Many marketing experts consider the buying of TV ad space a necessity in any advertising campaign, but research has shown that this may not be the case. The need to buy TV ad space is certainly there for many businesses, but for others it may not be the best way of getting the relevant message across.

The question of whether or not to buy TV ad space is an age old one with many different answers, so let’s have a look at the advantages of the media, and some instances where it may not be the right way forward.

The benefits of TV ad space

The popularity of television is enough to render it a considerable promotional tool, and with such a widespread audience of a general and far reaching range of ages it is no surprise that television remains among the most popular of advertising options, even in this day and age of internet saturation.

If the product or service that needs to be promoted is one that will appeal to all and sundry, or to a very broad cross section of society, then television is a must have advertising medium as the sheer numbers an ad will be viewed by are simply enormous.

If, however, a specific audience is required then it may seem that television is a less than perfect medium; it can be that the ad can be tailored to an audience, however, as different time slots appeal to different audiences. Consider the likely viewer of a daytime TV show, and it soon becomes clear this is a different section of society to that which is likely to watch a late night film or show.

Television is still extremely popular, and is – therefore – still a consideration that advertising buyers must take into account.

The cost of TV ad space

In pure terms it is so that a television ad will cost more than one on radio, in a magazine or certainly on the internet, and apart from some prime spots will also cost more than a billboard campaign.

In relevant terms – taking into account return on investment – it is often the case that a TV ad is more economical than any of the alternatives.

Consider a prime time spot – one in the middle of the week’s most popular soap opera – and think of the viewing figures; there can often be in excess of ten million people watching that show at the same time, and there is little opportunity anywhere in the advertising world to reach that many people at once.

For a big selling item, or vital service, the attractions of buying TV ad space are many as the captive audience is vast, and for smaller campaigns the option of exceeding expectations makes the medium very much a consideration.