Perpetual Traffic Podcast:
"5 Secrets of AdRoll's CTV Breakthrough REVEALED With Vibhor Kapoor"
Date: December 5, 2025
Hosts: Ralph Burns & Lauren Petrullo
Guest: Vibhor Kapoor – Chief Business Officer, NextRoll (parent company of AdRoll)
Episode Overview
In this episode, hosts Ralph Burns and Lauren Petrullo welcome Vibhor Kapoor to illuminate how AdRoll has transformed from its origins as a retargeting platform into a modern, multi-channel, full-funnel advertising solution—with a particular focus on Connected TV (CTV). Vibhor reveals the myths and practical advantages of CTV for performance marketers and shares how NextRoll leverages cross-channel attribution and AI to optimize marketing across social, display, and CTV. The conversation is packed with insights for agencies, CMOs, and business owners looking to diversify spend, improve attribution, and tap into high-performing channels beyond the social giants.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Evolution of AdRoll & NextRoll
[07:45–10:11]
- AdRoll’s transformation: From a retargeting-only platform to a “connected advertising platform” offering full-funnel, multichannel campaigns for both B2C and B2B.
- Platform integrations: Deep connections to major CRMs (Shopify, HubSpot, Salesforce) for seamless campaign orchestration and attribution.
- Channel expansion: Beyond display, AdRoll now supports campaigns across social (esp. LinkedIn for ABM) and, crucially, CTV.
- Key Quote:
“We have campaign strategies you can activate at any stage, not just retargeting … across both B2C and B2B, full stages of the funnel, and also across channels.”
— Vibhor Kapoor [08:05]
2. Social and Cross-Channel Attribution
[10:11–17:17]
- Social involvement: AdRoll’s cross-channel attribution product integrates campaign data from social, allowing marketers to judge effectiveness, including on LinkedIn.
- Attribution models: Offers flexibility between first-click, last-click, and weighted models, giving marketers a more holistic, deduplicated understanding of channel impact.
- Optimizing spend: The platform’s new AI tools help marketers make smarter, data-backed budget shifts between channels.
- The pain point: Marketers struggle with channel “triplicate” attribution—AdRoll aims to solve this.
- Memorable Exchange:
“You need a global view. Hey, business owners with a ton of different agencies? If they’re not talking to each other, neither are your revenue-driving systems.”
— Lauren Petrullo [17:17]
3. The Rise and Opportunity of Connected TV (CTV)
[21:42–32:34]
- What is CTV?: “TVs connected to the internet; OTT covers all internet-streaming devices but CTV is specifically TVs.”
— Vibhor Kapoor [22:39] - Audience trends:
- Avg. US adult spends 2.37 hours/day watching streaming TV. [24:04]
- Streaming TV now rivals or surpasses traditional (linear) TV in time spent.
- Attention factor:
- CTV impressions have 8x the attention span of social and 16x that of display! [25:20]
- Affordable and precise:
- CPMs have dropped from $40–$50 to the “high teens” depending on targeting [28:31].
- Enables highly granular targeting (demographics, behaviors)—a feature lost on platforms like Meta after policy changes.
Key Quote:
“CTV is the reach of TV with the personalization of web and display—the best of both worlds.”
— Vibhor Kapoor [27:45]
4. CTV as a Full-Funnel Performance Channel
[30:31–35:57]
- Myth busting:
- CTV is not just for big brands or awareness; it’s now approachable (and measurable!) for mid-market and smaller businesses.
- Performance Workflow:
- AdRoll has invested in an “identity graph” linking household TV identifiers with web activity, enabling audience retargeting between devices/platforms.
- Now possible to retarget web visitors on CTV and vice versa.
- Third-party measurement assures accurate, non-biased results (e.g., Innovid partnership).
- Memorable Quote:
“You actually should think about [CTV] as a performance channel as well … When you think about the channels in concert, and you deliver a consistent message … think about a CTV ad, and you’re able to retarget someone with display.”
— Vibhor Kapoor [31:16]
5. Real-World Performance Results (Case Studies)
[38:15–41:55]
- Diverse verticals:
- Clean tech (solar panels), education (community college targeting local students), B2B conferences, and event experiences all using CTV for targeted local or specialized campaigns.
