BRAVE COMMERCE: NBCUniversal’s Alison Levin on Driving Measurable Commerce Outcomes Through Streaming

Release Date: May 13, 2025

In this insightful episode of Brave Commerce, hosts Rachel Tippograph, Founder & CEO of MikMak, and Sarah Hofstadter, President of Profitero, delve deep into the evolving landscape of eCommerce and Connected TV (CTV) advertising with their distinguished guest, Alison Levin, President of Advertising and Partnerships at NBCUniversal. Alison brings over a decade of pioneering experience in CTV advertising, making her perspectives invaluable for brands navigating the intricate world of streaming commerce.

1. The Evolution of Connected TV Advertising

Alison Levin shares her extensive journey in the CTV advertising arena, highlighting the significant strides the industry has made over the past ten years. Starting her career at Yumi, one of the first video ad networks, Alison was at the forefront of selling home screen units on smart TVs like Samsung and LG back in 2011.

“We were really one of the first. And at the time, like iFood TV, it was such a nascent space, like no one knew what connected TV really was,” Alison reflects (07:54).

Her transition to Roku in 2015 marked a pivotal moment, where she played a crucial role in establishing Roku’s advertising business. Alison recalls the excitement and challenges of proving Roku as a formidable platform against industry giants like Google and YouTube.

“We made it. Like all of a sudden Roku is a platform that people are paying attention to and caring about,” she notes (08:38).

2. Overcoming Early Objections and Proving the Value of Streaming

Sarah Hofstadter probes into the initial skepticism surrounding CTV advertising. Alison acknowledges the early resistance from industry leaders who doubted the longevity and impact of streaming as a viable advertising platform.

“I had a CMO who didn't believe that streaming would be a thing ever, and that it was for, you know, a couple of people and it would always be sort of the small minority,” Alison shares (12:18).

Through persistent demonstration of streaming’s effectiveness in driving brand awareness and sales, Alison and her teams successfully overturned these misconceptions, establishing streaming as a cornerstone of modern advertising strategies.

3. Integrating Commerce into Streaming Ecosystems

A significant portion of the discussion centers on how NBCUniversal integrates commerce seamlessly into its streaming platforms. Alison outlines three primary avenues through which NBCU employs commerce:

1. In-Content Commerce: Utilizing segments like “Jill Steals and Deals” on the Today Show, where products are promoted directly within the content. Alison emphasizes the success of such initiatives, citing sales figures exceeding a million dollars per product segment (18:00).

2. Aligning Commerce with Content: Campaigns like the recent collaboration with Wayfair demonstrate how NBCU leverages its IP to create shoppable moments tied to specific content themes, such as cooking shows.

3. Shoppable Moments During Major Events: During high-engagement events like the Olympics, NBCU creates targeted campaigns (e.g., Instacart’s Talenti ice cream delivery) that resonate with the viewing experience, driving significant product purchases (19:14).

“We have proven that this model has QR codes and you buy it off that like the model of a time bound savings and deal when it's tied within content that has reach really works,” Alison explains (18:05).

4. Leveraging Partnerships for Enhanced Attribution and Measurement

Alison highlights the importance of strategic partnerships with retail giants like Instacart and Walmart Connect. These collaborations enable NBCU to harness comprehensive data feedback loops, enhancing attribution accuracy and optimizing campaign performance in real-time.

“The power of what we're seeing and then taking it a step further, like what are the optimizations that we think that we should be doing to actually drive better results over time,” Alison states (20:10).

By integrating data from these partnerships, NBCU can provide advertisers with actionable insights, driving incremental sales and ensuring campaigns are both effective and accountable.

5. Engaging Stakeholders Across the Organization

A critical aspect of NBCU’s success in streaming commerce is the holistic engagement of various stakeholders within client organizations. Alison discusses how NBCU collaborates not just with CMOs but also with measurement and attribution teams, as well as tech partnership leads.

“Our conversations are CMO level creative because of how much we do in these big moments. Like brands tell their stories within our stories and our stories are massive,” Alison remarks (25:52).

This comprehensive approach ensures that advertising strategies are aligned with broader business objectives, fostering deeper partnerships and driving sustained growth.

6. Enhancing User Experience in Shopping and Streaming

Addressing challenges in the user experience, Alison acknowledges that while significant progress has been made, there is still work to be done to eliminate friction in the shopping process within streaming environments. She outlines two key focus areas:

1. Deeper Cart Integrations: Streamlining the add-to-cart process to make it more intuitive and less intrusive for viewers.

2. Second Screen Experiences: Developing cohesive shoppable experiences that bridge viewing on the big screen with interactions on mobile devices and other digital platforms.

“There's less like you got to go all the way through in that moment versus like adding to cart as we go,” she explains (26:26).

7. Personal Reflections: The Bravest Moment in Her Career

Concluding the episode, Alison shares a personal story about the bravest thing she has ever done in her career: applying for a high-stakes job at NBCUniversal despite self-doubt.

“It gave me that reflection moment I think that I needed, even though it deeply scared me during the process and I knew that it would ultimately likely result in me failing,” Alison confesses (28:13).

This experience, though challenging, ultimately empowered her to embrace opportunities beyond her comfort zone, leading to her current influential role at NBCU.

Conclusion

Alison Levin’s expertise and experiences offer a compelling narrative of how Connected TV advertising has matured and integrated commerce to drive measurable outcomes. Her insights underscore the importance of strategic partnerships, data-driven attribution, and seamless user experiences in the evolving eCommerce landscape. For brands looking to harness the full potential of streaming platforms, Alison’s perspectives provide a roadmap for navigating and excelling in this dynamic environment.

Notable Quotes:

• “We were really one of the first. And at the time, like iFood TV, it was such a nascent space, like no one knew what connected TV really was,” — Alison Levin (07:54)

• “I had a CMO who didn't believe that streaming would be a thing ever, and that it was for, you know, a couple of people and it would always be sort of the small minority,” — Alison Levin (12:18)

• “We have proven that this model has QR codes and you buy it off that like the model of a time bound savings and deal when it's tied within content that has reach really works,” — Alison Levin (18:05)

• “The power of what we're seeing and then taking it a step further, like what are the optimizations that we think that we should be doing to actually drive better results over time,” — Alison Levin (20:10)

• “Our conversations are CMO level creative because of how much we do in these big moments. Like brands tell their stories within our stories and our stories are massive,” — Alison Levin (25:52)

• “It gave me that reflection moment I think that I needed, even though it deeply scared me during the process and I knew that it would ultimately likely result in me failing,” — Alison Levin (28:13)

For those eager to delve deeper into the intersection of CTV and commerce, check out our additional episodes featuring Rich, GM of Walmart Connect, and Chris Rogers, Chief Business Officer of Instacart.