Research shows the extreme importance of building targeted brand awareness.
For the third consecutive year, 6sense’s Buyer Experience Report has tracked how B2B buyers make purchasing decisions. Each year, the data grows more stark:
- Buying groups fill about 80% of their vendor shortlists on day one of their buying journey (before they start doing focused research, and long before they talk any sales reps)
- 95% ultimately buy from that initial list.
- 94% of buyers have already ranked potential vendors before ever engaging with a salesperson
- 77% of the time, the company that’s the buying group’s first choice before direct contact with any sellers ultimately gets the deal.
Three years of evidence points to an uncomfortable truth: The era of capturing demand isn’t over, but if buyers don’t begin their journey with some intent to consider your brand, it’s nearly impossible to win the current deal cycle.
“Buyers say that they put four out of the five vendors they’re going to evaluate on the short list on day one of their buying journey,” notes Kerry Cunningham, Head of Research and Thought Leadership at 6sense, in a podcast on brand building. “If they don’t know you already on day one of the buying journey, your chances of selling them something later on are dramatically lower.”
This reality is driving a fundamental shift in B2B marketing strategy and spawning new approaches to technology.
Last week, 6sense announced the launch of Connected TV advertising within its Revenue Marketing platform, bringing account-level targeting and buying signal intelligence to premium streaming platforms including ESPN, NBC, Fox, Roku, and Samsung.
So now you can run ads like this:
Unlike existing CTV offerings that rely on broad demographic targeting, 6sense’s platform uses the same account intelligence and intent data that powers its demand generation tools. Marketers can target specific companies based on firmographic fit, buying stage signals, intent data, and individual personas within target accounts, then measure how exposed accounts progress through buying stages over time.
The move reflects growing recognition among B2B marketers that traditional demand generation focused on capturing buyers who raise their hands misses the critical period when vendor preferences actually form.
The B2B budget misallocation starving future pipeline
The challenge stems from what researchers call “the 95/5 rule” — the observation that only 5% of a company’s potential customers are actively in-market at any given time. But even that framing misses important nuance, according to new analysis from 6sense and marketing agency Stein.
Their joint research, detailed in the report “Winning in the Brand-to-Demand Zone,” reveals a more complex picture: 60% of potential buyers are out of market but continuously absorbing brand impressions, 34% are actively exploring and evaluating solutions, and just 6% are ready to make purchase decisions.
“Most B2B organizations allocate 70-80% of budget to demand programs targeting the handful of buyers in late-stage buying,” write researchers Marc Keating of Stein and Kerry Cunningham of 6sense in the report. “This misallocation has consequences: cost-per-lead inflation, missed opportunities to shape consideration before shortlists form, lower-funnel performance issues due to lack of brand awareness across the buying group.”
The problem compounds because modern B2B purchases involve an average of 10+ stakeholders who conduct most of their research independently before contacting vendors. Companies must be known across entire buying groups, not just by individual champions.
Research from LinkedIn and Bain & Company, cited in the 6sense/Stein report, found that “vendors are 20x more likely to be bought from when known by the whole buying group compared to when recommended only by experts.”
“You can’t win deals you’re not invited to compete for. And you won’t get invited if you’re not top of mind when shortlists form.”
Why brand gravity matters now
This dynamic creates what marketing consultant Lisa Cole calls “brand gravity” in her recent book of the same name. Brand gravity is the force that keeps potential buyers in orbit around your brand so they think of you first when needs emerge.
“Brand gravity equals brand mass plus brand proximity,” Cole writes in “Brand Gravity: How to Create Magnetic Pull in the Age of Buying Groups.” Brand mass encompasses the tactics that draw buyers toward you: thought leadership, analyst coverage, customer advocacy. Brand proximity means being present where your buyers are, through sponsorships, community participation, and advertising.
Building targeted brand awareness with streaming TV
Most B2B companies struggle to build brand gravity cost-effectively at scale, particularly when marketing budgets face pressure and immediate pipeline demands dominate planning cycles.
6sense’s CTV platform solves this by embedding streaming TV advertising into existing account-based marketing workflows. Marketers can use the same 6sense audience segments they’ve built for email, display, and other channels by selecting accounts based on ideal customer profile fit scores — and then layering in intent signals and buying stage data to maintain air cover as buying processes unfold.
