A CTV Guide for Health and Wellness Brands | tvScientific

Although you’re likely in the thick of the holiday marketing rush, it may be time to shift some of your attention to another major event coming up — the new year! As the calendar turns to 2025, people everywhere will start their annual journey of “new year, new me.” It’s the season when millions make fresh commitments and set ambitious goals to improve their health. 

For health and wellness brands, it goes without saying that the new year is prime time to connect with this audience, especially given that the majority of Americans’ New Year’s resolutions revolve around improving their fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being. 

But with traditional ad channels often struggling to make a memorable impact, health and wellness brands need a more effective way to engage these motivated consumers — and that’s where Connected TV (CTV) comes in.

Unlike conventional TV or other digital ads, CTV offers the ability to reach audiences precisely when they’re in a mindset of change, allowing brands to connect deeply, inspire action, and personalize messages that truly resonate. With millions of households streaming content on the daily, CTV delivers targeted, compelling content directly to the screens where today’s health-conscious consumers are most engaged. 

Here’s how wellness brands can leverage the power of CTV to help audiences reach their goals — and turn January’s motivation into year-round loyalty.

Why CTV is Essential for Reaching Today’s Health-Focused Audience

The pandemic changed so many aspects of our lives, including our viewing habits. With gyms closed and routines disrupted, more people turned to at-home fitness, clean eating, and mindful living — and they also started consuming wellness content in new ways. 

In fact, streaming platforms saw a stunning 81% year-over-year increase in viewership in 2020. And even as restrictions lifted, CTV growth continued, with a 13% rise in 2021. Today, with 88% of US households connected to a smart TV, viewers are engaged in a multi-platform, on-demand ecosystem, making CTV the ultimate stage for health and wellness content. 

What does this mean for brands in this industry? 

The new year has always been prime time — but now, thanks to the reach and targeting capabilities of CTV, brands can meet consumers wherever they’re watching and deliver highly relevant, motivating content, resulting in tangible business outcomes.

CTV Best Practices for Health and Wellness Brands in 2025

1. Segment your CTV audience to resonate with each viewer’s health journey.

Health and wellness are very personal to each individual, and a one-size-fits-all marketing approach simply doesn’t cut it. The good news is that CTV allows brands to create unique content tailored to each audience’s specific goals, ensuring that you show customized ads based on demographic and behavioral data — allowing you to drive impact in a way that feels personal and inspiring. 

Here are some examples of how health and wellness brands can segment their audience:

• Fitness and sports equipment brands: January is the peak sign-up season for gyms, but CTV expands this reach to at-home fitness as well. Show the benefits of your fitness app, workout equipment, or health coaching, helping each of your audiences to build fitness routines they can sustain.
• Nutrition and supplement brands: Promote different health supplements and vitamins to relevant audiences. For example, you can target avid gym go-ers with an ad about your protein powder, while you target millennial and Gen Z parents with ads about your all-natural baby formula. 
• Dermatology brands: Younger audiences may be looking for acne solutions, while older audiences might focus on anti-aging. With CTV’s targeting, you can direct tailored ads to each demographic, addressing their unique skincare needs. 

PRO TIP: Use testimonials to let real customers share their stories. Hearing from someone who’s experienced real results makes your message much more relatable, gives your brand credibility, and inspires action. Think of it as the ultimate social proof.

2. Craft up compelling ad creative to boost motivation.

CTV isn’t just a digital billboard — it’s a platform for storytelling. Your video ads help build trust, educate audiences, and even create the feeling of a personal connection, which is critical in the wellness space. 

We recommend crafting up creative using the following ideas to ensure your message gets across clearly.

• Before-and-after transformation: Health and wellness often revolve around achieving goals, and showing real transformations that your brand helped customers achieve can make a huge impact. Tell stories of customers who’ve accomplished meaningful changes, or better yet, show real results that past customers were able to reach.
• How-to and instructional videos: Fitness and wellness are action-oriented. How-to videos let viewers follow along and build familiarity with your brand. Create short segments on topics like yoga, HIIT workouts, or skincare routines to encourage viewers to try something new. Then, encourage them to join your full program to continue the journey.
• Educational content: Have an industry professional — such as a nutritionist, doctor, or certified fitness coach — explain the real benefits of your products or lifestyle choices. This can establish your brand as an authority in health, whether you're explaining the benefits of clean ingredients or demystifying nutrition labels.

PRO TIP: Not every video needs a big budget, but quality is key for CTV ads. Make sure your lighting, sound, and background are polished, and use good editing to eliminate distractions. This helps even a DIY video look professional and keeps the focus on your brand.

3. Choose the right platforms and tools for your wellness CTV campaigns.

For health and wellness brands, choosing the right CTV platforms is essential. If you go the programmatic route with a platform like tvScientific, you can buy ads across various channels and platforms simultaneously, while still having access to precise audience targeting options. This means you can reach millions of wellness-focused viewers — from fitness enthusiasts to those pursuing a holistic lifestyle — wherever they are. This expansive reach ensures that campaigns can be scaled effectively and target users across their preferred devices and platforms.

NOTE: If your wellness brand deals with health information and strict privacy standards, you will want to engage with HIPAA compliant data providers that have access to or can build HIPAA compliant audience segments. tvScientific can help you identify the right ones for your business. This can ensure safe data practices while still reaching engaged audiences – protecting customer information and strengthening your brand's reputation for trustworthiness.

4. Measure in real-time for maximum impact.

One of CTV’s standout features is its real-time metrics and tracking capabilities. Unlike traditional TV ads, CTV allows wellness brands to track all kinds of KPIs from top to bottom. Platforms like tvScientific show you the full-funnel impact of your campaign through metrics like view-through rate and engagement, to conversions and incremental lift.

Plus, with data from CTV campaigns, you can refine your targeting mid-campaign and optimize them as they run. For example, if you notice that younger viewers are watching cooking content, you can serve them more healthy recipe ideas, while older viewers might prefer information on long-term health benefits of eating plant-based.

New Year, New CTV Strategies.

As we kick off the new year, health and wellness brands have the chance to capitalize on fresh motivation. With CTV, your brand can deliver tailored, inspiring, and actionable content to wellness-focused audiences at the exact moment they’re ready to make a change.

Ready to make CTV a part of your New Year strategy? Get in touch with us to see how tvScientific can help.