“Whatever happens about Brexit, we need big new ideas to take us forward. But I don’t see big ideas on TV now...Where do we go for big ideas? Books, Tedtalks, podcasts, all really popular.” - Dorothy Byrne, Head of Channel 4 Live TV viewing amongst 16-24 year olds has diminished to just 87 minutes per day as of June 2019, compared to 168.7 minutes in 2010 (Ofcom, 2019). As younger people seek solace in other media channels, whether that be for heavy duty thinking or mindless escapism, even politicians have recognised that televised press conferences and interviews have little use in connecting with much coveted millennials and Gen Z.

If our country’s decision makers see TV is dead for younger audiences, so should we as advertisers. We’ve created this Engagement Snapshot to help you navigate the future of television and the evolving media landscape, from dwindling live audiences to the rise in ‘event tv’. We’ll show that it’s not necessarily what media space you buy, but how you connect with Millennials and Gen Z, that matters.

Live TV today has taken on a different form; younger viewers are only making time for programming which allows them to take part in wider cultural conversation. Once a behaviour previously only associated with sports, like when 24.4 million people tuned in to England’s penalty shoot out with Colombia in the 2018 World Cup, now the most popular programming revolves around cultural moments, or ‘event TV’. Whether it’s much hyped drama Line of Duty, or Game of Thrones, the only programmes which are effectively demanding attention are those which people feel compelled to watch so as not to feel left out of their WhatsApp group chats. As prime-time advertising space becomes more limited, some brands are turning to less conventional advertising opportunities, like brand partnerships, to engage viewers. With an average of 3 million live viewers per episode and 75% of viewers aged 16-34, Love Island is a prime example of event TV which connects with a younger audience, and Missguided was keen to take advantage of this cultural moment, with a high-profile multichannel partnership.

However, given the average cost of a 30-second primetime Love Island advertising spot on ITV2 is around £50,000, a more extensive brand partnership is a TV advertising trend that is far out of reach of many brands. This is especially true for advertisers who’d rather spend their budgets on channeling their social purpose than spray-and-pray broadcast media. What’s more, the way people connect with the Love Island brand is in reality quite complex, with many watching out of irony or intrigue. It is therefore not possible to connect with more nuanced audiences outside of the mainstream through large scale partnerships. With this in mind, we need to think of other ways in which brands can take advantage of the cultural moments brought about by event TV.

Event TV goes hand in hand with mobile media behaviour. Research conducted by Google in 2017 found that 62% of adults in the UK ‘second screen’ while watching television, rising to 77% among 25- to 34-year-olds. Social media allows fans to discuss episodes in real-time, memes to be born, and viewers to be rewarded with behind-the-scenes content. This also provides an opportunity for brands to associate themselves with cultural programming which doesn’t have primetime TV advertising available, e.g. BBC series Line of Duty and Killing Eve. Brands are keen to piggy-back off conversation born from event TV, and planned reactiveness is often built into social content calendars. This is a way to take advantage of cultural moments without the big media spend that comes with TVCs, and step into a space where fans are already highly engaged. For example, when over five million people tweeted about the opening episode of Game of Thrones season eight, Oreos launched a #GameOfCookies video, Merriam-Webster shared the history behind 10 famous Game of Thrones words, and Burger King posting a screenshot of a text to Jon Snow.

Social Media allows for brands of any size to take advantage of the cultural conversation through content that is both relevant and engaging. However, what’s crucial to the engagement is that the content isn’t relying on live TV advertising to amplify the message. What makes this sort of content successful is the fact that it’s tapping into the zeitgeist to connect with an audience about something that matters to them.

There’s no denying that TV commercials are great ways of emotive storytelling, creating cultural moments throughout the calendar year. However, video content that captures hearts and minds translates just as well, if not even better on social media. John Lewis’s 2018 Christmas ad is a prime example; the spot racked up 6.6 million views on Facebook and 4.4 million views on YouTube within 24 hours in 2018, thanks to the brand encouraging employees to share the film on social a day ahead of airing on traditional TV. This created a clear value exchange, with people desperate to share it with their friends and family.

Brands are increasingly taking a social-first approach to video content, and TVCs are becoming reserved for one-offs or ‘event TV’. Not only is this a prime opportunity to reach a younger audience, who are turning to streaming platforms and online channels to consume content, but it also allows for a test and learn approach; advertisers can understand how their video content is received by their audience before they place major investment behind a television campaign.

Beyond shares and likes, it’s important to address the question of effectiveness. According to Les Binet’s Effectiveness in Context, more and more brands are choosing to focus on their brand advertising because they have perfected their sales activation online. For this reason, we are seeing the likes of online companies with big budgets turn to television campaigns; Uber, Facebook, Amazon, and eBay spent an estimated £15 million on TV advertising in December 2018 alone. Yet the truth comes back to the fact that brand impact can only be achieved if a TV campaign has significant spend to play with. The following graph shows that someone needs to view a Brand Response TV ad multiple times for it to have a significant impact on the outcome.

Yet the truth comes back to the fact that brand impact can only be achieved if a TV campaign has significant spend to play with. A 30-second slot on daytime TV can cost between £1,000 to £2,000 while peak rates for shows such as Hollyoaks and Catastrophe are around £10,000 to £20,000. Therefore the cost of an effective TV campaign with significant impact, goes beyond the budgets of many smaller brands.

In an uncertain world, brands are wise to be cautious with their media spend. As younger audiences diminish and budgets become tighter, we believe there really is no role for live TV in today’s media plans. This campaign budget would be put to much better use in initiatives which drive true social purpose, or creating content that connects with your audience through cultural value and entertainment.

If you’re looking to connect with new audiences and don’t want to break the bank on TV spots, then get in touch for our engagement strategy services at: newbusiness@dontpaniclondon.com.