TV advertising: opportunities and challenges in the internet age

TV advertising is a popular advertising medium that has played an important role in shaping advertising culture and mass-consumption habits. Short video clips, sometimes even becoming high-quality films, capture the attention of television viewers and deliver a message about a product or service. Well-crafted advertising videos leave an impression and undoubtedly influence consumer decisions. OWEXX, a distributor of TV advertising on the most popular Lithuanian television channels and portals, which also offers advertising clip production services for television, explains the opportunities, effectiveness and challenges of television advertising.

Television advertising and its role in the age of internet platforms

Television advertising offers the opportunity to reach a wide audience. Advertising shown during popular television programmes, sports competitions and live broadcasts reaches a large number of consumers. A well-made and creatively produced advertising clip that conveys a persuasive message is a valuable marketing tool that can help connect with the audience, increase trust in the brand and encourage the consumer to take action. And if the question arises – yes, television advertising remains relevant in today's advertising discourse. As internet television platforms grow in popularity, consumer attention is certainly more fragmented, but traditional television advertising still creates value in the advertising world.

When wondering whether television advertising is still an effective medium that matches today's trends, it is worth recalling the final game of the US National Football League (NFL), whose broadcast attracts an incredible number of viewers – in 2022 this number reached 112 million. And it is certainly not only the impressive play and the eagerly awaited halftime show that draw so many people to the television screen – consumers are particularly interested to see what companies have created for these extremely expensive advertising minutes. "Super Bowl" ads have become a cultural phenomenon, and some viewers tune in to the game broadcast specifically for the ads, whose cinematography and storytelling often rival a short film – the ads employ special effects, and the Hollywood stars appearing in them make the spectacle a memorable talking point. The popularity and phenomenon of these ads, of course, were driven primarily by the viewership of the game itself, while businesses, having an exceptional opportunity to become visible, sought to create a memorable storyline representing the product or service being advertised. Over time, the ambition arose not only to increase trust in the brand and popularise it, but also to make the advertising clip itself well known and recognisable. Even the fact that "Super Bowl" ads are posted on internet platforms before or after the game does not change the fact that they matter precisely because they are broadcast on television during the game.

Of course, creating such a phenomenon is rarely achieved. However, as technology advances and creative ideas tailored to the target consumer are used, it is possible to create advertising that is memorable, non-intrusive and influences consumer actions. Even despite engaging advertising storylines, high-quality effects and a compelling message, there are several things that keep television advertising from losing its position in the advertising world.

Television advertising – the opportunity to reach a diverse audience

First of all, TV advertising reaches a large and diverse audience – popular series and films, television programmes, live events and occasions, sports competitions and news programmes still attract consumers. This is especially relevant during major live broadcasts, when ads cannot be switched off. And even if the consumer browses their phone during the advertising break, an engaging advertising storyline or catchy music will capture their attention, and a boldly delivered compelling message will stay in memory.

TV advertising is also an effective tool when you want to reach a target audience. Once you have identified the characteristics of your product's or service's users, you can choose advertising on the TV channel (or channels) that your brand's target audience is likely to watch most often. OWEXX offers advertising on the most popular Lithuanian TV channels, so the advertising possibilities are exceptionally broad. The ad placement can be selected not only by TV channel – based on the brand's target group (age, social status, etc.), you can choose which programme's ad break your commercial would fit best.

TV advertising is a traditional advertising medium that has earned consumers' trust. And online advertising does not have to be the enemy of TV advertising – these two advertising media can be perfectly combined, thereby increasing the effectiveness of your brand's advertising campaign and its audience reach. When today's audience is spread across a wide variety of platforms, a successful advertising campaign also requires distributing resources across various media.

TV advertising remains a popular medium among brands seeking to reach their target audience and earn consumer trust. In the US, TV advertising remains the second most profitable advertising platform. Television still draws large audiences, especially for news programmes and sports broadcasts. Fairly high consumer trust in TV advertising should also be linked to news and current affairs programmes – when viewers trust the programme being shown, trust in the commercials aired during the breaks automatically rises too.

Advantages of TV advertising

The success and memorability of TV advertising is determined by several things. TV commercials can attract and influence consumers not only through visuals but also through sound. Think about how many times a catchy advertising jingle or a repeated slogan has stuck in your head? According to MediaScience, viewers watching TV advertising watch an average of 71% of a commercial, compared with 30% for video ad viewing on smartphones – this is also related to the fact that advertising seen on larger screens is evaluated more positively than on small ones. High-quality picture and sound, and the ability to tell a story without being limited to a few seconds – TV advertising convinces and is remembered.

The popularity of online advertising does not necessarily mean that TV advertising is being pushed to the margins of marketing strategies. On the contrary – a creatively and effectively designed advertising campaign run across multiple platforms, including television, can deliver excellent results. In other words, the emergence of new advertising channels does not mean traditional channels are dying out – it rather suggests that businesses must and can reach their customers through several advertising media. Combine TV advertising with advertising on outdoor media, such as outdoor screens, and you will achieve even better results.

One of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to TV advertising is: how much does TV advertising cost? There is often an impression that it is an expensive service, but once you calculate the customer acquisition potential and the cost of advertising, you may spend relatively little per potential customer. In fact, the price of TV advertising depends on individual factors such as seasonality, time of day, the method of advertising within the programme, etc. It is best to contact professionals who will present all the TV advertising possibilities to you.

OWEXX offers TV advertising services

To advertise your goods or services on television, you have several options – choose advertising in an ad break or programme sponsorship, i.e. advertising integrated into a programme or show.

An ad break is a time slot, a commercial break, an insert shown during a TV programme. On average, an ad break is shown once an hour; depending on the time, its duration is from 3 to 12 minutes, and it airs commercials of various lengths and content.

TV3, TV6, TV8, LNK, TV1, 2TV, INFO TV, BTV, Lietuvos rytas TV – choose advertising on popular channels and secure a large audience and visibility for your advertising message. You can also broadcast your ad on the popular TV3 Play and LNK.lt portals. That's plenty of opportunities to boost your brand awareness, reach your target consumer and craft a memorable advertising message.

You can turn to OWEXX not only for ordering and distributing TV advertising, but also to have a commercial created by our professional team broadcast on television.

Quality, impactful TV advertising can deliver effective results, and if you combine it with advertising on other platforms, success is guaranteed. And to make your ad interesting, eye-catching and memorable, it's worth entrusting this work to those who know exactly how to create such advertising. The OWEXX team can prepare your ad from A to Z: the service includes developing the advertising idea and core message, script planning, sourcing visual material, preparing storyboards and animating the clip. We communicate with the client throughout the process, because our shared goal is advertising that is not only high-quality and meets the client's expectations, but also effective.

Interested in commercial production services? Or perhaps you already have an ad you want to showcase on the TV screen? Contact OWEXX – it's your opportunity to create an interesting, engaging and successful advertising campaign.