CTV's Social Shift: Crumbl's Success Signals New Engagement Benchmarks for NZ Marketers

Friday, 3 April 20268 min read1 views

Crumbl Cookies achieved remarkable engagement with its Connected TV (CTV) campaign via Samsung Ads, mirroring social media performance. This success highlights the potential for highly targeted, visually driven content to resonate deeply within streaming environments, offering a blueprint for New Zealand brands.

What Happened

•Crumbl Cookies collaborated with Samsung Ads to execute a Connected TV (CTV) campaign.
•The campaign's creative strategy focused on visually appealing product shots, akin to social media content.
•Performance metrics for the CTV ads rivalled engagement typically seen on social media platforms.
•Samsung Ads' data capabilities enabled precise audience targeting and measurement for the campaign.
•The initiative demonstrated that CTV can deliver strong brand awareness and potentially drive direct response.
•The campaign leveraged the immersive nature of CTV to create a lean-back, yet engaging, viewing experience. (Source: AdExchanger, 3 April 2026)

Why It Matters for NZ Marketers

•NZ marketers can adapt this strategy to leverage the growing penetration of smart TVs and streaming services in New Zealand.
•It demonstrates that CTV is evolving beyond traditional broadcast, offering social-like engagement opportunities for local brands.
•For NZ retail and F&B brands, visually rich product advertising on CTV presents a significant opportunity to connect with consumers at home.
•This approach allows smaller NZ businesses to compete for attention with larger brands by focusing on compelling creative and precise targeting.
•The success underscores the importance of integrating CTV into a holistic media strategy, not just as a reach play.
•It signals a shift in consumer expectations for advertising on all screens, demanding more engaging and less disruptive content.

Strategic Implications

•Prioritise high-quality, visually appealing creative tailored specifically for the CTV environment, moving beyond repurposed linear TV ads.
•Invest in data-driven targeting capabilities to reach relevant New Zealand audiences on CTV platforms effectively.
•Explore partnerships with local CTV providers or global platforms with strong NZ presence to access advanced ad formats and measurement.
•Develop integrated campaigns where CTV complements social media, driving consistent brand messaging and consumer journeys.
•Measure CTV campaign performance with metrics beyond impressions, focusing on engagement, site visits, or even direct sales where possible.
•Consider CTV as a brand-building and performance channel, leveraging its immersive nature for storytelling and product showcases.

Future Trend Signals

•CTV advertising will increasingly adopt social media's engagement models, blurring the lines between platforms.
•Personalisation and interactivity on CTV will become standard, driven by advanced data and ad tech.
•The demand for original, high-quality video content specifically for ad placements on streaming services will grow.
•Retail media networks will likely expand their reach into CTV, offering more integrated commerce opportunities.

Sources

How Samsung Ads And Crumbl Got Their CTV Campaign To Perform Like Social — AdExchanger

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Editorial note: This analysis is original, AI-assisted editorial content. All source material is attributed with links. No full articles are reproduced. Short excerpts are used under fair dealing principles.