Is TV Still Best for Brand Building? Advertisers Say, “Show Me”

Summary

Television, hands down, is still the best screen for brand building, viewership and other data show—despite the proliferation of media and entertainment options. But, as television evolves with digital, “gaps in knowledge about how to measure effectiveness are undermining advertisers’ confidence in the medium,” Artie Bulgrin warns, as he underscores the importance of standardized, cross-platform measures. “The rapid increase in new platforms and modes of viewing has complicated the medium of television in three areas,” Bulgrin observed:

• Widening gaps in knowledge related to measurement
• Eroding traditional television audiences—particularly younger viewers
• The rise of analytics enabling targeting and addressability of advertising

Among Bulgrin’s takeaways:

• Standardized, cross-platform measurement is necessary to truly leverage and balance television’s value at the top and the bottom of the marketing funnel.
• Without relevant measures, television’s effectiveness will be limited for brand advertisers, and the overall future value of the medium will be jeopardized if it becomes too reliant on activation.