Podcast Summary: DTC Podcast

Episode Title: Bonus: CTV for DTC: How Cantrip Drives Measurable Growth with Vibe.co’s Audience‑First Strategy
Date: October 22, 2025

Brief Overview of the Episode

This episode of the DTC Podcast explores how direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand Cantrip leverages Connected TV (CTV) for growth using Vibe.co, a platform that transforms streaming television into a highly measurable, performance acquisition channel. Host Eric Dick welcomes Adam (CEO of Cantrip) and Artur (CEO & Co-Founder of Vibe.co) to discuss escalating CTV as a viable alternative to platforms like Meta, the unique opportunities it offers for age-restricted and “sensitive” categories, the future of AI-driven creative, and best practices for DTC marketers entering TV advertising. The conversation is candid, tactical, and full of actionable insights for brands considering or scaling CTV as part of their media mix.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. What Sets Vibe.co Apart in the CTV Landscape

• Audience-first, hyper-targeted approach:
  Artur explains Vibe.co’s differentiation:

  “What really differentiates Vibe from any other player is our ability to hyper target. We have buyer profiles, solely using our own data…This allows us to be hyper targeted.” (00:00, 06:55)

• Transactional data advantage:
  Vibe builds on its large data set to recommend optimal targeting, paralleling the precision of leading social platforms.
• Sensitive category expertise:
  Vibe has developed ad inventory relationships so “brands like Cantrip can legally and effectively advertise THC products on TV, which is not possible on Meta or Google.” (07:22)

2. Cantrip’s Journey: From Meta Struggles to CTV Success

• Brand background:
  Adam shares Cantrip's evolution from a marijuana dispensary brand to a hemp-derived, multi-channel DTC and retail brand. (01:30)
• Limitations of traditional channels:
  Adam details the heavy restrictions on Meta and the inability to frankly advertise THC products:

  “On Meta, I can't say that there’s THC in the product. I’m using plant emojis for everything…On Vibe, I can just run an ad that says, hey, I sell weed.” (01:58)

• Brand lift from TV presence:
  A TV spot provides prestige and the mass-market illusion of scale:

  “When people see you on TV, that creates a lot of trust…It really gives the effect to people that we're much bigger than we are.” (02:15, 02:35)

3. Measuring and Optimizing CTV Performance

• Transparent, actionable dashboard:
  Adam praises Vibe’s performance dashboard, noting ease of use and data transparency compared to Meta:

  “The performance dashboard will pretty much pull any metric I want…Vibe makes that pretty easy to see.” (03:45)

• Custom audiences:
  Integration with Klaviyo and custom audiences enables sophisticated retargeting and measurement.
• Attribution and ROAS:
  CTV can rival or beat Meta’s ROAS, though attribution, especially for offline (retail) impact, remains a challenge.

4. Smart Scaling and Targeting on CTV

• Start small, scale thoughtfully:
  Artur advises brands to begin with $50-100k and scale up based on performance, warning against blowing entire budgets upfront:

  “Don't spend that million... let's scale progressively and then we'll see.” (13:23)

• Audience segments and creative matching:
  Adam describes distinct CTV targeting, focusing on segments like craft beer lovers or health/wellness audiences, and using Vibe’s bespoke THC beverage audience. (09:14)
• Comparing CTV to single-network buys:
  Adam questions the logic of buying direct from a single channel (e.g. Paramount) when Vibe offers broad reach and efficiency:

  “How do you justify going through a single network CTV platform when something like Vibe exists and you have 250 networks...?” (00:19, 15:53)

5. Creative Strategies for CTV

• AI-generated creatives & best formats:
  Adam details his multi-tool AI workflow (Sora, Midjourney, Veo) and shares that simple, demo-focused ads and testimonials perform best:

  “You can be super creative and spend half a million…whereas you can spend almost $0…with VO3 and have something that talks about your product…that works.” — Artur (25:00)

• Volume and freshness:
  Frequent refreshes are necessary; AI enables cost-effective, rapid creative testing.

