now is the time to consider CTV and the impact this type of television exposure can have on your fundraising programs.