IRIS.TV’s Field Garthwaite: Contextual Targeting Enables Privacy-First CTV Performance

Why It Matters

Contextual, privacy‑centric CTV targeting delivers measurable ROI and meets tightening data regulations, reshaping how advertisers allocate spend across digital TV platforms.

Key Takeaways

• Contextual CTV targeting doubles ROAS for Carl’s Jr.
• Privacy-first ads identify content, not viewer identity.
• IRIS IDs cover 40% of CTV inventory.
• Emotional context boosts brand consideration fivefold.
• Partnerships with Tubi and Whip expand reach.

Pulse Analysis

The rise of Connected TV has traditionally been anchored in brand awareness, but IRIS.TV’s contextual targeting model is redefining the medium as a performance engine. By converting shows and movies into granular video‑level data and pairing it with emotional cues, advertisers can now align messages with moments that naturally amplify relevance. This approach sidesteps the need for invasive identifiers, satisfying both consumer privacy expectations and emerging regulatory frameworks while still delivering precise, real‑time ad placements.

Advertisers are already seeing tangible financial benefits. The Carl’s Jr. campaign leveraged geotargeting and contextual signals to generate more than a two‑fold increase in return on ad spend, and a champagne brand reported a five‑times lift in purchase‑intent metrics when ads were tied to wedding and travel emotions. Such outcomes illustrate how emotional context can translate into higher brand consideration and direct sales, offering a compelling alternative to the test‑and‑learn cycles that dominate many digital channels.

IRIS.TV’s infrastructure, built around the proprietary IRIS ID, now spans over 40% of the CTV inventory, thanks to strategic alliances with platforms like Tubi and the Whip ad‑serving backbone. The expansion into live programming and sports slated for 2026 promises to extend these capabilities to premium, real‑time content, further blurring the line between entertainment and commerce. As advertisers seek measurable, privacy‑compliant solutions, IRIS.TV’s model positions CTV as a competitive, attribution‑focused channel within the broader digital advertising ecosystem.

Original Description

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — Connected TV is emerging as a performance channel, thanks to new ways of marshalling data that allow advertisers to zero in on consumers who are open to a brand’s offer. The only challenge, it seems, is convincing advertisers of the possibility after years of such promises by CTV platforms.

“Historically, there hasn’t been a lot of data. You didn’t necessarily know what was working, where it was working,” Field Garthwaite, co-founder and CEO of IRIS.TV, told Beet.TV contributor David Kaplan at the Beet Retreat LA. “Now there’s capabilities where you can actually connect this through to understand what really is driving the performance outcomes. It’s starting to come right up against these demand capture tools.”

This shift transforms television from pure awareness medium to channel that competes directly with attribution-focused platforms for advertising dollars.

Emotional context drives measurable outcomes

IRIS.TV converts TV shows and movies into video-level data through partnerships with companies like Wurl providing emotional data sets that identify viewer sentiment in the two minutes before ad breaks.

Garthwaite pointed to the work IRIS.TV did with burger chain Carl’s Jr. They used geotargeting combined with contextual signals around store locations to drive foot traffic and sales, achieving “more than 2x better return on ad spend” than campaign norms, he said, calling the approach “always-on” rather than “test-and-learn.”

In another example involving an unidentified entertainment brand, IRIS.TV helped drive a 20% higher tune-in for a major show release at lower cost than alternatives through contextual targeting. Elsewhere, a champagne brand associated its product with weddings, travel, and emotions like anticipation or excitement. Those connections drove 5x improvement in brand consideration at the checkout counter.

Privacy-first real-time targeting

IRIS.TV enables privacy-first targeting by identifying what content is being viewed without tracking viewer identity. That, in turn, lets brands place ads during specific dramatic moments or comedic scenes when messages are more likely to resonate.

“We know exactly what’s being viewed, but we don’t know who you are,” Garthwaite said. “So we know it’s this emotion or it’s an actual comedic moment so that ad is actually going to really land. People are going to remember the brand and actually think about it more favorably.”

Incorporating contextual signals into identity-based planning requires working with brand and agency partners to analyze briefs, creative assets, and vertical-specific performance data before testing and optimizing.

CTV scale rises

IRIS.TV created over 90 million IRIS IDs for TV shows and movies, a new data signal distinct from mobile advertising IDs, cookies, household IDs, or IP addresses that required building infrastructure from scratch, Garthwaite noted.

Recent partnership with Tubi expanded reach significantly, with Whip serving as backbone for much of the free ad-supported streaming ecosystem and powering providers including FIFA ahead of major events in 2025.

“Those inventory partners that now we’ve enabled with the IRIS ID have increased our coverage to over 40% of the CTV ecosystem,” Garthwaite said.

The company is expanding into live content and live sports. It’s got solutions already rolling out as major partner launches are expected in 2026.

“We’re really excited about those capabilities in 2026,” Garthwaite said.