CTV Spot Length and Response Rates

Your CTV campaign generated 2,000 website visits and 50 phone calls.

Your competitor’s campaign generated 500 website visits and 200 phone calls.

Same spend. Same market. Different response types. Why?

The answer involves spot length, CTA placement, viewer context, and what you’re optimizing for.

The Two Response Paths

When someone sees your CTV ad, they have two primary response options:

Call the phone number. Immediate, high intent.
Visit the website. Research, comparison, form fill.

Neither is inherently better. But they represent different viewer states and different funnel positions.

What Affects Response Type

Spot Length

Length	Strength	Weakness
15 seconds	More frequency per dollar	Less time for message + CTA
30 seconds	Full story + clear CTA	Lower frequency per dollar

General pattern:

15s spots favor efficiency and reach
30s spots favor comprehension and action

For PI, 30s is typically preferred because:

Complex value proposition
Required disclosures
Need for emotional arc (pain → solution → proof → CTA)
Phone number needs 3+ seconds of visibility

CTA Emphasis

CTA Emphasis	Result
Phone number dominant	More calls
URL dominant	More website visits
Both equal	Split response

If your phone number is 100px on screen for 5 seconds and your URL is 60px for 2 seconds, you’ll get more calls. And vice versa.

This is controllable. Decide what you want, then design accordingly.

Viewer Demographics

Age Group	Tends Toward
55+	Phone calls
35-54	Mixed
Under 35	Website/search

Older viewers grew up calling. Younger viewers grew up searching. Your audience demographics influence response type.

Time of Day

Time	Behavior
Morning (6-9am)	Lower response (commuting)
Daytime (9am-5pm)	More calls (business hours)
Evening (5-10pm)	More website visits (relaxed browsing)
Late night (10pm+)	Website/forms (won’t call at midnight)

If you’re optimizing for calls, weight your delivery toward daytime. For web visits, evening works fine.

Viewer Activity

Context	Behavior
Watching alone, focused	Higher response
Watching with family	Lower immediate response
Second-screening	Faster website visits
Background TV	Lower response overall

You can’t control this, but you can understand that response rates vary based on attention, not just creative quality.

The Urgency Factor

High Urgency Viewers

Someone just got in a car accident yesterday. They see your ad. They’re calling now.

Spot length: Doesn’t matter as much
CTA emphasis: Phone number critical
Response: Immediate call

Low Urgency Viewers

Someone has chronic back pain from a workplace injury. They’re thinking about it. They see your ad.

Spot length: 30s helps with persuasion
CTA emphasis: Both phone and URL
Response: Website visit, comparison, maybe call later

You can’t control urgency. But you can design for both scenarios.

Calls vs Visits: Which Is Better?

Option A

Option B

The Answer

Track both. Optimize for signed cases, not response type.

A campaign that generates 500 calls and 5 signed cases isn’t better than a campaign that generates 100 visits and 10 signed cases.

Testing Spot Length and CTA

A/B Test Structure

Test	Variable	Measure
Test 1	15s vs 30s (same CTA)	Total response rate
Test 2	Phone-dominant vs URL-dominant	Call/visit ratio
Test 3	Daypart weighting	Response by time

What to Track

Total calls
Total website visits
Total form submissions
Signed cases by source
Blended CAC by creative version

Recommendations by Goal

Goal: Maximize Calls

30s spot with phone-dominant CTA
Phone number on screen 5+ seconds
Large font (100px+)
Spoken CTA: “Call now at…”
Daypart weight toward business hours
Target 55+ demographics heavier

Goal: Maximize Website Traffic

30s or 15s works
URL-dominant or balanced CTA
Strong message match to landing page
Evening/late night dayparts acceptable
Target younger demographics if appropriate

Goal: Maximize Signed Cases

30s for full persuasion
Both phone and URL prominent
Strong landing page for web visitors
Retargeting for non-converters
Branded search capture
Track all paths to signed case

The Full System

Spot length is one variable. What about the landing page visitors hit? What about retargeting non-converters? What about branded search?

For the complete architecture, see our Full-Funnel CTV guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use 15-second or 30-second spots?

For PI, 30 seconds is typically preferred. It allows for a full emotional arc, clear value proposition, required disclosures, and adequate CTA visibility. 15s works for frequency and reach but sacrifices depth.

How do I get more calls vs more website visits?

Emphasize the phone number: larger font (100px+), longer on-screen duration (5+ seconds), spoken CTA, and daypart weighting toward business hours. For more web visits, emphasize the URL and allow evening/late night delivery.

Why do different campaigns get different call/visit ratios?

Viewer demographics (older = more calls), time of day (daytime = more calls), urgency level (high urgency = calls), and CTA emphasis all affect response type. Two campaigns with the same spend can produce very different ratios.

What should I optimize for: calls or website visits?

Neither. Optimize for signed cases. Track both response types through to case outcomes. A campaign with fewer calls but more signed cases is better than one with more calls but fewer cases.

References

IAB. “CTV Takes Center Stage: Global Benchmarks Report.” 2022. https://www.iab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Innovid_CTV-Takes-Center-Stage.pdf
MNTN. “CTV Ad Specs Guide.” 2025. https://mountain.com/blog/ctv-ad-specs/
Advocado/Harris Poll via RetailWire. “Second Screens: Engaging Consumers.” 2024. https://retailwire.com/discussion/second-screens-engaging-consumers/