I will never forget how, ten years ago, as I sat in my Marketing Communications class, a student asked the teacher why companies compete so hard to advertise during cricket matches – her reasoning was that the advertising breaks are used by most viewers as the time to use the toilet. The laughs that ensued did not detract from the common agreement I observed by everyone in class (even the teacher) on the matter. This is just what television advertising has become today: a chance to take a toilet break. No one cares much about television adverts anymore, and in fact, today’s generations prefer to watch their favourite shows on platforms like Netflix and YouTube rather than having to sit through countless advertisements. Then logically, it seems as though it is time for us to rethink our ad spend on television.
To add to this, on-demand television has changed the game for TV advertisers. Now, viewers can choose to watch television without commercial breaks or watch programmes that eliminate ad breaks altogether.
Enders Analysis says it is anticipated that television advertising will reduce by 5% overall in the US this year. However, historically, television advertising has always been a prominent Above-the-Line (ATL) advertising method and marketers should now be rethinking how to still use its visual appeal to attract consumers. After all, if any visual content is stimulating and interesting enough, consumers will still take the time to watch it.
It is true that Gen Z and Gen Alphas spend the majority of their time online so, spending more on online advertising may make sense. However, let’s not forget that the Baby Boomers, Gen Xs and the Millenials, who possess a great deal of disposable income, still turn to the television as part of their main medium of entertainment. Even with Gen Z and Gen Alpha, it is not to say that they do not spend time watching TV – they do. Thus, television still does have a somewhat strong presence in the field of media.
TEC Direct Media says in the US alone, television reaches over 120 million homes and around 96% of homes have one television, at least. Serial TV shows still draw audiences and in South Asian countries especially, television viewing tends to be a communal experience. Therefore, marketers should not completely write television off as an advertising medium.
The truth of the matter
Whilst it is true that the older generations still rely on television for their daily news updates and to keep up with their much-loved soap operas, television has become a slightly outdated medium for reaching the masses as a whole. The younger generations rely on digital media even for their news supply and obtain their entertainment supply through digital entertainment channels.
Then, advertisers need to focus on digital media platforms if they want to reach far and wide. But does that mean that the Gen Zs have completely given up on television? Research presented by Broadpeak into 16-23-year-olds in the US, France and Brazil suggests that only 10% of Gen Zs use television for viewing content.
Adding to the mix
As a parent, I know that while both my sons- teenage and toddler – spend their time watching programmes on digital media, they also revert to television cartoons and cricket and tennis matches on television sports channels almost as often as they watch digital media. Advertising targeted at parents, toddlers and teenagers then, will most certainly be effective as parents tend to keep an eye on the television along with their children.
In a similar fashion, Improvado, an automated marketing reporting and analytics firm says that multitasking is now a thing, with many people using both digital and television media simultaneously. The company cites a study conducted by Ohio University that shows that television viewers of the age of 20 and over were studied in two groups- one that only watched the television, and the other that kept the television going while also watching a tablet or scrolling through a mobile phone. Interestingly, those who watched only the television were able to recall only 1.62 brands out of 3 that were advertised, while those who watched both the TV and their digital media were able to remember 2.43 out of 3 brands that were promoted.
In reality, televisions are switched on in many households every night after a hard day’s work. At some point during those hours, almost every member of those families is bound to catch something on TV. The advent of digital media does not mean that television is dead. In fact, Improvado says that as long as digital media requires WiFi and data, television will still remain popular. If you think about it, even when we are on holiday or travelling, we carry our phones, tablets and e-books with us. But the first thing we do when we enter our hotel rooms is to switch the television on. There is something comforting about a television running its programmes while we do our thing, and though it may be in the background, the point is for interesting and effective ad content to make its way into your attention span.
The bigger picture
Despite the doom surrounding television viewing, statista.com says that in the United States, which is the largest advertising market in the region and worldwide, ad revenues from television are expected to grow in the coming years. The logical conclusion for advertisers and marketers then, is that a combination of both television and online media is essential to reach target audiences far and wide.
Naysayers may say that television is dead. But don’t bring out the coffins just yet. Just because digital media and digital everything is taking over our lives, it doesn’t mean that people don’t fall back on traditional modes of entertainment entirely. As long as the advertising message stays relevant and engaging, whether it be digital media or television, it will still have an impact.
(Anouk De Silva)