webdev Television is a national pastime in Britain and it remains as the most popular media platform in most U.K. households. For years, many people have predicted that TV advertising would decline due to the phenomenal rise of the internet. However, research shows it’s still thriving and even evolving alongside the explosion of digital marketing. A study conducted by Thinkbox found that in the U.K., 82% of all video advertisements are viewed on live TV.
Nearly 90% of consumers make purchases influenced by advertising and with so many media platforms available, business owners may wonder if television advertising has a competitive edge over other forms of advertising. In this article we discuss the advantages that Television advertising offers over other media platforms and the reasons why it is an effective use of an advertising budget for both small and large businesses.
When building larger audiences, TV advertising works
Television occupies more of our time than any other form of media such as print, radio and digital. According to national statistics over 95% of U.K. households have at least one television, and with over a thousand television stations to choose from TV advertising is an effective way to market products and services to the widest possible audience.
With a single ad spot, TV advertising can reach mass audiences. In the UK, the average adult watches between 3-5 hours of tv each day. That equates to 41 TV ads each day – about 2.5 billion ad impacts a day. Ads are seen more on TV than on any other form of media for across all age ranges, including those under the age of 20. A study found that 60 percent of consumers are likely to make a purchase after watching a TV advertisement, while only a little over 40 percent are likely to make a purchase after viewing an online or social media advertisement.
People Still Watch TV
There is a perception that TV advertising is becoming outdated, but that’s simply not true. Digital advertising just cannot match TV’s ability to reach large audiences. It is becoming more apparent to online brands that television marketing is vital to their marketing strategy and the only trusted way to grow their market share. Established online businesses such as Amazon, Trivago, Google, and Purple Bricks invested £682 million in TV campaigns in 2017 according to research conducted by Thinkbox.
The popularity of mobile devices hasn’t diminished the nations love of TV. According to a study conducted by Netflix, it was discovered that most of their subscribers prefer to watch streaming content on a CTV, a television connected to the internet, rather than a tablet, laptop or smartphone. This means there are still many opportunities to target in the television advertising market. Businesses marketing campaigns should be directed where the crowd is most concentrated, and TV still holds the lions share in this regard.
Many adults are still unfamiliar with new technologies, digital advertising and purchasing online are generally regarded as less trustworthy and more susceptible to scams. TV advertising is still the most effective way to reach Generation Xers aged between 40 to 60 who watch about 30 hours of TV each week and baby boomers aged 60+ who watch over 50 hours of TV each week. These two age ranges typically have access to large amounts of disposable income and they account for over 70% of discretionary spending in the U.K.
Tv advertising targets both wide demographics and specific audiences
There are millions of viewers who gather around the television every night to watch shows, series or films. Television is capable of reaching a large audience overnight in contrast to other formats such as digital banners or print ads. A TV commercial may reach an entire audience by running a campaign for just one month. With television advertising, you can reach a wider audience, in a trusted and familiar way.
By purchasing ad spots during shows that their intended demographic is likely to watch, advertisers can maximise the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. Businesses should consider buying ad spots during daytime TV if they want to reach stay-at-home parents or professionals that work from home. If your product appeals to full-time workers, advertise in the evening after they return from their commute. Advertising during Saturday morning cartoons has been used by toy and cereal manufacturers since television advertising first appeared.
Additionally, TV ads can be surprisingly effective at targeting specific audiences if businesses are less concerned with mass reach. Advertising on digital TV allows businesses to market their products and services to targeted audiences with yet more precision at a vastly reduced expense. The vast numbers of cable channels often broadcast to those with specific and niche interests such as The History Channel or Animal Planet at a fraction of the cost of advertising on ITV. Sporting goods manufacturers may choose to advertise on Sky Sports, for example, or a record company might choose to advertise an artist on MTV, the opportunities are endless.
With the help of niche cable networks, addressable advertising and connected TV the opportunities television advertising provides have expanded far beyond just the capability to reach a mass audience.
TV has unbeatable scale and reach
Television advertising is regarded in the advertising world as the most convenient and flexible due to its widespread popularity, the ease with which it can spread messages to the masses and the creative flexibility it can accommodate. It helps advertisers reach audiences on regional, national and international scale. It is possible for advertisers to reach a large portion of their target audience through television each week. Here are some U.K. TV viewing statistics from tvadvertising.co.uk that illustrate the widespread appeal it commands: 94.5% of all individuals, 95.7% of all adults, 95.6% of all ABC1 adults and 92.5% of 16-34 year olds regularly watch television in the U.K.
Television Gathers a Captive Audience
TV advertising has more advantages than just delivering to a massive audience in the shortest amount of time. Also, it allows you to pitch your brand or products to customers when they are enjoying themselves and concentrating on the screen. Show millions of potential customers why your product is better, faster, stronger, higher or longer-lasting, and even demonstrate how it works right right where they are with TV ads.
In addition to a captive audience, TV ads do not face additional on screen competition. A TV ad lets your product stand out even if it’s only for a few seconds. The opposite is true for print and digital media where ads are typically smaller and placed directly beside other adverts on the same screen or page, in direct competition not just with each other, but also with the article or information that holds viewers’ primary interest. Internet browsers allow for installation of ad blockers to filter out banners and pop ups, simply put there is never a guarantee that an advert will be seen. Whilst it is true that viewers skip TV advertisements, by fast forwarding TiVo for example , the vast majority of them watch the ad breaks. 86% of TV viewers still watched live TV instead of recording shows to watch later in 2018.
TV is a trusted & safe environment for brands
Although television ads cost more to produce than other ads and commercial air time can be expensive, consumers trust TV advertisements more than other media.
