The Digital Impact On TV Advertising

The power of digital, storytelling and creating a conversation are key elements of TV advertising today! We were lucky to get the most insightful data and details from Jason Spencer and Michelle Monks at ITV at the CIM North West event which we were proudly sponsoring.

We get the chance to go to some of the most inspiring events and meet the biggest digital marketing influencers in the industry as a sponsor for the CIM North West events. This time we had the chance to hear Jason Spencer, Business Development Director, and Michelle Monks, Partnership Manager, at ITV Manchester talk about doing advertising in the digital world and how this has made an impact on how we perceive a brand. Manchester Metropolitan University’s award-winning Business School created the frame for the event, where we had the chance to mingle with industry people before we went into the lecture theatre, where Jason and Michelle from ITV waited.

They started off by making the event a little competition! They would give tickets to sit in the audience for one of their shows, to the one who asked the best questions. And the game was on! We started out with loads of visuals and videos but then moved on to some key points which framed the presentation.

Michelle gave us some significantly surprising statistics, as you would think TV advertising has lost its glory from the takeover of TV on demand, Netflix and Amazon Prime, but it shows that TV advertising is the best profit generator for brands! And with online video on social media, it still shows that Live TV dominates over these channels. 

So how do we get engaged with TV advertising in a world where digital is taking over everything? It’s the power of storytelling…   
Storytelling is one of those things that makes us humans, where you can turn stories into advertising, which also drives the bottom line of people’s business. It’s about understanding the environment you’re in and not shout out about yourself, but creating a story that relates to your brand and creates a feeling with the audience. People remember emotions and how your story made them feel, which means they are going to remember your brand and what you’re trying to show the world.

So what makes the best TV Ad? Jason Spencer explained this in 5 key elements

1. Characters
I believe you all know Ant & Dec? They are probably the biggest TV personalities, which have been on our screens for 16 years and they are multi-award-winning. But they are not only hosting TV shows, they are also great front characters for brands in adverts like Suzuki. With the digital age booming it is essential to build strong characters, which are associated with your brand and can be used across several digital channels.

2.  Plot
You can’t create good characters unless you have a good story plot! This can be through a unique writing style and once you’ve got a great plot, you can let the characters lead and tell your story.

3. Campfire and 4. Emotion
It's all about creating emotions and connect with the audience and get them engaged with a show and then let them talk about it afterwards. You have to think about how you can create conversations and connect people through emotions and be able to let them express their feelings about what they’ve just seen. So basically create stories, which can be discussed around a campfire!

5. Great Writing
You can’t create emotions through a show or TV ad unless it has been written with care and ensure that what the audience is watching, is something they will remember!

But how has digital changed the world of TV Advertising?
It has created a community. It makes us feel, talk about it and have a conversation. The way we think of segmentation is also different, as you don’t just think about the people who are already watching the programme or using a product. You have to think about the broader aspect of who potentially will watch the programme or buy a specific product which you could be advertising.

Several students were attending the event and it was clear that they took the opportunity to ask questions about the future of TV Advertising and how to get a career in the industry! And for the competition? The tickets went to a student who challenged Jason and Michelle and asked what would happen if Netflix started to implement advertising. So what would happen? Fortunately, advertising is not in Netflix’s business model, but never underestimate the market or your competition! Digital is evolving all the time, so anything can happen.

This is only the beginning of a year with brilliant digital marketing events, which we proudly sponsor! It doesn’t matter if you’re a student, member of the CIM or a non-member, you’re always welcome to attend these events and build up a strong network within the industry.

Make sure you don’t miss them!

9th March 2017- An evening with the M&S Bank Marketing Team, Chester

23rd March 2017 - Digital essentials for the medical sector, Manchester

4^th April 2017 – The Importance of BIM for manufacturers in the Construction sector, Manchester

5th April 2017 - Social Media Marketing Bootcamp, Manchester

3rd May 2017 - Growing the economy - Warrington 

25th May 2017 - How to price your platypus - Manchester 

30th May 2017 - Five great minds, Manchester 

1st June 2017 - Meet with drinks, Liverpool

To attend any of these great events click here! 

If you are interested in becoming a member of the CIM, then we would recommend checking out their website which can be found here. Alternatively, you can contact the Network Manager for CIM North Diane Earles.

We look forward to seeing you at one of these events!

A list of the CIM qualifications can be found here