Imagine a world without televisions, completely devoid of the screens now found in nearly any location, from homes to hospitals to schools. Over time, television usage has become an integral staple in our society, making it nearly impossible to envision being without them. In an episode of cult classic Friends, when Joey Tribbiani faces the idea of a person without a TV, he simply stated, “You don’t own a TV? What’s all your furniture pointed at?” This is the reality of what the medium has become over time, and as a dominant medium, television hosts a competitive playing field for advertisers. With the high level of social impact and complexity, this form of communication has revolutionized the way advertisers interact with consumers.
In its simplest, most literal form, television literally means viewing at a distance; the prefix “tele-” means “at a distance,” and the root “vision” is the ability to see. Ultimately, the inventors behind the very first television defined the device as “a way to mechanically transmit and project images” (Petersen, 2017). Now, as we use the word “television” in our daily discourse, TV does not have one simple meaning. We now use it to interchangeably refer to the transmission, the programs we view, and the device itself (Petersen, 2017). What was once an unsophisticated way to access a few select channels exists now as a digital powerhouse which is unavoidable in our daily lives.
Society has come a long way since the classic television sets of nearly 80 years ago. In 1939, the first commercial televisions were displayed, and they were a luxury, outlandishly expensive for the everyday consumer. Their costs could be “up to a third of the average household yearly income” (Petersen, 2017). By the 1950s, though, this narrative had changed. After World War II, television production had become more inexpensive, and the average American family could afford the television, which was once out of the question. The programming became more high quality due to increased viewership — dubbed the Golden Age of Television — catalyzing a pop culture impact (Stephens, 2000).
Over the next decade, as social changes became prevalent, people turned to the TV for news rather than the newspaper, tuning in to keep up with events like the Vietnam War and political issues such as the Civil Rights Movement (Petersen, 2017). Color televisions gradually dominated the market, and by 1978, black and white televisions were eliminated. Innovations such as the VCR were popularized in the 80s, and the public was presented with cable and satellite as viewing alternatives (Stephens, 2000). Eventually, TV became more of what we see it as today, driven by the competition of Internet as a content source, and in the 2000s, broadcasters made the shift from analog to digital. Now, we possess the luxury of DVRs, smart TVs, and online access to our favorite shows unlike ever before (Petersen, 2017).
As such a dominant medium, television possesses many strengths for advertisers. Because so many American households have television access, advertisements can target large audiences and successfully impact them. Commercials are frequent and tend to be played over a long-term time frame, allowing companies to access consumers enough to make a memorable impact. Additionally, television has a more well-rounded appeal, giving more than simple sounds like a radio ad and more than simple graphics like a print ad.
Still, weaknesses for this medium do exist. Media and production costs are high, especially to obtain a competitive spot, such as during a highly-viewed event or show (Williams, 2014). A commercial campaign can cost companies millions of dollars before they even buy the slot. Many people also find the constant loop of commercials to be intrusive so they choose to avoid them by switching channels or doing other things during them. With the competition of internet now, television producers need to work to a higher standard in order to achieve the same results they once obtained.
Television commercials must resonate with its audience to spark a connection with their brand. If a connection is not built with its audience, then their brand is less likely to be remembered. People who watch television put all their focus on a screen. Even though a person can change the channel or leave the room, most of their attention is on the television. A television commercial must be both memorable and effective. A clear strategy must be present to create a good television commercial. Television combines that radio and a newspaper in one. It can promote a product or service by appealing to both a consumer’s sound and sight. To create a good television advertisement, you must represent your brand clearly, create a great storyline, develop a signature theme, and keep it simple. Generally, many people watch television, making television ads convenient to reaching a large audience. According to a study by MarketShare, advertising on television gives a business the highest return on advertising expenses. Television advertisements are a useful way to grab your target audience's attention but you must be able to keep their attention while you have it.
Visual cues are good to incorporate in a television advertisement. A consumer is more likely to stay engaged if they are entertained. Using both verbal and visual cues is imperative to broadcast your brand’s name and logo. The product itself should also be shown throughout the commercial. A television advertisement should not be secretive but tasteful in the way the display their brand.
The best commercials tell a story and don’t push to sell a product or service. Creating a storyline can help advertise a company by creating a connection with its target audience. There are some breathtaking, successful commercials that contain no people at all. However, people relate to each other. Putting people related to your target demographics into your commercial can help draw your target audience to love your product or brand. Even using animals can help attract viewers to an advertisement. A consumer likes to feel as connect to a company as possible. A connection through a television commercial makes them more likely to buy a company’s product.
Consistency is key. Having a series of advertisements showing the same types of people, characters and themes can help a consumer stay connected. This type of placement can help a company build their brand. These characters or themes can help a consumer make a connection and soon strengthen that connection. When an advertisement is shown on television a consumer should be able to tell who the company is and what they are trying to sell within the first 10 seconds.
Quality is an essential element of an effective television advertising. One advertisement should not pour a whole bunch of information at an audience but it should be effective and memorable. A television advertisement could last thirty to sixty seconds. To get your message across and form a connection with your audience you must keep it simple yet keep their attention. The overall concept and storyline of a television commercial should be clear to understand, creative, visual, consistent and simple.
