The advantages of advertising on television are numerous. Discover how to leverage the broad reach and brand recall of TV advertising inside.
Discover why TV advertising should be a core focus of your next advertising campaign
Despite the advent of smartphones, tablets, and video game consoles, television remains the primary mode of entertainment for a large majority of adults in the United States. Whether they’re relaxing after a hard day of work, keeping up with the latest viral hit, or gathering with friends and family to root for their favorite team, the TV remains a focal point in the modern home.
Because of these, adding TV to your media mix is as critical as ever. There are numerous advantages of advertising on television. TV remains one of the most attention-grabbing forms of media because of its capability to display high-quality, eye-catching creative content. And thanks to delivery platforms like connected TV (CTV), marketers can harness powerful performance marketing tools to maximize the reach of their ad dollars.
Check out our comprehensive guide, "Advertising on Television: Everything You Need to Know About the TV Medium" for even more helpful resources.
What Is Television Advertising?
Television advertising is the process of creating short and persuasive video advertisements (also known as commercials) to broadcast specifically through the medium of television in order to promote or sell a specific product, brand, or service. From the first advertisement that aired during a baseball game in 1941 to interactive ads that stream directly to targeted viewers, TV advertising remains one of the most compelling and eye-catching ways to reach an audience.
While the content of advertising has evolved significantly since the 1940s, it’s only recently that the process for reaching television viewers has opened up to allow smaller businesses and challenger brands the same level of access.
For years, linear TV — that is, television content broadcast live over the airwaves, cable, or satellite — was how marketers broadcast their ads to viewers. Marketing agencies brokered these ads through private direct deals between advertisers and broadcast networks. While the ability to measure results typically comes after an ad campaign is over, it remains one of the most reliable ways to get a message across to large groups of people simultaneously.
In addition to linear TV, over-the-top (OTT) streaming is a popular and effective way to reach a new segment of television viewers. This growing audience is replacing linear TV options with smart TVs, set-top boxes, and other connected TV delivery platforms. OTT marketing through CTV also allows marketers to directly target audiences with performance marketing tools previously only available to internet and mobile advertisers. To learn more about how CTV advertising combines the best of performance marketing with the power and scale of televised storytelling, download your free copy of The CTV Advertising Playbook:
5 Advantages of Advertising on Television
There are numerous benefits to advertising through television, whether you’re using traditional channels or CTV. Here are just a few reasons why television should be part of your media mix:
- Broad reach: The national TV-watching audience is massive, and popular events and shows ensure millions are simultaneously going to tune in and see your ad. For example, the average Super Bowl LVII ad costs $7 million for a 30-second spot because you’re reaching prime-time viewership to the tune of 200 million viewers at once. Nearly 50% of U.S. households have a linear TV subscription, and 92% of U.S. households are reachable via CTV advertising, meaning there are few TV can’t reach.
- Targeted demographics: As networks calculate the demographic information of viewers, they can provide this information to marketers looking to target specific households, age groups, income levels, and more with their ads. One of the biggest advantages of OTT, though, is its ability to take targeting to another level. OTT advertising platforms come equipped with performance marketing tools and viewer insight that lets advertisers target hyper-specific audiences, even down to the ZIP code.
- Increased brand awareness: TV advertising is extremely effective at raising brand awareness among target audiences. According to our research, 46% of viewers say TV ads are the most memorable of all advertising they encounter. TV advertising also generates a “halo effect” on other forms of advertising, making it a vital keystone of any marketer’s media mix.
- Trustworthy: The regulated and curated nature of television and its selection of ads lends credibility to the content that appears on the screen, making it one of the most trusted sources for informed purchasing decisions. Ads displayed on the most popular streaming channels are also curated through private marketplaces and placed with brand-safe content.
- Unblockable: Unlike online advertising, users cannot block ads delivered through linear TV, guaranteeing your target audience actually watches your ad content. Even streaming-based CTV platforms prevent users from skipping ads, making television one of the most reliable marketing methods available.
CTV Vs. Traditional Television Advertising at a Glance
While linear TV and CTV platforms may share the same glass to display content, both options offer very different approaches to ad delivery, performance measurement, pricing, and more. The following chart will help you understand the differences between the two advertising formats, allowing you to decide better where to spend your ad dollars.
|
Benefits |
Connected Television Advertising |
Traditional Television Advertising |
|
Targeting Capabilities |
Advanced targeting and audience segmentation based on data analysis |
Limited targeting capabilities based on broad audience demographics |
|
Real-time Performance Metrics |
Real-time tracking of ad impressions, clicks, and conversions |
Performance metrics can take longer to obtain and may not be as detailed |
|
Interactive Ad Formats |
Interactive ad formats, such as shoppable ads and interactive video ads |
Traditional ad formats, such as commercials and sponsorships |
|
Cost-effectiveness |
Potentially lower costs due to more targeted and efficient ad placements |
Costs may be higher due to broader placements and lack of targeting |
|
Flexibility |
Flexibility to adjust and optimize campaigns in real-time based on data |
Limited flexibility due to lead times and fixed ad placements |
|
Data-driven Insights |
Insights into viewer behavior and preferences based on data analysis |
Limited data insights and reliance on surveys and focus groups |
|
Personalization |
Ability to deliver personalized ads to individual viewers |
Limited ability to deliver personalized ads at scale |
|
Integration with other media |
Integration with other digital marketing channels, such as social media and display ads |
Limited integration with other media channels |
|
Audience engagement |
Enhanced engagement through interactive features and personalized experiences |
Limited audience engagement opportunities |
CTV Is the Future of Television Advertising
While linear TV still has massive buy-in from the viewing public, more and more consumers are cutting the cord and switching to CTV for its flexibility and lower costs. This is a boon for marketers, as CTV provides more insight into audience data and campaign effectiveness than traditional television advertising.
If you’re ready to learn more about how CTV advertising can boost KPIs for your next TV ad campaign, download our free ebook today. Inside you’ll get expert insight from tvScientific on leveraging this platform to its fullest potential — from designing ad creative to targeting the right audience to increasing your reach without increasing ad spend. Get the guide today, and discover how CTV can boost ROAS, brand recall, and more.
