Is TV advertising dead? Clearly not! Although TV has taken a backseat in most marketing strategies due to the domination of the digital space, TV advertising is still relevant. Many big brands like Pepsi and Coca-Cola still put their ads up on TV, and we even look forward to some of these commercials when watching our favourite shows. Of course, you can’t deny how entertaining some of them are.
To stay competitive as their digital counterparts, TV advertising marketers must be able to incorporate those factors that make digital marketing effective. That includes metrics as well as audience segmentation and targeting.
Tv Advertising Isn’t Going Anywhere Anytime Soon
If you’re one of those who think TV advertising is gone for good, you’re in for a rude awakening. Indeed, it’s likely that TV advertising isn’t going anywhere but will only be modified to suit current times. That’s because TV is very effective at creating widespread awareness.
One of the greatest challenges facing TV ads is the difficulty of obtaining metrics and insights. Unlike digital mediums, TV ad marketers cannot measure how effective the ads are. But what can technology not do? We now have smart TVs, which are more or less large, less-mobile smartphones. Understandably, technological advancement may soon allow marketers to obtain insights from users’ interactions with TV ads.
For now, here are some emerging TV advertising trends every marketer should keep their eyes on.
4 Trends That Are Modelling the New Era of TV Advertising
Marketers are adapting their TV advertising methods to current times by following the trends below:
1. Combining TV and Mobile Channels
TV and mobile are often seen as rivals in the advertising world, but the truth is that they can actually work together to achieve marketing goals. In fact, many people use their phones while watching TV, which means that marketers have the opportunity to create a “halo effect” by engaging with customers across multiple devices. This can amplify the positive impact of search, display, and short-form video ads and make customers more receptive to mobile ads while watching TV.
By using advanced attribution analytics, marketers can better understand when and how users are watching TV and using mobile channels, and create more effective, multi-screen campaigns.
2. More People Are Switching to Advanced TV’s
TV is still popular, but people are starting to watch it in new ways through over-the-top (OTT) devices like smart TVs, Chromecasts, and game consoles. One challenge with these devices is that people tend to watch fewer ads on them.
For example, smart TV users spend around 57% of their time watching Netflix, which doesn’t show ads. However, marketers are still interested in using over-the-top advertising because it allows for targeted and multi-screen advertising. This trend is known as advanced TV, which includes addressable TV, where advertisers can serve ads to specific audience segments based on factors like viewing and buying behaviour, as well as demographics.
Addressable TV is becoming more common, with 53% of households in the US being addressable in 2018, compared to only 30% in 2015. This allows for more personalized marketing on TV, which has traditionally been used for mass marketing.
3. Interactive Television Advertising on Streaming Platforms
The pandemic has increased the use of video streaming platforms, which is expected to grow 20% annually. This has led to the rise of interactive television advertising, which allows brands to connect with their target audience and get a better understanding of their preferences.
This form of advertising offers users the choice between two ads and allows them to visit a brand’s website or watch a commercial. It can be found on platforms such as Hulu and Amazon, helping brands gain website traffic and improve their brand equity.
4. Programmatic TV Advertising Getting More Popular
Programmatic advertising aims to solve two problems facing TV advertising. The first is the time-consuming nature of placing ads. The second is knowing where to place ads.
Programmatic advertising makes TV advertising easier and more efficient by automating decisions such as when and where to show ads. It also provides data that can be used to optimize ads. This helps TV stay competitive with digital advertising, which is mostly automated. Programmatic TV also gives marketers more complete metrics, such as how many clicks an ad gets and the cost and return on investment for each click.
The Bottom Line
For TV advertising to thrive in current times, it has to integrate targeting, automation, and segmentation strategies that are quintessential of digital ads. As a marketer, you must learn to target specific demographics rather than mass audiences when advertising on TV. By optimizing your offline ad spend, you can give your organization a competitive advantage over those that only leverage online channels.
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