3 Ways to Enhance Your Pharma CTV Campaigns

In May 2025, streaming viewership officially surpassed traditional linear television for the first time in history, a milestone that signals a lasting shift in how audiences consume content. Advertisers are responding accordingly, with significant dollars moving into Connected TV (CTV). Among pharma marketers specifically, 58% report plans to increase CTV advertising spend in 2026.
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This trend aligns with insights from our 2026 annual report, which notes that linear TV’s role as the centerpiece of pharma marketing strategy would continue to decline in favor of CTV and other digital channels. 

The appeal of adding CTV advertising in pharma media budgets is clear. It remains one of the most engaging advertising environments available, with video completion rates reaching up to 98% and viewability averaging around 99%. 

As CTV investment continues to accelerate, we sat down with Julia Maggio, PulsePoint’s CTV Solutions Lead, to understand the common pitfalls pharma marketers make when planning CTV campaigns and how they can rethink their strategies to improve performance. 

Here are the three ways, according to Julia, to improve your CTV strategy starting today.

1. Take an Audience First Approach to CTV

Many advertisers still plan CTV campaigns the same way they approach linear TV, starting with a publisher-first mindset and restricting buys to specific networks or platforms, Julia explains. But the real advantage of CTV lies in its ability to combine premium inventory with precise audience targeting.

Rather than focusing solely on specific publishers, pharma brands should prioritize reaching the right audiences across a broad range of premium, brand-safe inventory, Julia says. This helps brands truly meet the right viewers wherever they are streaming.

Solutions like PulsePoint’s CTV Curated Markets help make this possible by giving brands access to high-quality, brand-safe inventory across multiple publishers and marketplaces, while maintaining the control and transparency pharma advertisers need. It’s all possible to access these in one click.

Currently, PulsePoint offers three core Curated Markets to maximize scale and streamline setup. These CTV markets include:

• CTV/OTT Premier TV
• Efficient CPM CTV
• CTV/OTT Sports

For advertisers with guaranteed publisher deals, consolidating those buys into one platform like PulsePoint unlocks an audience-first approach because it provides a more holistic view of your audiences and deeper insights for planning and optimization.

2. Create Opportunities for Viewer Engagement

Many marketers assume CTV isn’t well suited for direct response because traditional ads aren’t clickable. But the absence of clicks doesn’t mean brands can’t engage viewers in meaningful ways.

“CTV doesn’t have to be a passive viewing experience,” Julia says. “With the right interactive tools, it can drive engagement and even help advertisers meet compliance requirements.”

The key is leaning into the new generation of high-impact CTV formats that are specifically designed to encourage viewer participation. Interactive ads and enhanced formats with overlays allow brands to turn traditionally lean-back and watch moments into more dynamic brand experiences.

Brands running CTV with PulsePoint can seamlessly activate these high-impact formats across a wide range of premium streaming inventory. For example, through our partnership with BrightLine, brands can incorporate interactive elements like trivia questions or information carousels that viewers can engage with directly using their remote. These formats invite viewers to take action without interrupting the streaming experience.

For pharmaceutical marketers in particular, Julia emphasizes the importance of creative solutions that balance engagement with regulatory requirements. One example is scrolling Important Safety Information (ISI), which allows brands to present critical safety information alongside video creative. By using a scrolling ISI overlay, brands can provide greater transparency while preserving the impact of the primary on-screen message.

PulsePoint also supports pause ads, which appear when a viewer pauses their streaming content. These moments naturally command attention, which means pause ads create a powerful opportunity for brands to extend visibility and reinforce messaging.

‍‍‍3. Ensure CTV is Part of Your Broader Omnichannel Strategy 

Rather than treating CTV as a standalone awareness tactic, pharma marketers should think about how it fits into the full patient or HCP journey. When integrated with other digital channels, CTV can serve as a powerful entry point that introduces a brand and drives deeper engagement across subsequent touchpoints.

“CTV shouldn’t be planned in a silo,” Julia says. “It performs best when it’s part of a broader omnichannel strategy that connects messaging across channels and devices.”

For example, brands can retarget viewers who were exposed to a CTV ad with display or video messaging on other devices, reinforcing key messages or guiding them toward additional information. Sequential messaging strategies can also be used to deliver tailored creative across channels, moving your target audience from high-level brand awareness to more detailed education and consideration over time.

By incorporating CTV into a coordinated omnichannel strategy, marketers can extend the impact of their campaigns, maintain consistent messaging, and more effectively move audiences down the funnel toward meaningful engagement.

Run Better Pharma CTV Ads on PulsePoint

Now that you know the three ways that you can improve your CTV strategy, it’s time to pick an advertising partner that can help you with these buys. Try PulsePoint today to get access to brand-safe CTV inventory, premium audience healthcare data, and expert advice to improve your campaigns.

To learn more about PulsePoint and how our CTV solutions can help your business, schedule a demo today.