Television advertising has a big impact on the social media world, according to a new report.
Research conducted for Turner Broadcasting by 4C found that commercials prompt consumers to interact with brands on Facebook and Twitter, and premium programming generates more engagement content.
The six-month study of 26 brands found that one of five (19.5%) social media brand engagements were driven by television advertising. Social media ads were the top driver of social engagement because consumers are already on digital devices and one click away from posting. With TV, consumers must switch to a second screen to take social action.
Coordinating television and social ads created 5% more consumer social media engagement, showcasing the opportunity for marketers to enhance paid media budgets by planning and buying both together.
Advertising during premium programming drove 4.5 times more social brand engagement than during non-premium programming. Among the premium programming available, sports scored highest, followed by live programming and original programming.
“We partnered with 4C to more deeply understand and plan against television’s influence on social brand engagement to further enable our advertising partners to effectively connect with their target audiences and optimize spend across all platforms and screens,” said Howard Shimmel, chief research officer at Turner.
Advertising in premium programs costs more than non-premium programing. The study also calculated a cost to engagement index and found that premium content delivers a higher value of social media brand engagement at an index of 179 versus 56, which is a 3x-plus rate for premium content when the higher prices on a cost per thousand viewers are included.
“While television is a dominant channel for advertisers given its unparalleled reach and ability to drive emotional resonance, technology is simultaneously transforming the way consumers interact with content and brands,” said Lance Neuhauser, CEO, 4C. “The rise of social media has turned television into a participatory event where viewers can provide commentary and consumers can engage with brands. For marketers, the imperative is to develop cross-channel strategies that capitalize on these shared media experiences.”