6. The Future: AI, Hyperpersonalization, & the New Role of Creators

• Mass adoption of AI creative:
  Artur forecasts:

  "95% of ads you’ll see on TV will be AI generated…The next step will be scale, especially because DTC brands are flooding into CTV." (27:11)

• Personalized, household-level targeting:
  Vibe provides granular data (income, occupation, kids in the household, etc.), enabling exclusions and hyper-personal targeting. (28:39)
• Emergence of new roles:
  Adam predicts the rise of the “AI Creator” as a separate role to manage content generation and optimization.

7. The Incrementality & ‘Halo’ Effect of CTV

• CTV improves entire media mix:
  CTV not only performs directly (ROAS), but boosts performance across Meta/Search, and creates brand excitement (“the billboard effect”).
• MMM and incrementality:

  "There is direct performance, but then there is the impact that you're getting on your meta campaign, your search campaign…TV has that halo effect." — Artur (34:13)

8. Practical Action Steps for DTC Brands

• Adam’s Q4 priorities:
  • Generate more creative
  • Ramp up A/B testing and audience segmentation
  • Optimize email flows and integration with Vibe
  • Hire for A/B testing and AI content generation roles (35:12)
• Artur’s offer:

  “Go to Vibe, co, book a call, say that you come from this podcast and you'll get 50% credit match on your first month spend. That's a risk-free, sweet offer for anyone to test.” (37:32)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The Pain of Meta Restrictions:

  “On Meta, I can't say that there's THC in the product…Everything is sideways. On Vibe, I can just run an ad that says, hey, I sell weed.” — Adam (01:58)

• TV's Perceived Prestige:

  “When people see you on TV, that creates a lot of trust…It really gives the effect to people that we're much bigger than we are.” — Adam (02:15)

• Approach to Scaling:

  "Don't spend that million... let's scale progressively and then we'll see." — Artur (13:23)

• AI’s Role in Creative:

  “95% of ads that you will see on TV will be AI generated…creative generation is becoming a commodity.” — Artur (27:11)

• On the New Role of the 'AI Creator':

  “We're gonna start to see a whole new role…instead of graphic designer, it'll be AI Creator…somebody who's really well versed in these tools and is keeping up with all the changes." — Adam (35:12)

• The Halo Effect:

  “There is direct performance, but then there is the impact that you are getting on your meta campaign, your search campaign, influencer campaigns…TV has that halo effect." — Artur (34:13)

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 – 02:00: Vibe.co’s positioning and Cantrip’s backstory
• 03:45 – 05:45: Cantrip’s experience measuring CTV results
• 06:55 – 08:39: How Vibe hyper-targets and unlocks ‘sensitive’ categories
• 09:14 – 11:49: Audience segmentation and real-world use cases for targeting
• 12:03 – 13:48: Scaling strategy for CTV versus Meta
• 15:53 – 18:38: Debate on single network vs. multi-network buying on CTV
• 20:01 – 22:25: Adam’s payback window, ROAS, and the branding effect
• 23:05 – 26:18: AI creative workflow and best practices
• 27:11 – 30:10: Future of AI in creative, hyperpersonalization, new job roles
• 32:56 – 33:38: Vibe.co growth story and the robust CTV market
• 34:13 – 34:59: The incremental, holistic impact of CTV
• 35:12 – 37:32: Action items and special offer for DTC listeners

Takeaways for DTC Brands

• CTV can now be as performance-driven, measurable, and targeted as social—especially with platforms like Vibe.co.
• Niche and regulated brands (e.g., THC, alcohol) can benefit from CTV’s looser restrictions and the ability to “speak plainly.”
• Start with retargeting for guaranteed returns, scale budget gradually, and continually test/refresh creatives.
• AI is revolutionizing ad creative—simplicity and clarity still win, and soon, nearly all CTV ads will be AI-generated.
• There’s a window for DTCs to gain “big brand” prestige and impact at attainable budgets—now is the time to test and build!

For further insights, connect with the guests on LinkedIn or Twitter, and mention the DTC Podcast for a special offer when reaching out to Vibe.co.