Marketing Through Television
Once print media began to decline marketers needed a new format to showcase their upcoming ads. Television was seen as the ideal solution. Since almost its very inception, TV has featured paid sponsorship. Advertisement companies find TV commercials appealing because they reach a mass audience. In the early days there were only a handful of channels available. This meant that the ads being shown would be viewed by the vast majority of television owners. However, this has changed due to the creation of specialist channels. As a consequence marketers need to focus less on a broad audience and more on particular demographics.
Originally a television host would announce the names of sponsors as well as the products that those sponsors wished to advertise. Eventually breaks between programming were used for short film ads. Over the years these have evolved into a legitimate art form. Numerous TV commercials have ingrained themselves into the landscape of modern culture.
The 1980s and 1990s were arguably the heyday for this marketing format. More money was pumped into television marketing campaigns. New technical innovations allowed for more impressive visuals. Furthermore, the advent of jingles helped to prolong the relevance of numerous brands.
Whilst the internet has overtaken television in marketing terms the older medium is still considered useful. Since many channels cater to one demographic it makes it easier for companies to communicate to their target markets.
It should also be noted that throughout the year there are popular televised events which see a large and broad viewership. Sport tournaments and award shows are good examples. The Super Bowl has become renowned for a plethora of new product ads in between the football action. If a large corporation is hosting the event they may use the opportunity to advertise products sold by its sister companies.
More people are turning their backs on television and moving towards streaming. Because of this the future of TV marketing is very uncertain. If the trend continues then the medium will be utilised solely for specialist marketing. On the other hand, it is possible that television will see a resurgence in popularity. Ironically its future will depend on how well TV sets will be marketed in the future by the next generation of advertisers.