MELLEKA MARKETING

TV & Remnant Advertising Research

St. Joseph Medical Corp — CGM / Libre 3 Plus

Executive Summary

This report outlines TV and remnant advertising opportunities for St. Joseph Medical Corp to expand beyond digital (Google/Meta) into broadcast and connected TV. The CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) market is heavily TV-advertised by major players (Abbott, Dexcom), which means audiences are primed for the message. STJ can carve out a significant share of voice at a fraction of the cost through remnant inventory and targeted CTV/OTT.

Remnant TV CPM
$2-$8
vs. $15-$40 standard
CTV/OTT CPM
$10-$25
highly targeted
DRTV 30s Spot
$1K-$5K
per airing (remnant)
Monthly Budget Range
$5K-$25K
recommended start

What is Remnant Advertising?

Remnant advertising is unsold TV ad inventory that networks sell at deep discounts (50-80% off rate card) to fill time slots that would otherwise run PSAs or house ads. These are real commercial slots on real networks — just purchased last-minute at a discount.

Why Remnant Works for STJ

  • Dramatically lower cost — $2-$8 CPM vs. $15-$40 for standard buys
  • Same networks, same shows, same audience — just cheaper
  • Perfect for direct-response (DRTV) — fill-a-form / call-now messaging
  • CGM audience skews older (55+) = heavy TV viewers = perfect medium
  • Competitors (Abbott, Dexcom) already validated TV for CGM awareness — you ride their wave

How It Works

StepDetails
1. Creative ProductionProduce a :30 or :60 DRTV spot. Direct response format — show the product, explain the benefit, clear CTA (visit site or call). Budget: $3K-$15K for production.
2. Media Buying PartnerWork with a remnant/DRTV media buyer who has relationships with networks. They negotiate unsold slots.
3. PlacementSpots run on cable networks (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Weather Channel, Discovery, etc.) during unsold time — often daytime, late night, weekend, or cable news fill.
4. TrackingUnique phone numbers, vanity URLs, or UTM-tagged landing pages per flight to measure response.
5. OptimizationAfter 2-4 weeks of data, shift spend toward highest-performing dayparts, networks, and creatives.

TV Advertising Options Compared

TypeCost RangeTargetingBest ForSTJ Fit
Remnant TV (Linear)$2-$8 CPMBroad demo + daypartMass awareness, DRTVExcellent
CTV / OTT (Streaming)$10-$25 CPMAge, income, health interests, geoTargeted reach, measurableExcellent
Standard Cable Buy$15-$40 CPMNetwork + daypartBrand advertisersExpensive
Local Broadcast$5-$20 CPMDMA / market-specificLocal awarenessGood for test
Disney/Hulu Ads$20-$40 CPMDemo + interest + behaviorPremium placementPremium cost
YouTube TV Ads$10-$20 CPMGoogle audience dataCross-platform with SearchStrong synergy

Recommended Approach: Remnant TV + CTV/OTT Combo

The Strategy

Run remnant linear TV for broad reach and brand awareness among the 55+ diabetes audience, combined with CTV/OTT for precise targeting and retargeting. This two-pronged approach maximizes reach at the lowest cost while maintaining measurability.

  • Remnant TV (60% of budget): Broad awareness — cable news, daytime TV, health-focused programming. Target dayparts: morning (6-10 AM), daytime (10 AM-4 PM), early fringe (4-7 PM), late news (11 PM-12 AM)
  • CTV/OTT (40% of budget): Targeted — age 50+, diabetes/health interest, household income $40K+, geographic focus on highest-converting states from Google Ads data

Budget Scenarios

Monthly BudgetRemnant TVCTV/OTTEst. ImpressionsEst. Reach
$5,000/mo (Test)$3,000$2,000500K-1M150K-300K households
$10,000/mo (Growth)$6,000$4,0001M-2.5M350K-700K households
$25,000/mo (Scale)$15,000$10,0003M-6M1M-2M households

Creative Requirements

AssetSpecsEst. CostNotes
:30 DRTV Spot1920x1080, broadcast-safe$3,000-$8,000Direct response format: problem → solution → CTA
:60 DRTV Spot1920x1080, broadcast-safe$5,000-$15,000Extended version with testimonial/demo
:15 CTV Bumper1920x1080, non-skippable$1,000-$3,000Shorter version for streaming pre-roll
Companion Banner300x250, 728x90IncludedFor CTV companion display ads

Remnant & CTV Media Buying Partners

1. Remnant Media Direct (remnantmediadirect.com)

Specialty remnant TV buyer. Works with all major cable networks. No minimums on some packages. Direct response focus. Good for testing with $3K-$5K/month. They handle media planning, buying, and trafficking.

2. ALTO (altoadvertising.com)

Full-service media buying agency specializing in DRTV and remnant. Strong healthcare/pharma vertical experience. Can produce creative + buy media. Minimum typically $10K/month.

