CTV levels the playing field. Savvy advertisers take on the giants like David facing Goliath by playing to their strengths and leaning on strategy

CTV the David & Goliath of Media

I’ve always admired the story of David and Goliath, not for its religious roots, but as the ultimate underdog story. It’s about overcoming a much larger adversary by playing to your strengths and using strategy to win against all odds. 

That’s exactly why I love Connected TV (CTV). It’s the great equalizer, shifting power from the big media to savvy advertisers

Here is why smaller CTV Companies (David) Often Outperform large media companies (Goliath).

Digital has leveled the playing field. Smaller CTV partners can compete and often outperform the giants.

Agility, Quick pivots, and optimizations. No SLA (service level agreements). If I never hear that term again, it will be too soon.

Competitive Pricing, Lean operations mean more value and less overhead.

Client-First Approach, Direct access to the person running your campaign, often co-creating audiences and strategies, and directly opening campaigns to review with you.

Accountability, You call, we answer. You have a Challenge, we fix it. No ad ops maze, just streamlined, transparent execution.

Audience Profiles Being audience-centric and program-agnostic is key. Small companies that don't produce content don't have ties to individual publishers, which lets them focus 100% on your goals. It should always be about audiences, not inventory. Utilize in-market, behavioral, and intent-based profiles that align with your target buyers.

Balance precision with scale, Over-targeting limits reach.

Quality campaigns require a strong mix of SSPs and publishers.  Prioritize premium, brand-safe inventory across top networks, AVOD platforms from key SSPs like Magnite, FreeWheel and Platforms: Hulu, Sling, Fubo, Amazon, Netflix, Peacock, Paramount, Tubi, Roku, Pluto, and trusted news/sports apps. Avoid open exchange & remnant inventory. 

Campaign Structure, blend high-profile platforms with FASTs for cost-effective reach. Create multiple and flexible line items for smarter optimization, budget allocation, and fine-tuning.

The Bottom Line

CTV success isn’t just about buying impressions, it’s about ensuring every dollar works harder. Quality supply, strong data, and radical transparency are non-negotiable. And more often than not, it’s the smaller, sharper CTV companies that deliver exactly that David beating Goliath.