I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but all of the new snazzy televisions (well, a majority) come with WiFi capabilities and this, as convoluted as it may initially sound, is going to have a big impact on the advertising industry.
The basic principle behind a TV having internet connectivity is to watch online content (Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, Facebook, etc.) and use the TV as not only a “tube,” but an electronic center of life. We can now interact with TVs as we do monitors — pre-determined content isn’t simply fed to us. Watch a movie, jump on a social website to chat with friends, pull up a cooking video on YouTube: This is the future of the television. And, this means TV ads are nearing their doom and will have far less value in coming years.
Social Media marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO), as well as banner ads, will enter the forefront of television advertising. The more people using televisions connected to the web, the more important online marketing mediums will become. I have provided two examples of such a shift below:
Sample A – Jane Doohickey
Jane buys a new Samsung LED TV and slaps it to the wall, then suddenly notices the TV has widgets and she can watch HD videos on YouTube in the blink of an eye. Guess what? Jane ain’t using the TV and standard cable/satellite programming to watch soap opera repeats anymore, she’s relaxing in the comfort of her living room while browsing specific episodes online. Due to such, advertisements on videos (e.g. via AdSense) and making content rank high on Social Media sites (Social Media Optimization) will have more impact on Jane than a business paying for a TV ad on regular programming.
Sample B – Shmohawk Johnson
Shmohawk buys the same Samsung TV as Jane, though he’s a big cook and loves learning new recipes. Instead of watching the Food Network or Cooking Channel and having to sit through commercials, Shmohawk realizes he can stream Food Network and Cooking Channel shows on Hulu and other video websites which, as many of you know, rely on banner ads for funding. Another example of how television commercials will be replaced.
In conclusion, my suggestion for companies investing in TV ads is to sit down and really think about if it’s best for your business today, and most importantly in the future. Business sustainability: Having the foresight and the actual ability to adapt to new trends is paramount if one wants to succeed.
Aaron Schoenberger
The Brainchild Group
The Brainchild Group is an online advertising agency that specializes in strategic, professional Social Media and SEO campaigns for companies throughout the world. Clients include: top restaurants, Olympic athletes, Fortune 500 companies and mom-and-pop shops.