3. Tatari (tatari.tv)

Modern TV advertising platform combining linear + CTV/OTT. Real-time optimization, attribution tracking, self-serve dashboard. Great for data-driven advertisers. Minimum $15K-$25K/month. Best fit for the CTV/OTT portion.

4. MNTN / Mountain (mountain.com)

Performance-focused CTV platform. Retargets website visitors on streaming TV. Integrates with Google Analytics. Self-serve with $5K minimum. Excellent for retargeting STJ website visitors who didn't convert.

5. StackAdapt (stackadapt.com)

Programmatic platform with CTV/OTT inventory. Audience targeting by health conditions (diabetes, insulin use). Can layer on pharmacy data and health interest segments. $3K-$5K minimum test budget.

6. YouTube/Google DV360

YouTube TV ads through Google Ads (already managing). Target same audiences from Search campaigns on YouTube and Google TV. No additional platform needed — just expand existing campaigns. $0 additional platform cost.

Disney TV Ads (Hulu + Disney+ + ESPN)

Disney Ad Manager (ads.disney.com)

Self-serve platform for Hulu, Disney+, ESPN, FX, National Geographic, and ABC streaming inventory. Key features:

  • Age targeting: 50+ available
  • Interest targeting: Health & Wellness, Diabetes Management, Healthcare
  • Geographic targeting: by state, DMA, or zip code
  • Minimum campaign budget: $500 (very accessible for testing)
  • CPM: $20-$40 (premium but highly targeted)
  • Non-skippable :15 and :30 spots
  • Completion rates: 95%+ (users can't skip)

Note: STJ already has a Notion task "Create Disney TV Ads (in draft currently)" marked as READY. The Disney Ad Manager self-serve platform requires a :15 or :30 video creative uploaded. Once creative is finalized, campaigns can launch within 24 hours.

DRTV Script Concept for STJ

:30 Concept — "No More Finger Pricks"

SCENE 1 (0-5s): Close-up of someone pricking their finger. Pain expression. Text: "Tired of finger pricks?"

SCENE 2 (5-12s): Person applying FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensor to back of arm. Smiling. Easy application. "The FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus monitors your glucose 24/7 — no finger pricks required."

SCENE 3 (12-20s): Person checking phone app, glucose readings on screen, living life — playing with grandkids, cooking, walking. "Continuous monitoring. Real-time alerts. Complete freedom."

SCENE 4 (20-30s): St. Joseph Medical logo + website. "See if you qualify for a FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus through your insurance. Visit stjosephmedicalcorp.com or call [number]. Most patients pay $0 with insurance."

:60 Concept — Extended with Testimonial

Same structure as :30 but adds a 20-second patient testimonial segment in the middle: "I was pricking my finger 4 times a day for years. Now I just scan my phone and see everything. My doctor loves the data, and I love not bleeding every morning." — followed by the same CTA.

Recommended Next Steps

Phase 1 — Quick Wins (This Month)

  • Launch YouTube/Google Video ads targeting diabetes audiences — no new platform needed, use existing Google Ads account
  • Set up Disney/Hulu self-serve campaign with a :15 bumper ad — $500 minimum test
  • Request proposals from MNTN and StackAdapt for CTV retargeting of website visitors

Phase 2 — TV Test ($5K-$10K/mo)

  • Produce a :30 DRTV spot (budget $3K-$8K one-time production cost)
  • Engage Remnant Media Direct or ALTO for a 4-week remnant TV test
  • Target cable news + daytime programming (highest 55+ viewership)
  • Set up unique tracking: vanity URL (e.g., stjosephcgm.com) + dedicated phone number
  • Measure lift in branded search volume, direct traffic, and form submissions during flight

Phase 3 — Scale ($25K+/mo)

  • If DRTV CPA is within acceptable range, scale remnant budget
  • Add CTV/OTT through Tatari or StackAdapt for precision targeting
  • Produce :60 spot with real patient testimonial for higher engagement
  • Cross-reference TV flight dates with Google Ads branded search lift to measure true TV impact

Competitive Landscape — Who's on TV

CompetitorProductEst. Annual TV SpendChannels
Abbott (FreeStyle Libre)Libre 2, Libre 3$50M-$100M+Broadcast + Cable + CTV
DexcomDexcom G7, Stelo$100M+Broadcast + Cable + CTV + NFL sponsorship
MedtronicGuardian Connect$10M-$30MCable + CTV
STJ (Opportunity)Libre 3 Plus (reseller)$0 currentlyRemnant + CTV recommended

Note: STJ operates as a medical distributor, not a manufacturer. TV messaging should focus on "easy access through insurance" and "qualified through your doctor" rather than product claims, which are Abbott's territory.