Another year of The Big TV Festival has come and gone. So, what did we learn about the future of TV advertising?
Still reeling from the excitement of this year’s Big TV Festival? We certainly are! From the senior planners looking for the next big show to media buyers geeking out over ad tech, The Big TV Festival unites the TV advertising industry and is chock-full of insights about the future of the industry.
After this year’s festival, here’s what we learned about 3 key trends shaping TV advertising right now.
1) Content and creativity are TV essentials
As Clare Peters, Deputy Head of Clients at Channel 4, put it, content and creativity is TV’s “superpower.” Things like driving emotion, building awareness of businesses and brands, and improving representation are all possible through the power of TV advertising - but not without great content and creativity.
The best TV advertising ticks all three boxes. For inspiration, why not check out 2021’s Diversity in Advertising Award winner Tena or Dove’s award-winning “Hair Power: Me and My Afro” ad?
2) TV advertising and digital can work together
TV isn’t just traditional TV anymore. And while the growth of digital may have seemed worrying before, TV advertising and digital can work hand in hand, bringing new opportunities for creativity and innovation.
From sponsorships and branded entertainment to BVOD, there are so many ways to use TV advertising. Digital advertising, like social spin-offs and social extensions of linear, for example, give TV advertisers the opportunity to extend their content and make it work harder than ever before.
Social media provides an amazing chance for TV advertisers to get creative with their content. Campaigns like Heinz’s digital comedy Flex Kitchen and Google’s collaboration with Taskmaster, both made with the help of our digital content studio 4Studio, show just how well digital and TV can work together!
3) TV advertisers: put people first
One of the biggest takeaways from The Big TV Festival? Don’t be afraid to go a bit rogue.
Advertising is a cultural force, and people expect more than to be sold to. In our recent Mirror on the Industry study, respondents said things like “Big brands should use platforms and reputations to campaign about things that matter”, and “Advertising has a huge responsibility to represent the cultures in the countries where they advertise.”
So, although TV advertisers have more and more data to work with, old fashioned human connection is still key to grabbing viewers’ attention. Don’t get lost in all that data! TV advertisers should consider the person behind each bit of data, so get creative and strive for an authentic connection with your audience.
After this year’s Big TV Festival, our advice for TV advertisers is to be creative, embrace digital, and go rogue. And although The Big TV Festival may be over for another year, we won’t stop there. If you’re hungry for more TV knowledge, follow our LinkedIn for all the latest news about TV advertising, straight from the 4Sales team!