Just how do consumers engage with “shoppable TV,” the latest sexy sales platform marketers are salivating over? A new report from Roku and Dentsu shows that, as streaming becomes a dominant mode of TV consumption, advertisers are reimagining what’s possible with shoppable TV and how to best engage with consumers.
The study finds that consumers are increasingly open to shopping directly from their TV screens, and what ultimately drives engagement is the perceived value of the exchange.
“Whether it’s exclusive offers, time savings, or personalized recommendations, viewers are more likely to act when they feel they’re getting something meaningful in return,” Roku and Dentsu state.
Jeffrey Bustos, SVP of Retail Media Analytics at Merkle, likes what he sees. “It’s not just about making products clickable—we must create experiences that resonate and solve real needs,” Bustos said. “Shoppable TV ads have immense potential to drive engagement and conversion, but to scale, they must deliver clear value to consumers. With platforms like Roku, passive viewing can turn into active buying, and brands can connect meaningfully with audiences and drive measurable results.”
What else did Roku and Dentsu find? Content-commerce integration drives engagement, as some 72% of respondents indicate they pay more attention to ads that reflect their personal interests and purchase habits.
Additionally, some 71% of consumers are more attentive to ads for brands or products they’ve previously purchased.
And, nearly half of streamers say they would pay attention to ads that allow them to purchase items featured in movies, shows, or live events, particularly when the shopping experience feels like a natural extension of the content. That’s particularly apparent in categories such as apparel and electronics, which consumers note are the top two retail categories in terms of retail media ad attention.
MORE THAN FAMILIARIZATION
The Roku/Dentsu study also finds that personalized ads based on shopping behavior and past purchases are perceived as valuable by over two-thirds of respondents.
But there’s a noticeable gap between perceived value and actual attention: while 83% say relevant ads are valuable, only 34% report paying attention to them.
Furthermore, more than half of streamers would be interested in adding a product that they see advertised on their TV to a digital shopping cart, or in purchasing a product from their TV using pre-saved credentials from a retailer. “These personalized experiences break the mold and command streamer consideration,” Roku and Dentsu noted.
Even when purchases aren’t immediate, shoppable ad units build meaningful brand equity.
According to Kantar Milward Brown Roku normative averages, combining video ads with interactive formats delivers a 58% increase in unaided brand recall. Even when they don’t drive immediate purchases, shoppable ad units play a crucial role in building long-term brand equity.
Meanwhile, Dentsu and Roku find that ads that help users discover content or enable seamless shopping experiences capture the attention of over half of all viewers. This demonstrates that interactive formats “don’t just engage, they break through the noise and leave lasting impressions, with or without an immediate conversion.”
Lastly, ads that helped users discover content or provided seamless shopping experiences captured the attention of more than half of viewers. “This indicates that interactive formats have the power to cut through the noise and leave lasting impressions—even without conversion,” Roku and Dentsu share.
A comprehensive online survey was conducted by Luth Research among 1,000 U.S. respondents. All participants reported using at least one ad-supported streaming service and accessing content through a smart TV or TV streaming device. Additionally, all respondents engaged with at least one social media platform weekly.