- The kicker:
- A tech company saw 2–3x better ROAS from CTV versus other video channels.
- Key Quote:
“After they ran their CTV campaign, their performance was 2–3x better than what they saw with another channel.”
— Vibhor Kapoor [41:35]
6. Best Practices & The Future of CTV
[42:10–44:48]
- Common concerns:
- “Do I have the creative for CTV?” Answer: Yes! You can repurpose social video content (as short as 6–8 seconds) for CTV ads, especially with AI-powered creative tools.
- Next frontier – Interactivity:
- Soon, CTV ads will let viewers pause, interact, shop via QR codes, flip product colors, etc.—enhancing direct response even further.
- Why act now:
- Lower CPMs, flexible creative requirements, and advanced targeting are making CTV accessible in ways previously only available to major brands.
Key Quotes:
“Creative is no longer a barrier to adoption; if you have social content, you can easily use that as source content to create CTV ads…”
— Vibhor Kapoor [42:52]
“Interactivity is the next frontier that I’m excited about in CTV.”
— Vibhor Kapoor [44:39]
7. Practical Takeaways for 2025/2026 Planning
[42:10–46:56]
- Don’t silo CTV for brand awareness only—integrate sequential targeting & retargeting for real performance.
- Creative requirements are minimal—reuse and adapt what you already have.
- CTV is a true multi-device, multi-touch, high-attention channel—with attribution tools to match.
Key Takeaway Quote:
“Personalization and reach: best of both worlds—add [CTV] to your mix. … CPM no longer a barrier, creative no longer a barrier.”
— Vibhor Kapoor [46:02]
Memorable Moments & Quotes with Timestamps
-
On Attribution & Channel Performance:
“We look at UTM performance across multiple channels and give you different attribution models … You can see which channel is having what contribution at every funnel stage.”
— Vibhor Kapoor [11:27] -
On Cross-Agency Collaboration:
“If agencies aren’t talking to each other, neither are your revenue-driving systems. … I need to know the halo lift … This competition field is coming to an end.”
— Lauren Petrullo [17:17] -
On CTV’s Targeting Power:
“I’m getting Facebook 2016 vibes—this kind of targeting and accessibility … with funnel tracking and ROI component—including behaviors and demographic elements we used to be able to do.”
— Lauren Petrullo [29:23]
Segment Timestamps (For Quick Reference)
- [07:45] AdRoll’s platform evolution and new channels
- [10:11] Social integration and attribution models
- [17:17] AI optimization & agency collaboration
- [21:42] CTV defined and why it matters
- [24:04] CTV viewing stats and attention span value
- [28:31] Decline in CTV CPMs and targeting improvements
- [31:16] Full-funnel CTV strategy & identity graph technology
- [38:15] Case studies/results: solar, education, B2B, events
- [42:10] Creative barriers and CTV experimentation
- [44:39] Interactive future of CTV
- [46:02] CPMs, creative, personalization—a new mix
Resources/Where to Connect
- Learn more: adroll.com / NextRoll
- Connect with Vibhor Kapoor on LinkedIn
- Additional case studies and resources: perpetualtraffic.com
Tone & Style
The conversation is energetic and hands-on, with Lauren and Ralph peppering Vibhor with both strategic and technical questions. Vibhor keeps the discussion focused on practical benefits and actionable strategies, repeatedly dispelling myths that keep smaller advertisers from considering CTV.
Final Takeaways
- CTV is now a performance channel, not just a brand-awareness play.
- CPMs are increasingly competitive, creative requirements are low, and targeting is powerful—making CTV accessible downmarket.
- With new identity tech and cross-channel attribution, you can track, optimize, and grow across screens and platforms.
- 2026 marketers: Add CTV with confidence—it’s measurable, scalable, and, with interactivity on the horizon, only getting hotter.
“Great marketing isn’t focused on one or two channels. Audience spends time across multiple channels—so you have to measure, optimize, and keep looking at your media mix.”
— Vibhor Kapoor [20:47]
For more episode resources and detailed show notes, visit perpetualtraffic.com.