This documentation covers the New Ads Manager Experience (limited release starting July 15, 2026). If your dashboard looks different, please view [Creating a new Campaign / Ad Groups and Setting Targeting Goal] for support. Want early access to the new experience? Contact selfservehelp@groundtruth.com to upgrade your account.
Overview
Media Channels determine exactly where your advertisements will be displayed across the digital ecosystem (e.g., mobile apps, streaming TV, digital billboards). GroundTruth dynamically groups and recommends the best-performing channels based on your chosen objective while still allowing you to fully customize your media mix.
Each channel has a specific format (display, video, audio), a delivery environment (mobile, outdoor, television, etc.), and different performance strengths. The platform supports the following media channel environments:
📱 Mobile
Delivers display and skippable video ads across mobile apps and mobile web environments. This channel is highly optimized for achieving scalable reach and frequency.
💻 Desktop & Tablet
Serves display and skippable video ads tailored for desktop browsers and tablet devices. Best utilized for reaching users in high-intent, research-oriented environments.
📺 CTV (Connected TV)
Features non-skippable video ads deployed strictly on Smart TVs and streaming platforms. Engineered for premium, high-impact, full-screen audience engagement.
🎬 OTT (Over-the-Top)
Deploys non-skippable video ads to extend your total campaign reach well beyond traditional TV. Ideal for immersive brand storytelling targeting cord-cutters and streaming audiences.
🏢 DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home)
Displays large-format ads across physical billboards, transit screens, and public displays. Perfectly suited for contextually relevant placements near key points of interest during high-traffic moments.
🎧 Audio
Streams audio ads seamlessly across popular podcasts and music platforms. Excellent for capturing incremental reach and driving brand storytelling during screen-free routines like commuting, working out, or cooking.
📬 Direct Mail
Delivers physical, tangible mail pieces directly to targeted households based on location and audience data. Designed to build a high-impact offline brand experience that naturally stands out from digital noise.
Channel Mapping
After selecting your objective, media channels are grouped into Recommended Channels and Other Media Channels.
- Recommended Channels: Automatically suggested based on your ad group objective to maximize strong delivery and performance.
- Other Media Channels: Additional supported channels based on your ad group objective but may not have as strong of an impact in ad group performance if selected.
The following matrix breaks down which environments are labeled as such based on the objective selected for the ad group:
| Objective | Recommended Channels | Other Media Channels |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | Mobile, CTV, OTT, Audio | DOOH, Direct Mail |
| Brand Awareness | CTV, DOOH, Mobile | Desktop & Tablet, OTT, Audio, Direct Mail |
| Ad Clicks | Mobile, Desktop & Tablet | CTV, OTT, Audio, Direct Mail |
| Video Views | Mobile, CTV, OTT | Desktop & Tablet, DOOH, Audio, Direct Mail |
| Audio Plays | Audio | Mobile, Desktop & Tablet, CTV, OTT, DOOH, Direct Mail |
| In-Store Visits | Mobile, Desktop & Tablet, CTV | OTT, DOOH, Audio, Direct Mail |
One-Click Ad Group Clone (New!)
To streamline cross-channel deployment, the platform focuses on one media channel at a time during this initial setup step to keep your ad group configuration organized.
💡 Heads Up: The option to expand your reach happens at the very end of the creation workflow. Once you complete Step 6: Tracking & Measurement and click the final Save & Continue, a prompt will automatically ask if you want to clone your newly completed ad group across multiple additional channels simultaneously.
When planning to scale your strategy at that final stage, remember to review and align your creative formats (image vs. video vs. audio), channel-specific location boundaries, and individual budgets to fit each unique media environment.
Note: This step is optional. You will have the opportunity to duplicate a created ad group directly from the campaign dashboard at any time.
Step-by-Step Configuration
- Progress to Step 2: Media Channel within the Creation Flow.
- Review the Recommended Channels automatically generated for your selected objective.
- Select one media channel to build out your initial ad group objective.
Building for DOOH or Direct Mail channels will redirect you to a distinct, specialized setup environment tailored to those asset types following this step. This is expected behavior and ensures your parameters are configured accurately. [Read more about DOOH setup] [Read more about Direct Mail setup]
Best Practices
- Start with Recommendations: Prioritize the suggested Recommended Channels first, as they are pre-optimized to deliver the strongest performance for your specific objective.
- Use Multiple Channels: To increase reach and frequency, we recommend starting with a combination of CTV and Mobile for a highly effective, full-funnel campaign impact.
- Protect Your Budget: Avoid over-fragmenting your total campaign budget across too many different channels simultaneously.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
-
Am I required to stick to the Recommended Channels?
No. You can freely customize your channel selection from the "Other Media Channels" section based on your unique strategy. -
Why are certain media channels unavailable or locked?
Channel availability strictly depends on your selected objective. For example, if your objective is Ad Clicks, channels like Audio and DOOH will be grayed out because those environments do not natively support or track digital clicks. -
Can I change media channels later?
Media channels may be limited once a campaign is live and starts spending. To make major changes, duplicate the existing ad group. -
Which channel combinations do you recommend based on different objectives?
- If Awareness, prioritize Mobile + CTV + DOOH. Add Audio for incremental reach.
- If Engagement (Consideration), focus on Mobile + Video formats.
- If Conversions, prioritize channels that support tracking and retargeting (e.g., Mobile).
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