This report evaluates TV advertising and remnant marketing opportunities for St Joseph Medical Corp (CGM/Continuous Glucose Monitoring). Given the healthcare/medical device industry and the direct-to-consumer nature of CGM products, TV advertising can be highly effective for reaching the 45+ demographic that represents the core CGM audience. Remnant advertising specifically offers a cost-effective entry point.
Remnant advertising refers to unsold TV ad inventory that networks and stations sell at deep discounts — typically 40-80% below standard rates. Networks would rather sell airtime at a discount than run it empty, creating an opportunity for advertisers with flexible schedules.
Networks sell their premium inventory months in advance ("upfront" market). As air dates approach, unsold spots become "remnant" inventory. Remnant buyers get the same airtime, same audience, same production quality — just at a fraction of the price, with less control over exact timing and placement.
| Channel Type | Cost Range | Targeting | Best For STJ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Network TV (ABC, NBC, CBS) | $25,000-500,000+ per spot | Broad mass reach | Too Expensive |
| Cable TV (CNN, HGTV, Fox News) | $5,000-50,000 per spot | Demographic/interest targeting | Possible |
| Remnant Cable | $500-5,000/month | Same networks, lower cost | Recommended |
| Connected TV / OTT (Hulu, Roku, etc.) | $1,000-10,000/month | Precise digital targeting | Recommended |
| Local Broadcast (Local news, etc.) | $200-2,000 per spot | Geographic (DMA) | Good for Local |
| Remnant Local Broadcast | $50-500 per spot | Same stations, off-peak | Recommended |
For a medical device company like St Joseph, Connected TV (CTV) and OTT (Over-The-Top) platforms may be the strongest option. These platforms combine the visual impact of TV with the targeting precision of digital advertising.
| Platform | Min Budget | Targeting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu | $500/month | Age, interests, geography, device | Strong 35-65 demo, health categories available |
| Roku | $500/month | Behavioral, purchase-based, health | Largest CTV platform, 80M+ active accounts |
| Samsung TV Plus | $1,000/month | ACR data (actual viewing behavior) | Free ad-supported TV on Samsung devices |
| Amazon Fire TV | $1,000/month | Amazon purchase data + demographics | Can target health product purchasers |
| Tubi | $500/month | Demo, geographic, genre targeting | 100M+ monthly active users, popular 50+ demo |
| Programmatic DSPs (The Trade Desk, DV360) | $2,500/month | Cross-platform, highly granular | Access to all CTV inventory in one place |
If the team wants to pursue traditional remnant TV, here are the main avenues:
| Vendor/Approach | How It Works | Min Budget | Good For |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Remnant Agencies (Remnant Agency, AdMedia, DRTV) |
Broker unsold cable & network inventory | $5,000-10,000/mo | National reach at discounted rates |
| Per-Inquiry (PI) Deals | Pay per call/lead instead of per spot. Station takes the risk. | $0 upfront (pay per lead) | Direct response, phone-based conversions |
| Local Cable Remnant (Spectrum Reach, Comcast Spotlight) |
Buy unsold local cable spots in target DMAs | $1,000-3,000/mo | Geographic targeting in key markets |
| DRTV (Direct Response TV) | Infomercial-style spots with phone number/URL. Buy remnant time slots. | $2,000-5,000/mo | Lead generation, older demographic |
| Disney TV Ads (ABC, ESPN, Hulu, Disney+, FX) |
Self-serve platform for buying across Disney properties. Includes remnant inventory. | $1,000/mo | Premium inventory, cross-platform (TV + streaming) |
For St Joseph Medical, we recommend a phased approach starting with the most cost-effective and measurable channels, then scaling into traditional TV as creative assets and data justify it.
Budget: $2,000-3,000/month. Platforms: Hulu + Roku or Tubi. Target: Adults 45-75, health/wellness interests, diabetes-related content viewers. Create a 15-second and 30-second spot. Measure website visits, form fills, and phone calls from TV viewers.
Budget: $1,500-3,000/month. Use Spectrum Reach or Comcast Spotlight to buy remnant spots on health-oriented networks (CNN, Fox News, HGTV) in top-performing geographic markets from your search campaigns.
Budget: $1,000-2,000/month. Access ABC, ESPN, Hulu, Disney+, and FX inventory through Disney's self-serve platform. Particularly good for reaching 50+ audiences watching ABC news and lifestyle programming.
Zero upfront cost — you pay per lead generated. Works well for medical devices with phone-based intake. Partner with a DRTV agency to test this model with minimal risk.
| Scenario | Monthly Budget | Channels | Est. Monthly Impressions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test | $1,000-2,000 | CTV only (Hulu or Tubi) | 125,000-250,000 |
| Growth | $3,000-5,000 | CTV + Local Remnant Cable | 400,000-700,000 |
| Scale | $5,000-10,000 | CTV + Remnant Cable + Disney | 700,000-1,500,000 |
| Full Program | $10,000+ | CTV + Cable + Disney + DRTV | 1,500,000+ |