TV advertising has long been the playing ground of large brands and large budgets. But as connected TV expands, smaller app companies are beginning to evaluate whether these channels can play a role in their growth strategy too.

At Business of Apps London 2026, Jessica Gotti, Head of Performance Marketing at Bend, will share a framework for how smaller app teams can approach TV and connected TV without unrealistic expectations.

Last week, Jessica met with us for a quick interview to recount her journey into performance marketing and give a sneak peak at what she is preparing for Business of Apps London.

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Bend is a movement and stretching app designed to help people maintain flexibility and healthy mobility over time. The apps merges visually guided routines with personalised stretching plans to help users build consistent habits around mobility and recovery. Bend scaled primarily through the established UA stack of Meta, TikTok, and Google Ads.

However, as the app economy and Bend itself continue to evolve, the team is now exploring ways of moving beyond the walled gardens and tapping into alternative acquisition channels. Two areas showing a lot of potential are education-led content marketing around the benefits of stretching and mobility as well as TV and connected TV.

TV and CTV: Not just for big brands

Source: Business of Apps via YouTube

At Business of Apps London, Jessica will zoom in on the latter. She will not be presenting a glamorous success story, she admits freely. Rather, her session will examine how smaller teams can realistically evaluate these channels before committing significant budgets.

Her session will outline how companies should define objectives, assess risk tolerance, plan creative production, and establish measurement frameworks before launching a TV or CTV campaign. Jessica will also share lessons from a pilot test that she ran at Bend.

Her goal, she says, is to provide an honest framework for teams that are curious about TV but unsure how to approach it. The session is designed to help smaller brands understand what preparation is required and how to evaluate whether the channel is worth investing in.

Business of Apps London 2026 will take place on 23rd April at The Brewery in London, bringing together more than 1,000 leaders from across app growth, product, marketing, and revenue.

Tickets for Business of Apps London are available here, and if you work for an app or brand, you may be eligible to apply for a subsidised ticket here. You can check out the Business of Apps London agenda here.