Unlike a television advertisement, verbal cues are an imperative aspect when dealing with radio advertisements. A radio advertisement is created in a way that allows its listeners to envision what’s happening. A radio advertisement airs between ten to sixty seconds. Three popular types of radio advertisements include live read, sponsorship and a produced spot. Dissimilar to television, radio advertisements can be live or prerecorded. Most television commercial are preplanned and well thought out. Radio advertising is a great way to reach an audience at a cheaper price than running a commercial on television. Reaching a wider range of consumers is easier using a radio commercial because each station knows who’s listening. Radio advertisements can go anywhere with a consumer during their daily commutes. Less people own cable due to society changes and a rise in digital content including Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Technology changes cause society to evolve. People are busier, but they still have time to listen to the radio on their way to work, school or while running an errand. One can drive a car and listen to the radio, but they can’t watch television and drive. While people can still be too busy to listen to the radio, it’s audience is more reliable than television’s. Like television, good radio commercials must be simple, have valuable verbal cues and resonate with its audience.
The cost of running a television commercial can vary. The two major expenses regarding a television advertisement is the production and slot to run the add. Production cost can range from free to thousands or millions of dollars. A television advertisement can be shown national or locally. Prices can vary when deciding on when and where to air a television commercial. The time of day and which network the commercial is a major factor in price. National commercials cost an average of $342,000 for a 30-second spot in 2008, according to the American Association of Advertising Agencies. Prime time spots on network television may cost $2,000 to $3,000 per spot usually cost around $175 on cable. Local television stations charge from $200 to $1,500 to create a 30-second commercial. For a 30-second spot in a suburban area, advertisers may only spend $25 per spot on channels like CNN and ESPN, $20 for Nickelodeon and TNN, and $15 for channels such as VH-1.
Advertisements have always been a staple of television, and throughout the years the styles of advertisements have changed. Some changes are positive and received well, while some changes bring lackluster results. An example of an advertisement with positive reception and fulfills the considerations for good advertising is the Doritos Dogs commercial for the 2016 Super Bowl. The commercial has a clear story line: Three dogs want to buy Doritos from a supermarket, but the manager doesn’t allow dogs in the supermarket. All the dog’s attempts to get inside are foiled until they see the manager greet a man wearing a hat and sunglasses. The dog’s final and successful attempt is dressing up as a human and buying several bags of Doritos. The storyline clear and concise with little to no dialogue.
The Super Bowl is seen by people of all ages, something Doritos kept in mind when using humor. The humor is childish, but not immature: Both children and adults can laugh at the dogs’ attempts to go inside. The use of dogs appeals to all audiences because many people have seen the humorous side of dogs. This is incorporated into the plot with the slapstick-like comedy, playful background music, and the dog’s actions.
Doritos is the focus of the advertisement, and the subtlety of it is interesting. Whenever Doritos comes on screen, everything else around it is a neutral color. In the beginning, the bright red Doritos are on a beige shelve with a beige toned background. At the end, it’s the same situation. The ad is also thirty seconds, which makes it easy to remember what the advertisement is for. As a whole, the visuals are the most important part of the advertisement. The dogs can’t talk, and it could have ruined the advertisement if it wasn’t clear what their actions were. There is never a question of the dog’s actions and what their motives are. For example, when manager greets a man with a hat and sunglasses on, the dog’s sound is thoughtful and second zoom into the man’s head shows their plan.
For every good advertisement, there’s a bad one. An example of a poor advertisement is Easy-Off Bam. For the medium, a commercial like this doesn’t work. The advertisement has different uses of visuals and transitions, but so many are used the message is almost lost. The audience won’t be sure where to look with four visuals happening at the same time. The repetitiveness of not only the visuals but the sound as well is distracting. Audiences can use repetition to remember the use of an object, but if the sound is distorted, then becomes harder to remember the message. The visual quality of the video isn’t clear either, especially in a time when visual qualities were clear.
The commercial lacks any linear story line and is only used to promote what Easy-Off Bam can do. Without a storyline, it’s hard for an audience to resonate with a commercial. It lists off everything that can be done without connecting to anything. The woman cleans her shower door and smiles when it's clean. From there everything is repeated, and the impact of the original clean is lost.
The product is placed at the beginning and the end similar to Doritos, but the execution separates them. It comes down to audio and visuals. While Doritos has a clear idea from the beginning and builds off of it, Easy-Off Bam doesn’t build off anything. The advertisement itself would be shorter if there was no repetition, and would be clearer for product placement. Instead, the product itself is thrown in there. This shows two companies can use the same strategy, but it execution can decide if someone will remember a product or not.
As an aggressive market, the world of television provides many opportunities for advertisers. TV hits a wide array of people consistently over time, allowing the ability to influence audiences’ views, beliefs and desires. Since its conception, television has continued to grow at a remarkable rate, surpassing many of its competitors, but it does not lack its own flaws. Still, with continued innovations, television still possesses the ability to grow even more and keep allowing advertisers to convey a variety of messages in many creative ways. Although the future cannot be told for certain, it seems clear that television will continue as an integral part of our society.¬¬