In spite of the encroaching Internet, I’ve always believed that television will continue to be an important medium. After all, radio didn’t displace movies, and TV didn’t displace radio. Everything finds it’s level in the mediaverse. The recent and growing demand for TV commercial spots just confirms that statement*. Although the number of TV households fell by 1.2 million this past year, TV is still the last great “mass” medium. While more and more people are on Facebook, blogs, and websites, it’s a scattered audience, and to reach a concentrated public, television is still the medium of choice. As a result, after fears of the web stealing ad revenue from TV, indications are that TV ad dollars are rising, and that’s why the average cost of a TV spot has grown 17% during the last TV season.
Cable and satellite has splintered the vast audience that TV had back in the 3 channel days, but it’s nothing like the splintered audience on the web. So for organizations that want to target larger audiences, or causes trying to make an impact, TV still still the most viable medium on the market today.
Obviously, a total advertising or marketing campaign needs to embrace multiple platforms, but to reach the largest single segment of people, don’t leave TV out of your plans.
*Information: Nielson Holdings, and The Wall Street Journal
