Strategus launches Blueprint tool to predict CTV outcomes using historical data
Strategus has launched Blueprint, an internal campaign-planning tool built in partnership with Convey that utilizes historical vertical data to predict advertising performance for CTV campaigns. The tool integrates third-party data from sources like The Trade Desk to assist Strategus's managed services team in optimizing media mix and audience targeting.
Key Takeaways
- Blueprint leverages 10 years of past campaign data to forecast performance for specific industry verticals.
- The tool integrates third-party data from The Trade Desk and Resonate to optimize media mix and audience segments.
- Beta testing with agency Jackson Spalding identified high-converting younger homeowner audiences previously overlooked by manual analysis.
- Strategus intentionally maintains Blueprint as an internal-only managed service tool to pair automated insights with human analysis.
Why It Matters
The shift from experimental CTV spending to outcome-based accountability is forcing managed service providers to bridge the gap between historical proof and future performance. By productizing years of proprietary vertical data, Strategus gives mid-market advertisers a way to simulate campaign effectiveness across fragmented platforms like The Trade Desk without the typical trial-and-error costs. This move signals a broader industry trend where the primary value of a managed service is shifting from manual execution to the ownership of exclusive analytical datasets that inform programmatic buying. Watch for whether rival DSPs or service layers respond with similar 'pre-flight' simulation tools to retain market share as budgets tighten.
Additional Context
The launch of Blueprint comes as the Connected TV market faces increasing pressure to prove ROI amid rapid budget expansion. Per eMarketer and IAB projections for 2026, U.S. CTV ad spend is expected to reach approximately $38 billion, representing a 14% year-over-year increase. This growth is increasingly concentrated in ad-supported tiers, which now account for a majority of viewer hours on major platforms. In this environment, the ability of managed service providers to automate reporting and prediction has become a critical competitive advantage. Strategus's technical foundation for Blueprint was bolstered by its partnership with Convey, a San Francisco-based enterprise AI firm that recently secured $38 million in Series A funding led by Andreessen Horowitz in June 2026. Per industry reporting from June 2026, Convey’s platform specializes in creating 'digital teammates' that automate back-office operations, including the ingestion of advertising assets and the reconciliation of campaign reporting at scale. These capabilities allow Strategus to pull disparate data points from across the programmatic ecosystem into a unified predictive model. This move toward data-driven accountability also aligns with current shifts in total television investment. For the first time, CTV upfront commitments are forecast to exceed primetime linear TV upfronts, reaching $17.73 billion in 2026 per Digital Applied and eMarketer data from June 2026. As linear TV spend continues its structural decline toward an 11% share of total U.S. ad spend, tools that can predict performance on addressable screens are replacing traditional reach and frequency models. Strategus’s decision to keep Blueprint as an internal-only interface highlights a growing tension in the B2B streaming sector: the desire for AI-driven automation versus the strategic necessity of a human-led managed service model.
Read full article at adexchanger.com
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