Broadcast TV Disadvantages

· To advertise on TV, you must produce a spot or pay to use one produced by someone else. Production fees on top of the cost of airtime makes TV spots cost prohibitive to many advertisers.

· TV seems complicated to small advertisers. If you think it is the right medium for your message, don’t be put off by what you don’t know – call a station or an ad or production agency for help.

· Messages get “zipped ” as viewers click to other channels and “ zapped ” as viewers mute them or turn them off.

· Viewers that have grown up with TV and big-screen special effects are somewhat skeptical, if not downright cynical, about what they see. And they don’t appreciate gimmicks.

· Although TV can be targeted by geography, time of day, programs and network, it is still a broadcast medium with a broad, noon-targeted reach. Cable is considered “narrowcast” and is a good, viable medium for reaching special groups.

· Audience are more fragmented than ever as the number of channels increases, not to mention alternative uses for TV sets like video games, computer hook-ups and movie rentals. The days of any message reaching 40 percent or even 30 percent of the viewing audience on one network at one time are past.

· Commercial breaks in programming are becoming more “cluttered ”. Your spot may be first, third or seventh in the lineup. The viewer’s attention level can be affected.

· Because TV is still considered by many to be “big league» advertising, small advertisers run the risk of looking amateurish next to a national advertiser with a slickly produced spot. There is some merit to looking like a friendly, small or local advertiser, but don’t accept sloppy production in order to cut costs. No amount of savings is worth the damage you can do to the customer’s perception of your business or product.

· Buying TV time is fairly complicated. The help of an expert adds to your cost, but may cut your losses, too.

One 30-second television commercial during prime time viewing (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.) can cost 10 to 30 times more than one radio spot during drive time (which is considered prime radio time).

While the newspaper may cover the city’s general metropolitan area, TV may cover a good portion of the state where you live. If such coverage blankets most of your sales territory, TV advertising may be the best advertising alternative for your business.

Producing a commercial is also an important variable to consider. On the whole, television audiences have become more sophisticated and have come to expect quality commercials. A poorly produced commercial could severely limit the effectiveness of your message, and may even create a bad image in your customer’s mind.

Advertising agencies or TV commercial production facilities are the best organizations for creating a commercial that will be effective for the goods or service you are offering. But the cost of a well-produced commercial is often more expensive than people think. Some TV stations will claim they can put together commercials for “almost nothing”. Before agreeing to this, find out what “almost nothing” means. Then, determine if the commercial quality and content they are proposing will represent your firm’s image.

Many companies use the station’s commercial production facilities for creating “tag lines” on pre-produced commercials. Often, the station will help you personalize the spot for little or no cost… if you advertise with them. Remember, more than anything else, when it comes to making a TV commercial, you get what you pay for. And when you’re buying commercial time for one 30-second TV spot costing from $600 to $1,200, it makes sense to have the best sales presentation possible.

Remember, like radio, the message comes and goes… and that’s it. The viewer doesn’t see your commercial again unless you buy more placements.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14