In an age where ads are seen as the bane of people’s existence, adopting an effective game plan has never been so crucial. But, contrary to what many marketing gurus think, TV will maintain its important position within a company’s marketing strategy. Not only that, underestimating it would be a disservice to the potential of generating favourable results.
TV has been and still is one of the most powerful mediums to captivate a viewership’s attention. Granted, this is greatly dependent on audiences’ avenues and exposure times, but TV ads are still alive and kicking and are still viewed in a significant amount to drive conversions.
Of course, for an advert to be worth watching – no matter how short and sweet – it needs to communicate a message efficiently and effectively. Say for instance an advert is shining the spotlight on one of the latest online casinos. Viewers won’t be interested in this provider’s history and road to success. They’d be interested in exclusive offers, that’s why any advertiser should put themselves in a potential buyer’s shoes by asking ‘What’s in it for me?’
What Makes For A Great TV Ad?
Firstly, it must be pointed out that although newer mediums have come up, TV commercials can still be powerful in their own right. To start with, an average U.S citizen watches around 5 hours of television daily. So the power of this traditional form of advertising shouldn’t be underestimated. Secondly, an ad is as good as the level of trust it manages to elicit in the viewer. And TV ads are said to be better able to create this sense of trust.
But trust isn’t the only requirement that a commercial should have to captivate the audience’s attention. Let’s go through the main criteria that are crucial for a TV commercial to be great.
Pacing Is Key
Time is of the essence. A TV commercial is usually around 30 seconds long, so capturing your audience’s attention from the very beginning is paramount. It is said that the first 3-5 seconds are enough for a viewer to decide whether they are with you or whether they’ll move on to something else. Therefore, dragging the storyline of your TV ad is not a good idea. Fast-paced is the way to go if you want to engage your audience.
Include Multiple Twists
Disrupt your audience’s expectations and keep them on their toes by populating your ad with twists. A further form of surprise can also include shifts in camera angle. As much as possible, however, subjects should be tightly framed to avoid obscure angles that may make it difficult for the brain to process. Otherwise, this may come in the way of your audience’s engagement.
Appeal To The Emotions
Although both positive and negative emotions can create lasting impressions, using ads that elicit positive emotions is known to have a much better impact. Injecting a dose of humor and entertaining your audience is known to increase positive associations with the brand which, in turn, leads to positive brand attitudes. Plus, emotions come easier to most people than critical thinking and rational thought, so use this to your advantage.
Humanize and Be Inclusive
If your advert features people, open with them on screen. Faces attract immediate attention and since they appeal to the emotions, you’d be in a better position to sway your viewer’s decisions. Additionally, this research found that commercials including a diversity of people, having different body types, skin tones, ages, physical abilities and sexual orientations, among other differences, tend to be received more positively.
Maximize The Impact of Digital Advertising
According to a Facebook IQ study, 94% of TV audiences in the US keep their phone in hand while watching television. Therefore, TV and phones shouldn’t be viewed as enemies to each other but as companions pulling the same rope in innovative ways.
A Step Further: Take Advantage of Addressable Technology
If you want to go a step further, technology is your friend. Rather than targeting mass audiences, make the most of addressable technology by targeting video ads to specific segments that differ in terms of geography, behaviour, demographics and psychographics. Thanks to a combination of granular data and panel research, you can now channel your content in a way that is more intentional and thus more effective.