TV advertising gives brands a quick boost, but a sustained presence on air provides the biggest lift, according to a new study from Comcast’s Effectv and VAB, the trade group representing TV networks and distributors.
The study looked at both direct-to-consumer brands and more traditional brands and found that both type of brands, whether new or old, see measurable results from TV advertising.
With the 140 DTC brands studies, TV advertising provided an immediate double-digit increase in unique visitors to their digital platforms during their launch month, compared to the three-month average prior to the campaign. The lift came whether the DTC brand was new or more established.
For non-DTC brands 50 companies were analyzed, with some younger than 20 years, the rest older. The average non-DTC brand also saw a double-digit increase to its digital platforms during their TV launch month.
Beyond getting a quick boost from TV advertising, the study noted that a sustained presence on TV provided brands with an even more pronounced lift, particularly for younger brands. Unique website visitors for young brands during months with TV advertising were 50% higher than their pre-launch visitor normal. Older brands saw a 21% increase in website visitors.
“Over the last few years, savvy data-driven marketers have accelerated the advertising journey by introducing TV earlier in their brand life cycle,” said Jason Wiese, senior VP, director of strategic Insights at the VAB. “These younger brands spend aggressively and advertise more consistently than their competitors resulting in higher engagement and better digital outcomes. Our findings confirm the most effective way for brands to challenge incumbents and establish themselves within a category is through TV advertising.”
The report, entitled The Halo Effect: TV as a Growth Engine, is the third report released as part of Effectv’s Halo Effect Series. Effectv has worked with TV Squared, MediaSciences and VAB on the reports.
“This study establishes that TV is a critical growth engine for brands at any life stage,” said James Rothwell, VP, global agency, brand & industry relations, Comcast Advertising. “This is especially important today, as economic uncertainty makes it even more important that brands build a media mix that will reach new audiences and drive measurable growth. And for newer brands, who are still establishing their story and identity in market, TV presents an opportunity to ‘legitimize’ their products, bringing credibility and scale in ways no other advertising medium can.”
