The most common mistake in law firm advertising: treating channels as competitors rather than partners. CTV and search aren’t fighting for the same dollar. They’re two halves of the same system. Cut one and the other underperforms.
The Creation-Capture Framework
Option A
Option B
Demand Creation (CTV)
Makes people aware of options they weren’t actively seeking. Before your ad, they weren’t thinking about calling a lawyer. After your ad, they might.
Demand Capture (Search)
Catches people already looking. They’ve decided they need a lawyer. They’re searching. You need to be there when they do.
CTV creates. Search captures. Both are necessary.
Why Both Matter
Creation Without Capture = Waste
You run great CTV campaigns. People remember your name. When they need a lawyer, they search and click a competitor’s ad. You generated the lead. They signed the case.
Capture Without Creation = Expensive
You bid on “car accident lawyer.” You’re competing with every other firm for the same limited pool. Costs escalate. Margins shrink. CPCs of $200-500+.
Creation + Capture = Efficient
CTV builds awareness and preference. When those people need a lawyer, they search your name specifically. You capture them at low cost ($5-15 CPCs). You created and captured your own demand.
The Data Behind the Dynamic
CTV’s role in the customer journey is significant: despite representing 38% of ad impressions, CTV drove 63% of attributable conversions in recent studies. It influences more than its impression share suggests.
The Economics of Creation vs. Capture
Option A
Option B
Generic Search (Pure Capture)
Competing with every PI firm. CPCs of $200-500+. Limited impression volume. CPL often $500-1000+. Expensive, crowded, and capped.
Branded Search (Capturing Created Demand)
Competing primarily with yourself. CPCs of $5-15 for your own name. Volume scales with awareness advertising. CPL often $50-150.
CTV (creation): CPMs of $30-50. Reach virtually unlimited. Creates searches you can capture cheaply. System CPL often $200-400.
The math works when you capture what you create. CTV campaigns deliver 23% higher ROI than traditional TV, largely because digital channels can capture the demand TV generates.
How the Funnel Actually Works
Traditional funnel thinking puts CTV at “top of funnel” and search at “bottom.” That’s partially true. But it misses the interaction.
CTV Builds Awareness
Your commercial runs. 62% of consumers discover new brands through TV.
Trigger Event Happens
Accident, injury, legal need. Person thinks of remembered firm.
Branded Search Captures
They search your name specifically, not as alternative to CTV, but as direct result of it.
Case Signed
Website converts. You created and captured your own demand.
Measuring Creation and Capture Together
Option A
Option B
Poor Approach
CTV: 500K impressions, 400 verified visits, $100 cost per visit. Search: 50 leads, $300 CPL. Conclusion: “Search is working, CTV is expensive.”
Better Approach
CTV: 500K impressions, generated 200 branded searches. Branded search: Captured 150, 45 leads, $33 CPL. Conclusion: “CTV is creating demand we’re capturing efficiently.”
Common Pitfalls
Measurement Pitfalls
- + Attribution confusion: Multi-touch attribution matters for accurate credit
- + Channel competition: Teams fight over budget, missing systemic relationship
Strategy Pitfalls
- − Creation underfunding: Cutting CTV to fund search, then wondering why volume declines
- − Capture neglect: Investing in CTV but not protecting branded search
The Right Budget Split
Early on, you need more creation to build awareness. As brand strength grows, you can shift more toward capturing existing awareness. But you never stop creating. Awareness fades without reinforcement.
Integration Requirements
Execution Requirements
- + Coordinated timing: Search budgets increase during CTV flights
- + Message consistency: TV creative and search ads tell the same story
Strategic Requirements
- − Unified tracking: Attribution connects CTV exposure to search conversions
- − Single strategy: One plan for both channels, not separate plans
See CTV and Search Coordination for implementation details.
The Competitive Advantage
Most law firms run search only. They compete for existing demand against everyone else, driving up costs.
Firms that create demand have an edge: They’re not just competing for existing searches. They’re generating searches no one else is bidding on (their own name). They capture at lower cost. They build brand equity that compounds.
This is what sustainable growth looks like. Not outspending competitors on generic terms. Creating your own demand and capturing it efficiently.
References
- MNTN Research. (2025). 62% of consumers discover new brands through TV. https://research.mountain.com/insights/62-of-consumers-discover-new-brands-or-products-through-tv/
- MNTN Research. (2025). Second screen use by TV viewers. https://research.mountain.com/insights/an-exploration-of-second-screen-use-by-tv-viewers/
- Decentriq. (2025). CTV advertising: The complete guide. https://www.decentriq.com/article/ctv-advertising
- Southern California News Group. (2025). Connected TV marketing stats 2025. https://www.socalnewsgroup.com/2025/05/06/connected-tv-marketing-stats-2025/
- MNTN Research. (2023). Increased investment in CTV leads to better performance. https://research.mountain.com/trends/data-reveals-increased-investment-in-ctv-leads-to-better-performance/