Why TV Advertising is Still the Ultimate Growth Hack for DTC Brands

The Evolution of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Marketing
Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands have revolutionized the way consumers discover and purchase products. Born in the digital age, many of these brands have scaled rapidly through social media, paid search, and influencer marketing. However, as digital advertising costs skyrocket and platform algorithms shift, brands are recognizing the need to diversify their marketing mix.

Television advertising—often overlooked by DTC brands in their early stages—has re-emerged as a powerful driver of growth. When used strategically, TV campaigns can dramatically increase brand awareness, lower customer acquisition costs (CAC), and unlock new audiences that digital ads struggle to reach.

In this blog, we’ll explore why TV advertising remains the ultimate growth hack for DTC brands, how it complements digital strategies, and how brands can successfully leverage TV to scale.

Why DTC Brands Can’t Rely Solely on Digital Anymore

DTC brands have traditionally relied on performance-driven digital marketing, but several industry changes have made this model less sustainable:

  1. Rising Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC)
  • Facebook & Instagram ad costs have surged—Meta’s CPMs (cost per thousand impressions) increased by 47% YoY in 2023.
  • Google search ads have become more competitive, driving up CPC (cost per click).
  • Apple’s iOS privacy updates have limited tracking, making it harder to attribute conversions accurately.
  1. Limited Scalability
  • Once brands saturate core digital channels, finding new audiences at the same efficiency becomes increasingly difficult.
  • Algorithm dependency—brands become overly reliant on the performance of social media platforms, which can change overnight.
  1. Diminishing Brand Trust in a Crowded Digital Landscape
  • Consumers are bombarded with thousands of digital ads daily, leading to ad fatigue and skepticism.
  • TV provides a credibility boost—studies show that brands advertising on television are perceived as more legitimate and trustworthy compared to those that only use social media.

These challenges make TV an essential part of a DTC brand’s growth playbook.

How TV Advertising Helps DTC Brands Scale

  1. TV Delivers Unmatched Reach & Brand Awareness

Television remains the most effective medium for mass reach. Unlike social media, where brands fight for attention in a crowded space, TV places your brand front and center on the big screen.

📊 Fact: TV ads drive 3.5x higher engagement than digital ads when measured across multiple devices. (Source: Nielsen)

TV’s ability to reach millions of consumers at once creates a halo effect, where people remember and trust brands they see on TV more than those they only encounter online.

  1. TV Unlocks New Audiences & Higher LTV Customers

Many DTC brands start by targeting digitally native consumers—typically younger demographics who shop online. However, older demographics (35+)—who often have higher disposable income—are heavily influenced by TV advertising.

🔹 Example: A premium mattress brand scaled from $20M to $200M+ in revenue after shifting from digital-only ads to a TV-first strategy, expanding its audience to include older, high-LTV (Lifetime Value) customers.

By incorporating Linear TV, CTV (Connected TV), and OTT (Over-The-Top) advertising, brands can engage both digital-first and traditional TV audiences, expanding beyond their initial niche.

  1. TV Lowers Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) Over Time

While TV ads require an upfront investment, the cost per acquisition (CPA) decreases as brand awareness builds.

🔹 How?

  • Unlike social media ads that disappear when budgets are paused, TV ads create lasting brand recognition.
  • Consumers exposed to both TV and digital ads are more likely to convert, lowering blended CAC.

📊 Fact: Brands that integrate TV into their marketing mix see an 18% lower CAC over time. (Source: eMarketer)

  1. TV Supercharges Digital Performance

One of the biggest misconceptions about TV advertising is that it can’t be measured. In reality, TV and digital work together seamlessly, and brands can track the impact of TV on their digital performance.

🔹 How TV boosts digital:

  • TV creates search demand—viewers who see an ad are likely to Google the brand, leading to higher organic traffic.
  • DTC brands often experience a 30-50% spike in branded search traffic immediately after launching a TV campaign.
  • Retargeting TV viewers with social and search ads increases conversion rates.

📊 Fact: 87% of TV viewers use a second screen (phone/tablet) while watching—a direct path to digital engagement. (Source: Google Consumer Insights)

Conclusion: Why TV is the Growth Engine for DTC Brands

In sum, TV can be a growth engine for DTC brands. DTC brands that rely only on digital are leaving growth on the table.

Television advertising:
✅ Expands audience reach
✅ Builds trust & credibility
✅ Lowers CAC over time
✅ Boosts digital performance

In today’s competitive landscape, TV isn’t just for legacy brands—it’s the ultimate growth hack for scaling DTC businesses.

Ready to take your DTC brand to the next level? Reach me at [email protected] and let’s talk about how TV can help you scale.