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Page 1: television pros & cons

Television Advertising Pros and ConsOver the last few decades, the television has come up as a strong component of mass media around the world. This has, in turn, prompted several companies to use it as an ideal platform to advertise their products. This mode of advertisement basically exploits the consumer's tendency to get attracted to the combination of audio-visual medium, as opposed to simply audio medium, (such as the radio advertisement), or simply visual medium, (such as the print-ads).

What is Television Advertising?

A television advertisement, also referred to as a television commercial or simple TV Ad, is the process of imparting a sales pitch of a limited amount of time, through the television as the medium. These advertisements tend to summarize the product in order to accommodate it within a specific duration, generally ranging between 30-60 seconds, and convey as much information as possible. Basically, these advertisements are customized in such a manner that they are neither too short, as to fail in conveying the message, nor too long, as to lose the attention of the viewers. That being said, television advertising has its own pros and cons, which need to be evaluated before investing in the same.

Pros and Cons of Television Advertising

Television advertising pros and cons are directly related to several underlying factors, including your company, the product, the consumer base, life of the product, etc. Given below are the details which will make the concept easier for you to grasp.

PositivesThe biggest advantage of this concept is the fact that it reaches a larger audience, compared to the local newspaper or radio station, in a relatively short span of time. If required, one also has the option of catering to a smaller consumer group though the local cable network. A TV commercial reaches the audience at a point of time, wherein they are most attentive. Not many people like surf channels while watching an interesting match of American football. They would rather prefer watching the advertisements, than missing a single moment of the match. Television advertising is much more interesting compared to its other counterparts. The fact that it tends to exploit the vulnerability of the consumer to the combination of audio-visual medium, makes it an instant hit among masses. It also capitalizes on the fact that adding more interesting features, such as motion, light and sound, can improve the credibility of the message by grabbing the attention of the viewers. Advertising on the television gives you an ample scope to unleash your creativity, and mesmerize the audience.

NegativesLike any other form of advertising, even television advertising has its own drawbacks. The foremost problem is the expenses incurred on making an advertisement. An advertisement of 30 seconds can cost you a significant amount to produce, considering that you need to hire a host of technicians, models etc. Furthermore, you also need to ensure that you get a good slot in the channel schedule. For this, you again have to shell out some money depending on which slot you are targeting. For instance, an ad slot at the prime time will cost you more than what you would have to pay for a slot at late night. More importantly, there is no point in airing your advertisement at a time wherein the targeted audience doesn't watch the TV. Making changes in the advertisement once it is produced again adds to the expenses. In case of print advertising, this just take a few minutes and cost incurred is also relatively less. More importantly, short advertisements are not as effective as they don't provide much information of the product, and hence the length of the ad has to be significant.

If you are absolutely sure that the amount of profit your product will generate will surpass your investment in making an ad film, then there can be no better medium to advertise your product, but the television. However, if the consumer base you are targeting is not vast, and the returns expected are far less than what you need to invest, then it is better off to stick to some other advertising technique, suitable for your product.

Page 2: television pros & cons

In the 21st century we all are aware of the development of science and technology and of the progress made by mankind. Science has always given us a lot and one of the gifts of science is mass-media which includes television, radio etc.

Television is having a great impact on our minds and as a result we learn word to word utterances of the persons acting before us.

This is true whether they are in serials or in advertisements.

Nowadays, we find that children pay more attention towards television than to study or games.

Today,advertisement has become a media for making a product popular in a short period of time and this is the only reason for the impact of new products in the mind of children.

Today, when parents go to market with their children the latter ask for those products which have not even reached the market.

This shows how eager they are in catching the words of the people who are advertising the product on T.V.

Previously, whenever any movie was about to be released there was a news break in between but now there are several breaks for the advertisement.

Today, if any advertisement is shown, then even before the actor or actress speaks, the child starts pronouncing the lines of the advertisement much before the advertises.

Thus we can see that children know all the names of the performers, colour of their dresses and the product they advertise.

Yesterday, while I was passing across the street, I heard a boy telling his friends that a new advertisement was released and the person who was advertising it was Sachin Tendulkar.

I looked at that boy and found that he was not even seven years and I was surprised that his memory was so sharp to remember the television programmes. but I doubt if it was the same in regard to his studies.

I found this out not only in that boy but in all the young children of today. Besides, seven year old children, even much younger children are attracted towards television.

For example, one of my teachers was saying that her brother's daughter is so keen for watching television that if television is switched off, then she starts crying. You will be surprised to know that she is only seven months old.

Today's, the children have developed too expensive tastes. They always ask their parents for new products. However, I don't mean that advertisements should be totally banned, but their impact should be minimized.

Have you seen the latest ad on your favorite food, perfume, bag, clothes, mobile phone, computer, TV, etc.? Are you so “in” the latest fad that you’ve already bought the trendiest and

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hippest accessories advertised? Are you updated with the newest TV commercial jingles and taglines?

These are simply the effects of television advertising to society. With more people patronizing TV these days, more and more people are carried away because of the TV ads also — without even consciously knowing it. What’s worse is that most of these viewers are negatively affected by it in a subconscious level.

These advertisements hold a great impact and effect on the viewers especially the young ones. Most of the ads usually convey their message effectively in just a few seconds that the audience have unknowingly captured the idea and internalized it – and the next thing they know, they are in the malls, buying the newest shampoo or soap or makeup.

