Using TV and online together in advertising campaigns is significantly more effective for advertisers than using either in isolation, according to new research from Thinkbox and the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB).
Findings show that their combined use produces major benefits for advertisers, including dramatically increased positive brand perception amongst consumers – some 50% higher – as well as significantly greater likelihood of purchase.
This is the first time the effectiveness of using TV and online in tandem has been examined in depth. The sample focused specifically on ‘digital consumers’; people who own a digital TV and use broadband internet, and are medium to heavy users of each.
Because the study focuses on the most ‘tech-savvy’ of the UK population – around 25% of its total – these results provide an indication of how future media consumption and consumer behaviour may develop.
In terms of their precise media usage, 64% of the sample stated that they sometimes watch TV while using the internet, whilst 48% stated that they did this most days.
The study found that advertising on TV and online together results in 47% more positivity about a brand than using either in isolation.
The likelihood of buying or using a product increases by more than 50% when TV and online are used together.
Some 48% of the sample group watched broadcast TV while online, most days. Two thirds of this group have watched TV via online providers, primarily as a way to catch-up with broadcast TV and mainly from TV broadcasters’ websites.
The findings reinforce the need to ensure creative synergy between TV and online advertising and identify best practice for better effectiveness, which requires more than simply putting TV ads online
The research found that both TV and online have a clear influence on purchase and response, but are more influential when advertisers exploit their individual strengths together. For example, TV is stronger at telling people about a new brand they haven’t heard of before (74%), sparking interest in a brand (74%), providing new information about a brand people are already aware of (72%) and persuading people to try a brand or product (59%).
Online advertising also has these effects but performs relatively better at helping people decide which brands are relevant (50%), causing a re-evaluation of a brand (41%) and giving enough information to make a purchase decision (41%).
The study shows how the internet is enabling people to watch more TV. It found that the main reason for watching TV online is to catch-up with broadcast TV programmes that have been missed (58%). Online TV is mainly a back-up to the broadcast schedule.
Other reasons for watching TV online include catching up on missed series (28%), watching previews or trailers (25%), catching up on programmes that have been recommended (23%) and watching highlights of a programme (21%).
The research also illustrates the immediate take-up of broadcaster on-demand sites as well as high levels of experience of pre-roll advertising among the sample, which respondents were four times more likely to think of as ‘TV advertising’ rather than ‘online advertising’.
Tess Alps, Chief Executive of Thinkbox said the research shows that TV and online are perfect partners and urged advertisers to recognise the greater impact they can have if they use both together.
“The whole is greater than the sum of the parts,” she added. “TV benefits from the way online offers a means of expressing and exploring the desires and motivation TV creates.
“Online usage is not displacing TV viewing and it is time to celebrate the complementarity of these two most powerful digital media.”
Chief Executive of the Internet Advertising Bureau, Guy Phillipson, added that in all the categories tested, the results were very positive for both ‘soft’ brand measures and ‘hard’ purchase intent scores.
He added, “Advertisers have been clamouring for more research about TV and online and, going forward, I’m certain these results will be highly influential to media planning.”