TV Ads Work
A Study that Reinforces What You Know… Opinion About Media “Rubs Off” on Brands with Advertisements During that Media
A recent study published by Thinkbox TV, a British firm that promotes commercial programming, shows that brands that sponsor TV programs create an affinity with the people who watch those programs. That may not seem all that incredible to read, but a 
good reminder that even in the age of “all things digital”, it is still good content that lets advertisers “borrow interest”. Even more in the age of binge-watching. Some of the findings from the report:
- the strong positive affinity viewers have with favorite programming “rubs off” on advertisers and sponsors,
- program viewers are far more likely to recommend a sponsoring brand than those who do not associate a brand with a particular program,
- advertising on programming accelerates how quickly brand awareness is achieved… especially for new brands.
The report suggests that matching brand personality and program personality are key to getting the best results from ads and sponsorships. Again, that is more likely reinforcing your thinking rather than making a light bulb go off for the first time.
How to Find the Right Programming
The harder part is finding the right media on which to place your ads. As the study suggests, media must connect with your target audience and the ideas that matter to them. Just putting an ad on any program, or worse, on a program that is contrary to your brand’s positioning and attributes, may not help your awareness, or sales. (We’re assuming smaller brands which cannot blanket the media world with their message.)
Choosing the right media can be outsourced to a professional (contact me!), and programmatic advertising is available with the promise to deliver exactly the right audience… but there are issues with programmatic. Take the time to consider the media that is proposed to you. Ask “Who watches/listens/reads it… and why?”
Where to Sponsor Programming
The second challenge is deciding where to place the ads. With the disruption of media between broadcast, cable, online viewing, subscription services like Hulu, digital radio, etc., it becomes much more difficult than ever to place advertising.
Testing the market is the best way to find out how your ads deliver – both content/creative and placement. For smaller advertisers this may seem daunting, but the bottomline is the ultimate result… does any ad program you run get tangible results (i.e. sales). By running limited ad buys with specific calls to action/offers to different response queues (different emails, web pages, even phone numbers), even a small advertiser can test variables of placement, creative and response channel.
If you want to discuss how to develop your media into a more targeted and tracked campaign, contact me. We can discuss your situation and develop a workable plan.