CTV Advisory Board: Johan Holm on programmatic CTV, measurement
and transparency

Connected TV continues to reshape the TV advertising landscape, combining the premium viewing environment of traditional television with the flexibility and precision of digital media buying.

As part of our CTV Advisory Board series, we spoke to Johan Holm, Nordic Director of Video Solutions at WPP Media, to discuss how programmatic has transformed CTV buying, how viewing habits continue to evolve across generations, and why greater transparency and measurement standards will shape the future of the industry.

About Johan Holm

Johan Holm is Nordic Director of Video Solutions at WPP Media, where he oversees digital video products across the Nordic region, including Connected TV (CTV) and Video on Demand (VOD). With nearly a decade of experience in advanced video solutions, Johan works closely with advertisers to develop effective video strategies that maximise the value of premium digital video.

Q1: How would you describe CTV’s role in the TV ecosystem?

For Holm, Connected TV is no longer simply an emerging channel. It has become an integral part of today’s TV ecosystem and a key component of modern video strategies.

While traditional television remains an important part of media plans, CTV sits alongside it as audiences increasingly shift towards more flexible viewing experiences. Rather than replacing linear TV, it complements the broader video landscape, alongside channels such as YouTube and open web video, giving advertisers new ways to reach audiences wherever they choose to watch.

“CTV sits in quite an important place because that is where we see traditional video moving towards.”

Q2: What has programmatic made possible in CTV so far?

According to Holm, programmatic has fundamentally changed how advertisers buy Connected TV by introducing far greater transparency into the process.

Historically, direct publisher buys provided relatively limited reporting, making it difficult to understand campaign performance beyond a handful of metrics. Programmatic buying has changed this by offering richer reporting and, more importantly, enabling advertisers to optimise campaigns while they are still live.

With greater visibility into campaign performance, advertisers can now refine frequency, targeting and delivery throughout a campaign, making media investment more efficient while improving overall performance.

“Programmatic buying has been a way to be much more transparent, but of course also optimise our way of buying CTV. ”

Q3: How are viewer habits changing?

Holm believes viewing behaviour continues to evolve across every generation, although the pace of change differs between age groups.

Older audiences continue to embrace Connected TV more gradually, often through subscription services provided by telecom operators. The appeal lies in flexibility, allowing viewers to watch programmes whenever it suits them rather than following traditional broadcast schedules. Younger audiences, meanwhile, have grown up with digital-first viewing habits. They expect content to be available whenever and wherever they want, consuming it across multiple devices and increasingly valuing access over appointment viewing.

Perhaps most interestingly, Holm points to middle-aged audiences as some of the fastest adopters. Having grown up with traditional television before embracing streaming services, they comfortably move between both worlds while increasingly favouring on-demand viewing.

“The middle-aged group… have grown up with the traditional way of watching TV but moved much more into content providers and being able to watch their favourite show whenever they want.”

Q4: What does good measurement look like for CTV?

As the Connected TV ecosystem continues to mature, Holm believes the industry’s focus must extend beyond campaign reporting towards measuring meaningful business outcomes.

While reach and incremental reach remain fundamental metrics, advertisers increasingly want to understand the broader impact of their investment, including return on investment, incremental sales and brand awareness. Some larger technology platforms are already providing these capabilities, but the wider ecosystem remains fragmented.

For Holm, the next step is greater collaboration across the industry to establish more consistent approaches to measurement, allowing advertisers to evaluate CTV performance with greater confidence across publishers and platforms.

“We need to see the CTV providers become more alike and find a way of measuring CTV… from reach and frequency through to brand awareness and sales.”

Looking Ahead

Holm’s perspective reflects a medium that is continuing to mature. As Connected TV becomes an increasingly established part of advertisers’ video strategies, programmatic buying is delivering the transparency, optimisation and accountability that marketers have long expected from digital media.

At the same time, changing viewer behaviour continues to reinforce CTV’s growing importance. The next stage of the industry’s evolution will depend on creating more consistent measurement standards, enabling advertisers to understand both the branding and business impact of their investment and unlocking the full potential of Connected TV.