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Blu Dot surpasses 2,000% ROAS with self-serve CTV ads
Home furniture brand Blu Dot blew up on CTV with help from Roku Ads Manager. Here’s how:
After a test campaign reached 211,000 households and achieved 1,010% ROAS, the brand went all in to promote its annual sales event. It removed age and income constraints to expand reach and shifted budget to custom audiences and retargeting, where intent was strongest.
The results speak for themselves. As Blu Dot increased their investment by 10x, ROAS jumped to 2,308% and more page-view conversions surpassed 50,000.
“For CTV campaigns, Roku has been a top performer,” said Claire Folkestad, Paid Media Strategist, Blu Dot. “Comping to our other platforms, we have seen really strong ROAS… and highly efficient CPMs, lower than any other CTV partner we've worked with.”
Using Roku Ads Manager, the campaign moved from a pilot to a permanent performance engine for the brand.
Good morning. A split market heads into Friday: AI and chip stocks are sliding while insurers, railroads and banks hold up, and American Express reports before the bell.
The Market Gauge
Thursday was a tale of two markets. The S&P 500 fell 1.21% to 7,663.43, the Nasdaq dropped 2.60% to 26,008.86, its lowest level in more than a month, and the Dow edged up 0.02% to 52,867.98. Chip and AI stocks took the hit: the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) fell 6%, and Meta Platforms slid 7% as investors balked at its higher spending plans. Moderna was the worst S&P 500 stock, down 17.6% after data on its cancer vaccine with Merck leaked ahead of Saturday’s release. The 10-year Treasury yield fell 19 basis points to 4.95%, back under 5% for the first time in a month, while U.S. crude rose 2.4% to $99.47 a barrel.
IBD’s read: the S&P 500 and Nasdaq are back below their 50-day moving averages, and the market is deeply divided. AI stocks are in a sharp downtrend, while consumer, medical, railroad and financial stocks are doing well. IBD says opportunities exist, but keep exposure in check and work on your watchlists.
Beginner note: The S&P 500 is weighted by company size, so a few giant tech stocks can drag it down even when the average stock rises. On Thursday the equal-weight version of the index (RSP) gained 0.7% while the regular S&P 500 lost 1.2%.
On today’s calendar
American Express earnings, about 7:00 a.m. ET (call 8:30 a.m.): Card spending is a direct read on how much consumers are buying. The stock’s reaction can move other financial names at the open.
SLB earnings, 7:00 a.m. ET (call 9:30 a.m.): The world’s largest oilfield services company. With crude near $100, listen for whether drillers are spending more.
S&P Global flash PMIs, 9:45 a.m. ET: Early surveys of purchasing managers in manufacturing and services. A reading above 50 means activity is growing; below 50 means it is shrinking.
University of Michigan consumer sentiment (final), 10:00 a.m. ET: How confident households feel, plus what they expect for inflation over the next one and five years.
On the radar: Travelers
$TRV ( ▼ 0.26% ) Travelers is one of the largest U.S. property and casualty insurers, selling home, auto and business insurance. The stock rose 1.6% Thursday to close at 405.44, a new 52-week high, on a day the Nasdaq fell 2.6%. IBD notes it moved past a 398.69 buy point from a 12-week flat base. That puts it about 1.7% above the entry, inside the 5% buy zone that runs to 418.62. Volume ran about 21% above its 50-day average. The company already reported on Oct. 16: earnings rose 13% to $9.18 a share, its sixth straight quarter of double-digit growth, per IBD.
Why it’s worth watching: A breakout that comes after earnings carries less event risk, because the next report is about three months away. Compare that with a stock breaking out a week before it reports, where one headline can erase the move overnight. Travelers also shows where money is going while AI stocks fall. In a divided market, leaders often come from the groups that hold up on the worst days.
How useful was today's Before the Bell?
ONE FOR THE ROAD
When the big indexes fall but the average stock rises, which one do you trust more for your own buying decisions, and why?
Educational content only. Not financial advice. Past performance does not predict future results. Read the full financial disclosure.
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