How SWYM Reduced CPC 24% and CPM 35% for Trade School Network in Premium Video/OTT
Winter 2026
The challenge
A network of accredited U.S. trade schools was running a premium Video/OTT campaign to drive student acquisition.
The goal: Reduce CPC below Target while maintaining premium inventory.
However, rising CPMs and limited supply-side visibility meant spend was flowing to inefficient inventory. Balancing cost efficiency with premium reach proved difficult.
The solution
The agency partnered with SWYM to optimize performance at the source using AI-driven supply shaping. SWYM analyzed bidstream data in real time, filtering low-quality supply and prioritizing inventory proven to drive outcomes.
Two tracks were deployed:
- Non-premium (CPC focus): Reduce inefficient spend
- Premium (CPM + scale): Improve cost efficiency while maintaining top-tier inventory (DirecTV, Tubi, Plex, Paramount+, CBS Sports)
No changes were made to audiences, creative, or budgets.
The results
The results conclusively validated the team’s approach.
Performance Gains
Reduction in CPC
Reduction in CPM
Brand Safety Improvements
Reduction in domains
(321 → 199) in non-premium environments
More efficient SSP usage
(reduced from 4 → 2 in non-premium)
Expanded premium reach
with curated scale (46 → 208 domains)
Supply Chain Simplification
Learning period
with continued gains over time