The effects of television advertising may not look grave, but because of the subtlety of these effects, consumers just don’t know it but their minds are already absorbing it.

Advertising doesn’t only fall in one place like the commercial breaks, but a more effective advertising happens when the television characters use this or include this as part of the shows or programs. Also, most TV commercials make use of famous celebrities or beautiful models that consumers are tempted to patronize it because they want to be like them.

Studies and researches have been made and conducted, and results of these tests and surveys show that advertising has greatly affected the TV viewers. For example, more young people drink alcohol than soft drinks or water because characters in shows and commercials drink this.

More children prefer to eat junk foods and fatty chips because of the yummy ads they see on TV. Another huge effect is on one’s dissatisfaction of the body — stereotyping women and men, that for ladies to be beautiful they have to posses such curves, hair, skin, etc., and for guys to be handsome they have to possess the worked-out body, etc.

Also, women are portrayed as sex objects in some commercials that the perception of people on women as homemakers are turned upside down.

The effects of television advertising are impressive, affecting everyone – children, teens, and adults – that self-worth and self-appreciation is slowly diminishing. It is because these TV ads point out the person’s lack of something, instead of the products’ features.

So, instead of consumers buying it because of the product’s particular ingredient or value, consumers tend to buy it to make them feel good and beautiful instead. Though the effects of television advertising are somehow getting worse, more and more people still patronize it.

Before you decide to include television publicity into your marketing strategy there are a few things

you need to consider. I will highlight some of the pros and cons of TV publicity and show you how

you can use it to get major exposure, gain creditability and increase your sales.

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Television is one of the most powerful forms of marketing. In fact, according to a recent study by Ball

State University on the media consumption habits of the average American, "Television remains the

dominant medium in most U.S. households."

In addition to the massive amount of exposure you can get through television publicity, TV viewers

and potential clients get to see and hear you which gives them a greater sense of connection with

your.

While there are many great things about TV publicity, it is important to recognize its limitations by

acknowledging some of the benefits as well as drawbacks of being on television.

Pros of TV Publicity

* Provides the ability to reach a large target audience during a concentrated period of time. Regional

news programs and talk shows capture between 500,000 to 1.5 million viewers while national shows

get an average of 3.5 million viewers daily.

* Gives you, your business or product instant credibility because of the implied third party

endorsement. Just having a picture of your book displayed on the TV screen can increase your

sales. Plus, when your website is mentioned or linked to the shows official website viewers can get

additional content and information about you.

* TV publicity is free. The cost for a 30 second TV commercial during a regional news program or talk show to promote your product or service could be as much $100,000. The cost is more than triple that amount for a national commercial. Televison publicity allows you to showcase your expertise without the hefty price tag.

Cons of TV Publicity

* There is very limited time to convey a lot of information. Talk show segments are approximately 4 to 6 minutes long. News programs cover stories in even shorter times, averaging just one to 3 minutes per story.

* It's one of the most competitive forms of publicity so you have to be persistent and keep contacting producers with compelling pitches until you grab their attention and convince them to book you.

* Television publicity requires repetition to be fully effective. In marketing, "The Rule of 7" says it may take up to 7 impressions before a potential customer will take notice of you and then take action. Being on TV one time may not be enough to get the desired results.

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Television advertising is an exciting medium to showcase your products and services. It reaches people in their homes, and engages sight, sound and emotions. Yet, it has disadvantages, too. Producing a commercial is a huge commitment of time, resources and funds. Carefully weighing the pros and cons is important in deciding if television advertising is right for your business.

Intrusive and Stimulating

Television is the whole package as an advertising medium. It's visual like print advertising, and auditory like radio at the same time. While a newspaper or magazine must be picked up and its pages turned for an ad to be seen, television reaches out to its audience whether they want it to or not. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 95 percent of people age 15 and over watch 2.8 hours of television every day. That adds up to a huge captive audience that allows advertisers into their homes on a regular basis.

Wide, Specific Reach

No other advertising medium reaches as wide an audience as television. While fewer people are reading newspapers and other periodicals, nearly every U.S. home has at least one television. With the aid of media representatives, it is also possible to target your ad to a specific audience by advertising on certain channels -- such as those watched by teens, preschoolers and their parents, or the golfing set. It's even possible to book time for individual shows and specific times of the day. Television ads can also be put onto television stations' websites to reach those who increasingly receive their news through the Internet.

Comparatively Higher Cost

The biggest disadvantage of television advertising is its cost. To a small business, the cost of advertising can seem prohibitive. It's expensive to produce a television commercial properly, including having a professionally written script, believable actors, experienced directors, and top production facilities. When advertisers try to cut corners in cost, the resulting ad's poorer quality is obvious, and can be more detrimental than helpful in the long run by causing potential customers to change channels and even avoid the company's products. In addition, ads need to air repeatedly to be noticed and remembered, and the more air time you buy, the more it costs.

Difficult to Produce and Change

Another major disadvantage to television advertising is how difficult it is to accommodate changes. Once a commercial is made, changing products or price points requires scheduling

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another shoot, hiring actors and directors again, and arranging for the production venue, a coordination process that can take weeks or months from scripting to final editing. Making such changes is costly, too. It is significantly more difficult to change television ads than print ads. Then, since television is such a high-profile medium, changes are much more obvious to viewers than in print media -- which can be positive or negative, depending upon how well the changes are received.


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