From Linear to Digital:

How LWD Helps Legacy TV Advertisers Embrace Total Video Strategies

For advertisers who are heavily invested in Linear TV, transitioning to a total video approach can be complex. But with the right strategy, it can unlock new levels of success. At Lockard & Wechsler Direct, we’ve been helping brands take this leap to incorporate digital for a fully performance-driven marketing strategy.

Here’s an example case study of how we do it—featuring one of our insurance/warranty clients: 

1. Understand the Target Audience

The foundation of any successful media transition is understanding the audience. For this client, we started by reviewing historical linear TV performance data to gain insights into what worked in the past. Then, we utilized both third-party and first-party data segmentation to get a clear picture of where the target audience lives, consumes content, and interacts with ads.

By combining these insights, we identified digital entities—such as streaming platforms and advanced TV networks—that offered the highest audience penetration and potential for strong response rates.

2. Establishing a Clear Metric of Success

Aligning advanced TV efforts with the client’s primary KPIs was critical to success. Our objective was to maintain or improve historical Linear TV Cost per Sale while reaching an incremental audience for new policy generation. By setting a clear metric, we ensured every step of the campaign was designed to drive the results that matter most to the client.

3. Activate, Monitor, Optimize—and Repeat

With the data in hand, we activated the campaign across streaming video networks. We established clear testing parameters to allow our team to continuously monitor performance and optimize the campaign in real time. This allowed us to identify top performers and reallocate spend to the most effective platforms. The flexibility of streaming video meant we could make these optimizations in-flight, delivering faster and more meaningful results.

4. Deliver Integrated Video Reporting

One of the biggest challenges in shifting from linear to digital is ensuring consistency in reporting. To solve this, we implemented an integrated video reporting system that attributed consumer actions—whether they came from linear or streaming—in one centralized platform. This approach not only allowed us to de-duplicate performance results but also gave the client a clear view of how their entire video strategy was performing holistically.

The results of this campaign ended up exceeding Cost per Sale benchmarks by 65%, with significant lifts in web response directly attributed to the inclusion of streaming video in their strategy.

While bringing legacy linear TV advertisers into the digital fold doesn’t happen overnight, by working with an experienced agency who has a proven process for testing, optimizing, and continuously improving, the result will speak for themselves. 

For a deeper dive: watch our very own Scott Lisk, VP of Digital Strategy & Investment present this case study at MediaPost’s Data & Programmatic Summit and download the slides! 

Ready to transition your brand from Linear to a Total Video strategy? Reach out to our team to start the discussion!