Brand recognition, trust and fame can all be delivered through TV advertising. As the most recognisable advertising platform viewers will instinctively view your business as successful if you appear on TV, since it is perceived as an expensive marketing tool with an air of glamour and notability attached to it. The phrase “As seen on TV” is often used by brands to describe their products simply because appearing on TV gives them prestige. Presented alongside credible or high-quality programming, your advertisement subtly earns a share of trust and esteem that viewers hold for their favourite shows. Loyal viewers of series can become loyal customers. Brand loyalty and product recognition can be greatly improved through television advertising over that of your market competition.
Because television advertising is highly regulated, tv advertising presents an immediate assurance of quality to the audience and the research surveys support this. In response to the question “In which of the following places do you find the most trustworthy advertising?” TV advertising scored 42%, followed by newspapers with 13%, and YouTube with 6% according to public consensus. An IAB study reported that 84% of consumers feel that advertising in the news increases or maintains trust in a brand.
Excellent Creative Opportunities
As far as conventional advertising media go, television offers the most creative freedom. Adverts serve primarily as forms of entertainment that also raise brand awareness and promote products and services. They all tell stories between thirty and sixty sentences, finishing with either a slogan, a motto, or a catchphrase to help the ad remain in the memories of viewers. Visual images, characters, and compelling dialogue can all be used in your video and a few even have jingles designed to help you remember them instantly. Music rights may also be purchased to associate a brand with emotions or nostalgia evoked by a popular song.
Due to its combination of visual and auditory stimulation, television advertising offers a superior level of sophistication to any other medium. Sights and sounds in combination with plot devices like story and humour make tv ads not only more captivating, but also gives a more realistic view of a product than a single static picture ever could.
Along with humour, drama, and emotional appeal, you can choose from a variety of creative styles to design your advert and give it personality in the way that suits your brand message. In order to make viewers feel joy, you must set the stage with the product or service that can illicit that feeling. When you advertise something dramatic or sad, you need to justify why the viewer should feel this way. Developing a compelling company image requires highly creative advertising to capture attention and establish brand awareness and distinguish it above the competition.
The advantage tv advertising offers with this creative freedom is that well conceived ads can get the audience to respond as you predict. Good tv commercials strike a balance between simple memorable qualities and a unique selling point. This is why television advertising is so powerful. No other advertising platform will get people talking about your brand like television adverts can. A great ad will resonate in popular culture long after its run is over.
The second screen Advantage
The role of television advertising in marketing can also be used to drive all other forms of promotion. Viewers often use multiple devices such as their phone while watching television. Almost 70% of television viewers use a mobile device or tablet while watching TV, and they are often engaged with their friends online as well. When a viewer watches an advertisement on a second screen, they can instantly respond to any call to action.
As well as texting friends about a product they just saw advertised, viewers are more likely to search for more information about that product. Consumers can be encouraged to share their new purchases on their social media pages to show off to their friends and family.
By including links to social media and brand websites in tv promos, smart advertisers can increase brand awareness and reach by encouraging viewers to interact with their products through technology. Advertisers can engage viewers by directing them to enter a sweepstakes, visit their website and to use QR codes for special discounts.
Television will continue to be a tool for advertisers and programmers to engage viewers with more in-depth content online. As a result, the relationship between a brand and a consumer is nurtured and loyalty is built. Thanks to second screen advertising, TV is becoming a more efficient marketing platform, and this synergy and interaction will continue to grow in the future as technology develops.
TV is great value
Despite being the most expensive media platform to advertise on, television ads are most cost-effective, according to an article by The Benton Group in July 2011. Studies show that typical return of income on an tv advertising spend is £1.70 for every £1 spent.
The daunting cost of tv advertising might deter some small businesses from investing but there are a multitude of ways in which costs can be mitigated. Digital tv networks typically offer vastly reduced advertising rates. It is possible to purchase a 30 second ad slot on a niche cable channel for as low as £5 – £10. Opt for a 15 second advertising slot instead if you can pack all your marketing messages into a smaller time frame. This will save on both production costs and air time, If you are keenly aware of which demographics you wish to target, and their viewing habits, then its easy to maximise cost efficiency and get the most out of a limited ad budget. Media agency use their established relationships with networks to drive the hardest bargains on air time. There are many ways for a resourceful business to dramatically cut down on costs.
Brand value and recognition can grow significantly if you reach the right number of people and deliver an impactful message that stirs emotions. TV adverts that build brand image may not result in an immediate spike in sales, but in the long run, businesses that use TV advertising in ongoing advertising can expect to have more customers and higher revenue. The Coca-Cola company, for example, uses persistent long running television advertising campaigns to constantly consolidate its place in the market and in our homes such as the Christmas time festive truck ad campaign.
TV Continues to Evolve and Adjust
The rise of the Internet ushered in an era of rapid adaptation and evolution for TV and new and different ways are being developed today for brands to interact with their customers. The TV medium continues to evolve new ways to watch, and advertisers are finding new ways to reach potential customers through it. The emergence of smart TV, streaming media, and subscription channels has enabled advertising creatives to create more relevant and tailored content using online date and search algorithms. TV commercials are going to be able to reach more precise audiences, with more control over when they air. Allowing businesses to deliver ads to a smaller groups of viewers, instead of all of them, will result in higher ROIs for television advertisers.
To conclude, the advantages that TV advertising offers give it the competitive edge over all other media platforms even despite rapid changes in technology. For businesses looking to advertise, TV remains the king of all advertising platforms both new and traditional
