A television advertisement or television commercial or TV ad, or advert, commercial, advertisement or simply just ad or ad-film is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message. Advertisement revenue provides a significant portion of the funding for most privately owned television networks. The vast majority of television advertisements today consist of brief advertising spots, ranging in length from a few seconds to several minutes. Advertisements of this sort have been used to sell every product imaginable over the years.
Television Advertising Pros and Cons
According to a recent study by Ball State University on the media consumption habits of average Americans, despite the Internet’s steady rise in popularity over the last few years, television remains the dominant medium in most U.S. households. On average, the general population spends over four and a half hours a day in front of the tube, making TV watching one of the most common modern leisure activities. Is it any wonder then that television advertising is also the most powerful form of advertising?
Advertising on television allows you to show and tell a wide audience your business, product, or service. It allows you to actually demonstrate the benefits of ownership. You can show how your product or service works and how it’s packaged so prospective customers will know what to look for at the point of sale. In advertising, it often takes multiple touch points to effectively influence consumers’ purchasing behavior.
Television advertising has been a popular medium for large retailers ever since the TV first began to appear in living rooms. With the arrival of cable television came lowered production costs and the opportunity to reach smaller, more targeted markets, making it a viable option for small to medium-size businesses as well.
To create an effective television ad, it’s first necessary to have a good script that highlights a strong offer. Ads must also be effectively produced, and it’s for this reason that it’s often better to enlist the services of an advertising agency, which can help you create an entire campaign.
Some of the advantages to advertising your small business on television include the following:
- TV reaches a much larger audience than local newspapers and radio stations, and it does so during a short period of time.
- It reaches viewers when they’re the most attentive.
- It allows you to convey your message with sight, sound, and motion, which can give your business, product, or service instant credibility.
- It gives you an opportunity to be creative and attach a personality to your business, which can be particularly effective for small businesses that rely on repeat customers.
