Television can be expensive.  And anyone that tells you otherwise, (and there’s no delicate way to put this…so here it goes) is lying to you and probably is more concerned about getting your business than whether or not you spend $1,000’s on an ineffective advertising campaign (so sorry for the candor).  Since we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about price for a moment.

The first major financial investment involved is the production element. With this step, you have the writers, the talent, as well as the sets and the post production.  Then you move on to the buying.  You can buy on local cable pretty reasonably which can be effective for branding purposes but then you have the necessity of repetition and longevity to make anything stick, so by the time you invest the amount of money needed to make any kind of an impact, the dollar signs start adding up quickly.  Now, having hit you fresh out of the gate with one of the biggest negatives of television advertising (the cost), let’s talk about the positives for a moment.

According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than four hours of Television a day.  99% of Americans own at least one TV and the household average is 2.24 with 66% of households having 3 or more sets in their home.  If you had to put a number on the amount of time (total viewing hours) we spend watching television over a year just in the U.S., what would you guess- 100 to 200 million hours maybe?  Not even close.  Try 250 billion hours.  Just for clarification purposes, not 250 million hours, 250 BILLION hours are spent every year by Americans watching television.  Based on these figures, I think everyone can pretty much deduce how this benefits advertisers. Realistically speaking, yes, some ads can be annoying and there are times when I purposefully DVR my favorite show just so I can fast forward through the commercials, but even taking these factors into consideration, look at the staggering statistics with respect to how many people are still watching- millions and they are watching for given periods of time.  We watch TV while we exercise; we watch while we eat, TV’s are created with multiple viewing options so we can watch multiple shows at one time.   Therefore, with a creative spot, a well planned schedule on compatible outlets, Television advertising can work.

Please do not think that I am advocating becoming a “couch potato” and I am certainly not pointing fingers at the millions of people who enjoy their nightly (and for some morning and afternoon) TV fix because I have to admit I have an occasional meltdown when I have missed my favorite TV Show (and yes, I am a reality TV junkie- I admit it!).  Back to the benefits, TV reaches an enormous audience, it reaches an attentive audience.  It allows you to provide a visual element to your plea which also helps you make that ever so important emotional connection with your audience.

What does this mean?  Yes, TV advertising can be expensive.  No, it doesn’t work for everyone and it definitely has its pitfalls.  However, it can become an incredibly viable advertising tool especially implemented in conjunction with other media venues.  The key thing to remember is it’s ok to get help.  Seek out professionals that are in the industry that can help guide you through this process.  Otherwise, what originally seemed like a good-sized ad budget has quickly became a fleeting and distant memory.

Robin Webster, President/CEO
Paragon Advertising & Communications, Inc.
rwebster@paragoncomm.com