How Linear TV Ads Fit Into A Marketing Strategy
Posted on: 2 October 2020
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Linear TV ads are advertisements that are scheduled during over-the-air television and follow the traditional viewing experience that existed before the internet. In other words, folks tune into the show each week to catch up with where the program stands, and ads are incorporated at various time slots during the show. Linear TV also includes most types of events such as sports matches, contests, and award shows.
You might wonder where linear TV ads sit in your marketing strategy. Here are three things you should know about the place linear TV occupies.
How Linear TV Works
The linear model is primarily carried across cable and satellite TV systems. Some streaming options also include linear programming. A small percentage of Americans still watch their shows from over-the-air television, the old-school model where someone uses an antenna attached to their TV set. Similarly, there isn't precise knowledge about the location of the viewer and the types of devices they use, and that means losing valuable demographic and economic data.
In the linear model, TV ads appear in slows. The primary broadcaster, meaning the TV station's operator, sets aside blocks during the runtime of the show for advertisers to buy. When the time for your block comes up, the ad is inserted into the broadcast.
Calculating Viewership
One potential downside of linear TV is that the broadcasters may struggle to provide hard numbers about viewership. They do use rating companies, though, to get a strong sense of what the audience is for a program. However, you'll always be guessing a bit, and the rates for a program that ends up being less popular may be cost-ineffective. On the upside, a program that surprises with higher viewership will pay off because your costs will be cheaper. This occurs because the slots for ads are purchased in advance.
Purchasing Process
It's worth noting that ad buys can be a little different from linear TV. With streaming ads, it's fairly easy to roll new content out quickly. This is possible within the linear model, but it usually costs money. Likewise, you won't be able to choose a desirable slot if someone else has already purchased it. You'll get the best rates for your ads, too, if you buy the time weeks or months in advance.
This can work very well for companies that are targeting particular times of the year. If a retailer wants to be up with ads during the holiday season, for example, linear TV ads can provide excellent value.
Contact a linear TV ad service, such as NYI - New York Interconnect, for more information.