A TV advertising bifurcation has occurred, splitting commercials between CTV advertising and traditional ads on conventional TV. The challenge lies in building your company’s brand awareness on local networks with economic prudence. Take a close look at traditional TV options in broadcast and cable and you’ll find each has its own unique pros and cons.
The Merits of Cable TV Advertising
The beauty of advertising on cable TV is that it empowers you to purchase time for a market’s specific zone. This approach is economically efficient as there is no need to pay for spaces in which it is unwise to spread the message.
Alternatively, broadcast networks require that time be bought for the entirety of the market. If a business owner or manager desires exposure to a full metropolis, there is a chance that money will be spent on unnecessary exposure.
Select broadcast networks to connect with viewers and you’ll enjoy the benefit of many more viewers for aired ads as people far and wide are cutting the cord on cable TV. Moreover, it is important to highlight that some parts of the country are serviced by several cable companies that atomize viewership all the more. In short, businesses that desire to target full metropolitan areas will find broadcast TV to be the optimal avenue.
Take the cable TV route for advertising and you’ll be empowered to target specific audiences based on the demographics of your company’s buyer personas. This tailored approach to advertising is precisely why cable TV commercials prove highly efficient. In particular, businesses that offer a specialized product or service find cable TV advertising is the best option as it creates a bridge to the viewers most likely to buy the value offering.
Consider the Cost
Airing TV ads on broadcast networks has the potential to cost a pretty penny. Shell out for commercials on the top broadcast networks and you might burn through your marketing budget surprisingly quickly. Advertise on cable TV and there’s a chance you’ll end up spending less.
Moreover, cable TV stations tend to air commercials at a higher frequency, boosting awareness with the target audience. Such frequency is more important than people assume. Studies indicate it often takes upwards of four points of exposure to a brand for the company’s name, logo, and/or value offering to prove memorable. The little-known truth is it is often effective for a company’s ads to be presented to a smaller viewership than a larger one as it is cost-efficient to air the ad a couple of times as opposed to merely once to a larger audience.
Granular Targeting
Ads placed on cable TV channels do more than play a supporting role for those aired on broadcast TV. Cable provides access to a litany of networks for all interests, be it news viewers, sports fans, animal enthusiasts, gardeners, etc. Cable TV ads are also revered for their targeting ability in terms of geography, empowering businesses to zero in on viewers in certain zones of a region, an entire state, counties, etc. Balance the two and you can successfully target viewers based on interests as well as geography.
Cable TV is Still Popular
Contrary to what some have heard, cable TV is still popular. Cable TV first debuted in the United States in 1948. Fast forward to 1989 and more than 50 million households had cable TV piped in through affordable subscriptions. By 1992, 60% of the nation had cable TV.
Today, more than 65% of adults living in the United States pay for cable TV. Though there is the potential for this percentage to decrease as time progresses, there is also the potential for cable to rebound, potentially through more a la carte channel offerings as available through Spectrum. Recognize the golden opportunity that is cable TV, strategically advertise on this medium and you’ll successfully connect with your target audience through granular advertising.
Purchasing a spot for a cable TV ad is also favorable compared to broadcast ads as there is the option of buying a specific program, albeit at an elevated rate, or with a comparably broad time frame. As an example, one of the most coveted cable TV advertising timeframes is 4 PM to Midnight.
Moreover, cable TV ads are still popular as there are several options for placing cable buys:
- Linear or spot buys in which schedules are on certain programs/networks
- Digital cable buy that runs similar to an OTT buy
The linear route empowers business owners and advertisers to select networks that offer targeting based on personas such as those who enjoy sports, those who embrace the DIY ethos, the young adult demographic, and more.
0 Comments