TV advertising really does work

TV is the most effective advertising medium. That is one point that every major study into advertising effectiveness agrees on. It generates the most profit, creates more sales and consistently outperforms everything else. TV stands head and shoulders above other media in driving business results and there is a mountain of research to prove it.

• TV advertising delivers an average return of £1.79 for every £1 spent, well above other media, and is more effective now than ever (Ebiquity, ‘Payback 4’, 2014)

• An econometric study by the Radio Advertising Bureau also showed that TV creates the most profit (RAB, ‘Radio: The ROI Multiplier’, 2014)

• TV pays back both over the short- and long-term, but the long-term approach is where the greatest profit is generated. In campaigns lasting 3+ years, TV advertising creates an average uplift in profit of nearly 140% (IPA, ‘Advertising Effectiveness: the long and short of it’, 2013)

• TV advertising is, on average, twice as effective at increasing sales per equivalent exposure than the next best performing medium, which is press (Ebiquity, ‘Payback 4’, 2014)

• TV delivers its value over a much longer time frame. TV spend from year 1 still affects sales in year 2 almost as strongly – in fact 45% of TV’s total sales effect were delivered after year the first year of investment (PwC, Payback 1, 2008)

• TV adds the greatest number of business effects to a campaign – things such as sales, profit and market share. It increases these effects on average by 41%. The next best medium is press, which increases business effects by 14% (IPA, ‘Advertising Effectiveness: the long and short of it’, 2013)

• TV is becoming even more effective due to growing synergies with online and increased competition reducing the cost of reaching mass audiences with TV (IPA, ‘Advertising Effectiveness: the long and short of it’, 2013)

• Including TV advertising in a campaign increases its efficiency six fold (IPA, ‘Advertising Effectiveness: the long and short of it’, 2013)