As the lead for brand performance marketing at global food delivery platform Wolt, Anna-Maria Moira is responsible for helping new people find the service, and encouraging existing customers to keep coming back.
Once viewed as an alternative to linear TV, connected TV (CTV) has become one of the key methods for watching TV shows, movies, and events. In fact, 60% of YouTube CTV viewers in the Netherlands prefer watching YouTube over linear TV.1 This isn’t just a promising data point; it is a clear signal.
At Wolt, a Finnish technology company known for its commerce platform, we're constantly looking for innovative ways to connect with our customers. We want to be present where they are and offer convenience that fits seamlessly into their lives.
Think about it: you're tired after a long day, the weather's miserable, and the thought of cooking or going out is unappealing. That's where we come in, offering the convenience of having anything you need in under 30 minutes with a simple tap on your phone. We have to be top of mind in all these moments.
We learned that co-viewing behaviour leads to higher consumption of content and a higher likelihood to take action.2 And we were keen to test it out to, hopefully, further connect with our audiences in those moments that matter.
This insight prompted us to integrate CTV into our global branding strategy, complementing our existing cross-device video reach campaigns.
The journey: Delivering the goods on CTV
We wanted to know if CTV could deliver incremental reach and boost brand engagement, particularly with harder-to-reach, lighter TV viewers. That meant launching a comprehensive testing phase across 16 of our 32 markets, including Sweden and Finland.
Our approach was deliberate: we believe in making informed decisions, backed by data at every step. So, when exploring a new avenue like CTV, it made sense to start broad. Given that our product caters to a wide audience, initial narrow targeting felt premature. First, we needed to establish if the channel itself could deliver.
We started by choosing markets based on two criteria:
- Significant existing Wolt market presence
- High CTV penetration rates, typically exceeding 60-70%
We then implemented a test to understand the potential impact of adding CTV in those markets. This involved running a cross-device campaign with an additional layer of a CTV-only campaign deployed on top. This methodology allowed for a clear evaluation of the incremental impact of CTV on overarching brand metrics, including incremental reach, view rate, and brand lift.
Using a reach planning tool, we determined the optimal reach scenarios for both the CTV and cross-device campaigns, customising the approach for each market.
Budget allocation between cross-device and CTV campaigns was strategically set, varying from 50-50% to 70-30% (cross-device to CTV), informed by market specifics and targeting a CTV device impression share of over 40%.
Our post-campaign evaluation was conducted holistically, combining insights from reach reporting and Brand Lift Study (BLS) analysis, and co-viewing impressions, incremental reach, and view rates.
The results: A taste of success
The learnings and results were compelling. Across 14 of the 16 markets, we observed significant incremental reach when adding CTV to our repertoire. In Sweden alone, incremental reach grew by 32%.
What really stood out were engagement metrics. In Sweden and Finland, view rates on CTV increased by 2.5X compared to when viewed on mobile. And co-viewing impressions increased by 50% in those markets. This highlights the shared viewing experience CTV offers — a perfect backdrop for our convenience-driven message.
Crucially, our brand lift studies, supported by Google's measurement solutions like brand lift studies and unique reach reports, revealed that CTV drove higher brand recall lift than any other device.
In Japan, we saw a remarkable 6.32% brand lift on CTV, and in Sweden, a 2.55% lift. This reinforced our understanding that even in a saturated media landscape, new avenues for impactful customer connection exist.
What's particularly interesting about CTV is its role in a multi-device world. People often watch TV while simultaneously using their phones. By using the cross-media reach and unique reach reports, we were able to measure this behaviour, further highlighting the long-term impact of CTV campaigns.
This has helped us show up in those moments that matter — where it matters. Whether that’s our ad popping up when watching a new film or series, or ordering a pizza through our app when friends are gathered together for a big match.
What’s next: The proof is in the pudding
These learnings are shaping our future marketing strategy. Our next phase involves a more granular approach to audience targeting on CTV, exploring age-specific demographics to understand consumption patterns and identify the most valuable segments for our business.
We're also eager to connect our CTV experiments with conversion lift studies to gain a deeper understanding of its impact throughout the funnel.
Our journey into the world of connected TV is just beginning, but the initial results are undeniable. CTV is not just a trend; it's an increasingly integral part of the media consumption landscape. And we're confident that it will continue to be a powerful driver of brand growth and customer engagement for Wolt.
