A recent conversation between Unilever’s Head of North American Media Investment and Data Governance Aaron Sobol and VIZIO’s VP of Client Services & Inventory Partnerships Nyma Quidwai at this year's NewFront presentation provided a first-hand look at how media and commerce are converging, redefining what it means to move consumers from brand awareness to action… all from the TV screen.
The Modern Full-Funnel: From Awareness to Checkout
The concept of the “full funnel” has evolved. In the connected TV (CTV) era, it’s no longer a slow progression from top-of-funnel awareness to bottom-of-funnel purchase. As Sobol put it, we’re in the era of the “collapsed funnel” where awareness and conversion can happen simultaneously.
Consumers today expect seamless experiences. They move fluidly between discovering a brand and making a purchase, often without leaving their couch. This shift demands that brands not only tell compelling stories but also remove friction from the path to purchase. For Unilever, that means ensuring content and KPIs are tightly aligned, marrying awareness-driving creative with direct paths to commerce.
VIZIO + Walmart: The Power of Commerce-Forward Innovation
This is where VIZIO’s commerce-forward CTV platform comes in. By integrating native advertising and shoppable formats directly into the living room experience — and pairing that with Walmart’s retail muscle — VIZIO is turning attention into action.
The model is simple but powerful: bring together immersive, high-impact video with add-to-cart functionality that’s literally one click away. That click could be a remote control or a QR code scan, but either way, the results are the same — instant commerce from the biggest screen in the home.
Through this partnership, VIZIO empowers brands like Unilever to reach audiences in culturally relevant ways and drive immediate sales, representing a seamless shift from brand love to the shopping cart.
The Future: Collapse the Funnel, Stay Human
Sobol closed with a simple but powerful reminder: stay human-first. In a world of automation, data, and innovation, the brands that win will be those that keep empathy and collaboration at the core. That means testing, learning, and even failing, but doing it all as partners.
The future of media isn’t just about more impressions. It’s about better outcomes where emotional connection and frictionless commerce combine.
Want to see how your brand can go from brand love to add-to-cart with VIZIO’s CTV commerce engine? Click here to visit the VIZIO 2025 NEWFRONT HUB and watch the full interview.
