Boots Online Doctor has delivered strong results from a recent Connected TV (CTV) campaign, demonstrating how online retailers can navigate digital advertising challenges.
The campaign promoted Boots’ holistic weight loss support service, which includes one-to-one coaching, a podcast, and app-based tools. Weight management is currently a high-interest topic among consumers, with stories about weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mountjaro regularly making headlines, so the campaign was well-timed to engage an already curious audience.
Boots faced a common challenge for online retailers: reaching niche audiences at scale without relying on third-party cookies or compromising user privacy. Content overload across platforms, privacy regulations that limit data use, and fragmented and outdated tech systems often present significant hurdles for digital advertisers – making it difficult for those in the healthcare space to tap into a huge but competitive growth market. The UK’s burgeoning digital health market is projected to more than double from $15.46 billion (£12.21 billion) in 2025 to $36.84 billion (£29.10 billion) by 2030 – growth that’s driven by increased adoption of telehealth, mobile-first health apps, and AI-powered diagnostics.
Keeping it inhouse
The Boots team managed the campaign inhouse, bringing in advertising tech specialists Quantcast as their in-house programmatic partner. They used real-time browsing signals, contextual placements in wellness content, and sequenced messaging across CTV, online video, and display, to achieve the desired results. The omnichannel approach paid off, with CTV emerging as the most effective channel, achieving a 97% ad completion rate and a 20% brand consideration lift, with nearly 70% lift among viewers aged 40–49.
The team tracked performance of the digital advertising campaign by format, device, and audience segment, reallocating budget mid-campaign without increasing overall spend. Cross-channel retargeting drove a 12% lift, and top-performing strategies delivered a 28% lower average CPM. The campaign also delivered a 7% total brand consideration lift for Boots Online Doctor, surpassing industry benchmarks.
Targeted messaging
“Targeting the ideal audience with the right message at the optimal time is notoriously complex, but Quantcast has made this infinitely easier for us,” said Rebecca Tillman, paid media lead at Boots Online Doctor. “The platform enables us to build an audience, engage them across CTV, online video, and display, and gain real-time insights.”
“This campaign shows what happens when you blend great creative with smart targeting and fast feedback,” added Ellie Lane, head of client strategy at Quantcast. “We’re proud to help brands like Boots Online Doctor reach high-intent audiences with high-performance advertising that delivers results.”
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