The platform connects to 20+ premium streaming services and automatically optimizes bidding to secure inventory, removing manual CPM management. Campaigns launch within 24 hours once creative assets are uploaded.
More significantly, the system tracks how accounts exposed to CTV ads progress through buying stages over quarters, allowing marketing leaders to connect brand investment to future pipeline creation — measurement traditionally difficult for awareness campaigns.
Industry data suggests Connected TV delivers engagement far exceeding other digital formats. CTV ads achieve roughly 95% completion rates. Viewability rates exceed 90%, outperforming all other digital advertising formats.
For B2B specifically, CTV offers distinct advantages. The full-screen, audio-on format commands attention during premium content when viewers are relaxed and receptive. Unlike display ads that compete with article content, or social media that gets scrolled past, CTV ads run during natural breaks in chosen entertainment.
“CTV gives customers premium placements with full attention,” says Adam Kaiser, VP of Brand Growth at 6sense. “It’s the best way to reach B2B buyers on the big screen, build brand awareness with an ICP, and create the air cover needed to make display and email campaigns more effective.”
Rebalancing marketing strategy
The deeper shift may be strategic rather than tactical. Multiple research streams now point toward the same conclusion: B2B companies have over-indexed on demand capture at the expense of brand building, creating a pipeline problem that manifests quarters or years later when buyers don’t know you exist.
As Marc Keating and Cunningham write in “Winning in the Brand-to-Demand Zone,” success “in the B2D Zone requires a fundamental shift from pure campaign-based thinking to incorporate always-on orchestration, from funnel stages to buying journeys.”
They cite research from the LinkedIn showing that organizations balancing brand and demand investment see 208% more marketing-generated revenue, 30% lower customer acquisition costs, 40% shorter sales cycles, and 2.5x higher win rates compared to those focused primarily on demand capture.
The challenge is organizational as much as tactical. Brand and demand teams often operate in silos with different KPIs, measurement frameworks, and planning cycles. Unifying these functions requires not just new tools but new ways of working and thinking about marketing’s role.
“The days of disconnected brand and demand are ending,” the Stein/6sense report concludes. “Buyers demand seamless experiences. Technology enables orchestration. Data reveals the path. The only question is whether you’ll lead this transformation or follow competitors who do.”
What marketing leaders should do now
For marketing leaders, the accumulated research suggests several immediate actions.
First, audit current budget allocation between brand building and demand capture. Most organizations will find they’re over-weighted toward short-term demand at the expense of future pipeline which is a defensible position when boards want immediate results, but strategically dangerous when compounded over years.
Second, identify the “invisible 60%:” high-fit accounts currently out of market but likely to buy within 12-24 months. These accounts need brand exposure, not demand generation tactics that assume active evaluation.
Third, build measurement frameworks that connect brand investment to future pipeline creation rather than immediate conversions. This requires tracking how brand-exposed accounts progress through buying stages over quarters, not just weeks.
Finally, consider how channels like CTV can efficiently build awareness across entire buying committees. As the research makes clear, deals increasingly require consensus across 10+ stakeholders. Reaching them all can become cost-prohibitive. Brand channels that build broad awareness become economically necessary.
The shift from pure demand capture to balanced brand-building represents more than tactical evolution. It reflects a fundamental change in how B2B buying works and requires rethinking how marketing delivers value and proves impact.
“You can’t win deals you’re not invited to compete for,” Cunningham notes in explaining the day-one shortlist problem. “And you won’t get invited if you’re not top of mind when shortlists form.”
FAQ: Connected TV advertising in 6sense
What makes 6sense CTV different from traditional TV advertising or other CTV platforms?
6sense Connected TV integrates with your existing account-based marketing strategy, using the same segments, signals, and intelligence that power your highest-performing campaigns. Unlike traditional TV advertising that buys broad demographic reach, or standalone CTV platforms that require separate workflows, 6sense CTV targets specific accounts within your ICP using the company’s Signalverse™ technology. You can target based on Account Fit scores for initial brand awareness, then layer intent data and buying stage signals to maintain air cover as buying processes begin. This means you’re building awareness with accounts that matter, not wasting impressions on irrelevant audiences.
What are the technical requirements for CTV video ads?
