Every new year brings the same ritual: budgets get reshuffled, strategies get questioned, and someone inevitably asks…
“Do we still need video?”
Short answer? Yes — and probably more than you think.
In 2026, video isn’t competing with performance marketing. It’s fueling it. And brands that treat video as a “nice-to-have” are often the same ones wondering why their CPAs are creeping up and their growth feels capped.
The Big Media Myth (That Won’t Go Away)
Somewhere along the way, “performance” became synonymous with digital only. But consumers didn’t get the memo.
Today’s reality:
- People watch TV while scrolling
- They discover brands on the big screen
- They convert on their phones
According to Nielsen, adults in the U.S. still spend over 4 hours per day watching TV, making it one of the most powerful reach vehicles available. Meanwhile, CTV ad spending is expected to surpass $40B in 2026, proving that video is evolving — not disappearing.
Consumers didn’t abandon video. Media plans did.
What We See When Video Is Part of the Plan
1. Performance Gets Better When Video Goes First
For emerging brands especially, social media marketing alone can only go so far.
We’ve worked with brands that launched with strong paid social programs — clicks were coming in, but conversions stalled. Once linear TV and CTV were introduced to build awareness and trust, things shifted:
- Conversion rates improved
- Retargeting pools grew
- CPAs dropped across digital
Why? Because people were no longer meeting the brand for the first time at checkout.
According to Nielsen, TV advertising drives over 2x the brand lift compared to digital-only campaigns — which directly impacts downstream performance.
Performance works harder when video does the heavy lifting first.
2. Tentpole Moments Still Create Real Momentum
Live events and high-attention programming continue to deliver what algorithms can’t: scale, attention, and immediacy.
Across multiple Diray Media campaigns, aligning TV investment with:
- Live programming
- Seasonal shopping moments
- Event-driven viewing
resulted in:
- Immediate spikes in site traffic
- Increases in branded search
- Sustained lift in digital conversions after spots aired
That’s not coincidence — it’s momentum. Research from iSpot.tv shows that TV ads can drive up to a 20–30% lift in website visitation within minutes of airing.
When TV creates the moment, digital captures the action.
3. Linear + CTV Is the Sweet Spot
The smartest media plans in 2026 aren’t choosing sides.
They’re combining:
- Linear TV for reach and credibility
- CTV for targeting, flexibility, and retargeting
In practice, this means:
- Smarter frequency control
- Broader household reach
- Better alignment across the funnel
According to Comscore, campaigns that integrate linear and CTV see higher incremental reach than either channel alone — without oversaturating audiences.
It’s not linear or CTV. It’s linear and CTV.
The Biggest Mistake Brands Make in January
… Waiting
Too many brands push video planning to “later,” only to run into:
- Limited premium inventory
- Higher costs
- Missed tentpole opportunities
Meanwhile, brands that plan video early lock in better pricing, better placements, and better performance outcomes — all year long.
January planning creates December results.
Video Isn’t a Line Item — It’s a Growth Driver
The 2026 media reality is simple:
- Awareness fuels performance
- Video fuels awareness
- Total Video fuels growth
When video is integrated intentionally — not tacked on — it becomes the engine behind stronger, more efficient campaigns across every screen.
Planning for 2026? Let’s Talk Video.
Diray Media partners with brands to build custom Total Video strategies that connect awareness, performance, and measurable outcomes — without wasted spend or guesswork.
Because growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by design.