Targeted, flexible and agile: How TV advertising has evolved
Digital marketing is traditionally seen as more targeted, agile and flexible. TV is exciting, emotional and engaging. Nothing can build mass brand awareness and desire like TV. Plus the average consumer watches 3.5 hours a day. So it makes sense to get in front of those eyeballs.
But TV ad budgets have been falling. That is, until recently. In 2021, TV advertising expenditure increased by 15% for the first time in years. Why? Because it’s acting more like a digital marketing channel and marketers are adapting their TV strategy to stay competitive. How? Pull up a chair: we’re going to tell you three ways TV is more targeted, agile and flexible these days, and why that’s better for your bottom line.
1. TV targeting has got more granular
Digital marketing has historically had the edge on TV advertising when it comes to targeting. Platforms such as Google, Facebook and YouTube collect more audience engagement, demographic and location data, so advertisers can make sure they’re reaching the right consumers on those platforms. But that’s changed. Addressable TV Advertising allows brands to simultaneously run different ads to different households watching the same programme. Using location and household data, you can precisely target customised audience segments to increase your brand and budget impact. You can also use this data-driven approach to distinguish between frequent and infrequent or non-exposed viewers, dialling your touch points up or down as needed.
Not surprisingly, studies have shown that Addressable TV Advertising can increase audience engagement by 35%. Sky’s AdSmart is the biggest player in the market. And Virgin Media and Channel 4 have joined the platform in recent years, which means there are even more channel options. Which brings us neatly to….
2. Today’s TV consumption is more flexible
Broadcast Video-on-Demand (BVOD) services are fundamentally changing how consumers watch content. And as the market continues to grow, advertisers have a smorgasbord of options open to them.
BVOD is content created by conventional broadcast media that’s available online and on-demand – so, 4OD, ITV Hub and so on. BVOD also includes subscription-based services like Netflix, NOW and Amazon Prime. Viewing figures for these streaming services have understandably shot up in the last two years with Ofcom reporting a 55% increase, as three in five UK homes are now signed up.
And, as there are more channel options than ever before, it makes sense to take a flexible, modular approach to content creation. An approach which allows you to build adverts that can be repackaged, updated or repurposed to match any type of channel and consumption needs. And of course that’s more cost-effective, nimble, relevant and ensures you have a consistently high level of creative and production in every type of ad.
3. You can take a multi-screen, agile approach
A massive 92% of marketing leaders say their ability to be agile will determine their future success, according to Adobe’s latest Digital Trends Report. And this agility can be applied to TV advertising if marketers adopt a multi-screen – or, ‘All Screen’ – approach. TV doesn’t and shouldn’t work in competition with online marketing. It should be used to prompt audiences to engage with online efforts. Thinkbox research shows that brands see the biggest search volume spikes following a TV ad, with TV accounting for 42% of web traffic.
Brands who get into this All Screen mindset from the outset of a campaign work in a more streamlined, optimised way. Producing separate assets, from separate teams, for separate channels is neither cost effective or time efficient.
For example, our Sky Vegas assets were created with multi-channel usage in mind. Any elements from the TV ads were stress-tested across all channel teams in the development stage, to ensure they resonated online, too. This meant that the brand looked and felt the same no matter where the audience touchpoint was, which maximised recognition. This was especially important as Sky Vegas is an online only brand and competes against other gaming brands with a larger, street presence.
These are just three ways you can future-proof your TV advertising strategy. We can keep going all day. Because we know how to come up with the right TV creative then make it targeted, agile and flexible to maximise your brand reach and engagement.
Like what you hear? If you fancy a chat, give us a call on 01582 881144 or drop us a line at amber@falloffthewall.com. We’d love to hear from you.