In New Zealand’s BVOD (broadcast video-on-demand) market, programmatic guaranteed (PG) deals have long been the standard. But when a leading insurance brand asked Together to improve campaign performance, the agency saw an opportunity to challenge convention. Partnering with The Trade Desk’s Kokai platform, Together set out to prove that decisioned media buying, buying ads in real time based on data could outperform traditional PG deals.
The Challenge: Moving Beyond the Norm
With most BVOD inventory locked up in guaranteed deals through a few major players, advertisers have had limited flexibility and little opportunity to test new approaches. Together wanted to demonstrate that a data-driven buying model could drive stronger outcomes, improve efficiency, and deliver higher-quality ad placements.
The Solution: Decisioned Media in Action
Together, with The Trade Desk, ran a head-to-head test:
PG deals versus
Decisioned media buys across private marketplaces (PMPs) and The Trade Desk’s Sellers & Publishers 500+ (SP500+) curated marketplace.
Crucially, both approaches were tested across the same two publishers, who represent much of the New Zealand BVOD market. Campaign performance was measured on:
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) for efficiency
TV Quality Index (TVQI) for ad quality and viewer engagement
TVQI was probably the piece of the puzzle that made this test possible because it allowed us to fairly evaluate the quality of inventory coming through each buy-type.” - Harry Whitaker
The findings were clear and compelling. Compared to PG, PMP and SP500+ delivered:
88% lower CPA
11x more conversions
15% higher TVQI score
This was proof that high-quality BVOD inventory exists outside guaranteed deals, and that using Kokai’s AI-powered buying capabilities can unlock unprecedented efficiency and performance. Harry Whitaker comments on the significance of this achievement:
“It’s so gratifying to see the incredible work coming out of New Zealand getting the global recognition it deserves. While it’s the most PG-dominated market I’ve worked in, we are lucky to work with driven, curious partners like Melvin Hadi and the team at Together, NZ who aren’t afraid to go against the grain and test something bold.”
For advertisers in New Zealand, this case study is a turning point. It proves that by moving beyond guaranteed deals, brands can access flexible, data-driven strategies that deliver both efficiency and quality. With Kokai, decisioned media offers the control, insights, and performance that PG simply can’t match.
Melvin Hadi, Activation Director at Together, added:
“Our client wanted to know whether there might be a more flexible and performance-driven approach. Partnering with The Trade Desk, we tested private marketplace and Sellers and Publishers 500+ inventory to assess quality and outcomes and the results exceeded expectations. We’re excited to build on these learnings in future campaigns." - Melvin Hadi, Activation Director, Together.
You can read the full case study below.