6sense supports 6, 15, 30, 45, and 60-second video ads, with 15 and 30-second formats recommended for optimal inventory availability. Video should be high-definition (720p or 1080p), with 1080p preferred for most premium placements. All ads must include audio — silent display creative repurposed for CTV won’t perform effectively. File size limit is 256MB. CTV ads cannot include click-through URLs since the format doesn’t support user interaction during viewing.
Which streaming platforms and networks does 6sense CTV reach?
At launch, 6sense offers 20+ premium streaming platforms including Fox, Roku, Samsung, Warner Brothers, ESPN, NBC, and LG. The company has deliberately curated this list to focus on high-quality brand environments rather than offering every available CTV platform. This ensures brands appear alongside trusted content in contexts that reinforce positioning.
How does targeting work for CTV campaigns? Can I use persona targeting?
Yes, CTV campaigns support the same targeting capabilities as other 6sense advertising programs. You can target by account segments, intent signals, buying stage, firmographics, technographics, and personas. One important note: persona targeting is currently available for United States audiences only, so you’ll want to layer country targeting if using persona filters. For global campaigns without persona targeting, CTV is available for all regions where 6sense operates.
How does 6sense identify which households to target with CTV ads?
6sense uses a combination of IP addresses and email addresses to connect accounts and buying group members to their streaming devices and services. The methodology is similar to programmatic display targeting — the system ties business email addresses to personal email addresses (which buyers typically use for streaming service accounts), then delivers ads when those authenticated users stream content. This is household-level targeting, meaning others in the home will also see ads intended for your target buyer.
What campaign objectives work best for CTV advertising?
CTV excels at brand awareness, reputation, brand sentiment, and category positioning campaigns. It’s particularly effective for reaching out-of-market accounts (the 60% not currently buying), building brand familiarity that translates to future shortlist inclusion. CTV also supports demand programs — buyers who’ve seen your CTV ads respond better to display, email, and sales outreach. CTV is less suited for direct response or late-stage conversion campaigns, as the format doesn’t support clicks or immediate engagement.
Should I use broad targeting or narrow account lists for CTV?
Start broad, then refine based on performance data. CTV performs best with larger audience sizes — this is a brand-building format that benefits from scale. Unlike targeted display or email where you might focus on 50-100 high-priority accounts, CTV campaigns typically target 500+ accounts for optimal delivery and impact. For global campaigns, consider running two parallel tracks: a broad brand awareness campaign without persona targeting, and a U.S.-focused campaign with persona filters for more precise messaging.
How does budget and pricing work? What should I expect for CPM?
Unlike other 6sense advertising where you set CPMs manually, CTV automatically optimizes CPM bidding to ensure you get the best available inventory for your budget. You simply set your total budget and daily spend caps. This automated optimization removes one of the most common friction points in campaign setup and ensures you don’t underbid and miss premium inventory. (Better to have your ad run during a live game or binge-worthy show than during the latest rebroadcast of “VelociPastor.”)
What metrics should I track for CTV campaign performance?
Accounts reached, distribution by platform, and buying stage progression for exposed accounts. The most important strategic metric is brand contribution to pipeline — measuring how accounts exposed to CTV progress through buying stages and ultimately convert compared to non-exposed accounts.
How does CTV integrate with my other marketing programs?
CTV works best as part of an orchestrated brand-to-demand strategy. Use 6sense’s Intelligent Workflows to coordinate CTV brand building with demand capture programs. For example: run CTV to all out-of-market ICP accounts based on Account Fit scores, then automatically trigger display and email sequences when those accounts show intent signals indicating they’ve entered the exploration phase. This orchestrated approach ensures seamless progression from brand awareness through demand conversion.
Can I run CTV campaigns to existing customers?
Absolutely. CTV is great for customer expansion, product launches to installed base, and renewal preparation. Create segments of customers approaching renewal dates or that fit the profile for upsell opportunities, then use CTV to showcase expanded capabilities, new features, or customer success stories. This keeps your brand top-of-mind and can accelerate expansion conversations.
How quickly can I launch a CTV campaign?
Once creative is uploaded and approved, campaigns can launch within 24 hours. The workflow mirrors existing 6sense advertising setup: select or create your segment, set flight dates and budget, choose your creative, review, and launch. The main lead time requirement is video creative production, which can take several weeks if you’re starting from scratch. For organizations with existing video assets, adding CTV can happen in a single planning cycle.
