Media Planning
CTV response paths
Choose a practical CTV response route, carry the ad’s promise to the destination and report only the response you can observe.
A CTV response path takes a viewer from a television ad to a next action. Choose it by asking when the viewer can act, which device they will use and what the booked placement can display. A QR code can open a phone page during the ad; a memorable web address can be used later. Neither route makes every later visit or sale attributable to CTV.
Plan for split attention
A MiQ blog post dated 30 April 2026, referencing its January 2026 'From funnel to flexibility' report, describes second-screen use as common. 91% of surveyed consumers had used another device while watching connected TV or streaming video; half said they did so most of the time. The source also says 86% at least occasionally switch between different digital activities within the same hour.
Treat those findings as context for route planning, not a forecast for a particular audience or placement. Keep the next action clear enough to resume if viewers switch screens or activities before completing it.
Key Consumer Multi-Screen Behaviours (Australia)
- 91%Percentage using another device while watching CTV
- 86%Percentage switching between digital activities within an hour
Match the route to the action
| Viewer’s next action | Possible route | Check before choosing it |
|---|---|---|
| Explore now on a phone | QR code | Will the code appear on the booked placement and open the intended page? |
| Return later | Memorable web address | Is it easy to read, hear, spell and recall? |
| Act on the TV | Remote interaction | Does the specific publisher, format and device support it? |
| Find the offer independently | Brand or offer search | Can viewers recognise and find the promised offer? |
These are possible routes, not features of every CTV ad. IAB Australia’s Connected TV Handbook is a reference, but confirm the format and its device limits with the supplier.
For a QR route, check that the code is visible and scannable on the specific placement and device; avoid relying on it where viewers cannot use a second device.
Carry the promise to the next device
Give viewers one clear reason to continue. The destination should immediately reflect what the ad offered: a comparison page for a comparison invitation, or relevant details and an enquiry action for an enquiry invitation. A general homepage may leave viewers searching for the offer again.
A memorable address can accompany a QR code if both remain easy to read. Searchable brand and offer wording gives viewers another way back. These routes also have different measurement limits: someone who searches or types an address may arrive without a campaign tag.
For a promotion, keep the important conditions consistent across the ad and destination. The ACCC can require businesses to back up claims about products or services.
If the destination or follow-up plan uses online advertising data, consider what activity may be collected across the handoff. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner describes targeted advertising as matching ads to browsing interests, including through cookies on computers, smartphones and tablets. Interest categories based on visited websites can build a picture of browsing habits.
An online advertising network may supply ads across many websites and may be able to track browsing activity across them. Keep the response path focused on the action the viewer chose. Consider any use of browsing data separately from whether the QR code or address successfully brought them to the page.
Check and report the journey
Before launch, review the actual placement preview from a normal viewing position. Follow each offered route to the destination and try the promised action on a phone. Check code display, scanning, redirects, page loading and completion separately; a scan alone does not confirm a usable visit.
A tagged QR destination can identify recorded visits through that URL if its parameters reach analytics. A dedicated short address can show use of that address, including use unrelated to an ad view.
In Google Analytics 4, record campaign dates and other promotions when interpreting changes in direct visits or branded search. Report observed route use and site actions separately, and reserve causal claims for an appropriate measurement design.
For claims in the ad or on its destination, retain the material that supports what viewers are being promised. The ACCC says it can require businesses to back up claims about products or services, and may investigate possible misleading claims and take compliance or enforcement action.
The ACCC accepts reports about possible false or misleading claims and uses reports to inform its education, compliance and enforcement work. It does not resolve individual disputes or provide legal advice, so a campaign response plan should not treat an ACCC report as a way to settle an individual customer complaint.
In this guide
- Choosing between a memorable URL and a QR codeChoose a QR code, memorable web address or both for a CTV ad, then check format support, readability and reporting limits.
- Testing a QR landing page from a television distanceCheck a rendered CTV QR code from a viewing seat, then test the phone page, redirects and promised action.
- Measuring visits without attributing every direct session to CTVSeparate tagged QR visits, dedicated-address use and direct sessions so CTV reporting reflects what was observed.
- Designing a post-view offer suitable for another deviceCarry a CTV offer’s promise and important conditions from the television ad to a useful phone page.
