There are many ways advertising is judged. Was it popular? Did it win awards for creativity? Are people talking about it or sharing it with friends? These are all valid, but nothing is as important as whether or not the advertising was effective in hard business terms. Did it actually work? If not, then it is hard to justify the investment. TV works better than any other form of advertising. It generates the highest absolute volumes of sales and profit whilst also delivering the best ROI. However, you need proper econometric analysis to unpick this.

Thinkbox is able to point to four major and impartial studies into the effectiveness of advertising to make this assertion with confidence.

Television has always had the capacity to reach a massive audience. Commercial TV now offers a plethora of channels and programmes. It is TV’s ability to deliver these numbers and, in a short space of time, that is a key USP for the medium.

In addition ‘Event TV’ and programmes like Britain’s Got Talent and Champions League Football are bringing in even bigger audiences, particularly for hard-to-reach viewing groups (like young men aged 16-34), as well as making famous the advertisers associated with them.This capacity, unique to TV, can also serve to make brands seem bigger than they really are, instilling a sense of authority and stature and re-enforcing that TV is the biggest game in town.

• TV advertising is most likely to make you laugh (52%) and is the most liked (40%)


• TV is the medium most likely to signal brand fame


• Higher-performing creatively-awarded campaigns are most likely to have higher shares of spend on TV

TV advertising doesn’t just work for what’s being advertised, it also creates a ‘halo effect’ across a brand’s portfolio. So, for instance, if a beauty brand advertises a shampoo product on TV, the campaign is likely to boost sales of its other products, such as body spray or moisturiser. If a bank advertises a mortgage product, its home insurance and current accounts will benefit.