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Blu Dot surpasses 2,000% ROAS with self-serve CTV ads

Home furniture brand Blu Dot blew up on CTV with help from Roku Ads Manager. Here’s how:

After a test campaign reached 211,000 households and achieved 1,010% ROAS, the brand went all in to promote its annual sales event. It removed age and income constraints to expand reach and shifted budget to custom audiences and retargeting, where intent was strongest.

The results speak for themselves. As Blu Dot increased their investment by 10x, ROAS jumped to 2,308% and more page-view conversions surpassed 50,000.

“For CTV campaigns, Roku has been a top performer,” said Claire Folkestad, Paid Media Strategist, Blu Dot. “Comping to our other platforms, we have seen really strong ROAS… and highly efficient CPMs, lower than any other CTV partner we've worked with.”

Using Roku Ads Manager, the campaign moved from a pilot to a permanent performance engine for the brand.

LeBron James plays for the 76ers now. [Reuters photo]

Hi! I’m your 76ers Insider, Austin Krell. And it’s storytime.

The Sixers had recently acquired Jimmy Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were still fresh. There were not yet any traumatic playoff disappointments to corrode local excitement about the franchise that had finally found its way. Before Twitter went to…whatever it is now, it was actually a community of people who were genuinely excited and in love with the up-and-coming Sixers.

So, there I was, a senior in college, riding a recumbent bike in the gym at my apartment complex. I saw an ad for a blog called Philly Front Office, and thought I’d get back into writing after a brief stint as a blogger and school newspaper writer in high school.

It was supposed to be a hobby. It has become so much more than that.

Over the last eight years, I’ve covered the Sixers for a bunch of business models. For the love of the game (read: no pay), for a flat fee with limited upside, for pay predicated on page views. Now it’s time I do it in a way that serves you best.

And with Jaylen Brown and LeBron James landing in Philadelphia (and the Flyers and Eagles struggling), there’s no better time to put this idea into motion than right now.

What can you expect?

I’m not going to reinvent the wheel here.

There are plenty of excellent journalists covering this team daily. We know who they are, and you can expect to hear from them here, too: on our weekly podcast, in the links section every morning. My goal is to bring all of that coverage to you, in addition to the reporting and insight I can provide here after six years on the Sixers beat.

I will deliver the games, narratives and vital elements of the Philadelphia 76ers — through my eyes. So you’re going to get my thoughts and analysis, in writing, in video, and in podcast form.

You’re also going to get stories. You’re going to get things you didn’t know about your favorite basketball team. Anecdotes that shape this group into what it is.

My promise to you: I’ll make sure that you receive access to the work. In your email inboxes. By engaging everywhere we exist, including YouTube, Instagram, Bluesky. Always, I will prioritize giving you the value add I can bring. I’ll never produce work designed to maximize the algorithm. I’m here for you, the Sixers fan.

Opening night is almost here, and we've got something special for Sixers fans!
Vertical 76 is tipping off the season with a giveaway you won't want to miss, and only those who are signed up for our newsletter are eligible. Watch your inbox on October 20 for your chance to win two tickets to see the Sixers take on the Milwaukee Bucks, and your opportunity to meet our Sixers Insider, Austin Krell!

So…about the basketball team…

Oh, where to start.

I guess I’ll start with the same thing I’ve told every person I’ve talked to about the Sixers since media day.

The vibe I get is that none of the core players want to be the ones to hold this thing back from reaching its true potential. So everyone is saying the right thing. Don’t let LeBron James’ helicopter travels fool you, he’s a tone-setter.

Does it matter where he lives or how he gets to the practice facility if he’s getting his work done early? Does any of that non-basketball stuff matter if he’s pouring everything into the basketball stuff?

The answer is no. What anyone has to say is irrelevant if he’s backing it up on the court.

They’re all keenly aware of the opportunity that comes with putting a team like this together. They don’t like to talk about sacrifice. Rather, they talk about changing roles—something that they’re all going to have to do. And if they’re all accepting changes to their roles, how can any one guy complain about changes he has to make?

Of course, spirits are high at media day. You haven’t played any basketball yet. How can anyone be frustrated when there’s nothing to be frustrated about yet?

We’ll see how tones change when this team eventually gets smacked in the face. That will happen over the course of an 82-game regular season.

But for now, it’s all sunshine and rainbows.

Thank you for subscribing. I look forward to building this thing with you all.

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