TV advertising may once have been a cash cow, the proverbial licence to print money, but as ITV CEO Carolyn McCall reminded the RTS London Convention in September: “Linear advertising is deeply tied to the economy, and it is cyclical. This year is still not easy…but the ad market has recovered. Talking to a lot of my counterparts in Europe… they’re finding it much easier, and they’re all talking about commissioning.”
Amid the ever-changing media landscape, how can advertisers harness partnerships and consumer insights to give brands more “bang for their buck”? That was the question global branding expert and session chair Rita Clifton wanted answered, along with which factors her panellists thought “will stay the same” and “which will be totally different”.
The downturn in UK TV advertising revenue is beyond dispute, with marked declines in the first half of 2023. But what is the full picture and when might we see a recovery?
Channel 4, reliant on ad revenue to fund its content, has paused most commissioning, dropped productions and reduced episode counts for shows in the pipeline. With characteristic sensationalism, The Mail on Sunday reported on 10 June that Channel 4 staff had branded the situation a “bloodbath”.
How refreshing it is to hear ITV being negative about its own online service, ITV Hub. Apparently, it is clunky, looks dated, isn’t a destination, and there is nothing on it. All pretty much true, and expressed only a good chunk of a decade after all those things were clear to the UK consumer. Why this sudden honesty? The imminent launch of Hub’s replacement, of course: ITVX will debut on 8 December.
With AVOD growing rapidly as a key, non-subscription revenue model, how are broadcasters taking advantage?
How are AVOD (ad-supported video on demand) and FAST (Free advertiser supported TV) developing as an alternative to SVoD and broadcast TV? How is broadcaster VoD developing in the mix and what are advertisers looking for- more targeted and personalised ads? What are the demographics of IP-delivered TV?
Is streaming TV additive or substitutional to linear broadcast TV? Is leaning into AVoD and FAST the answer to the decline of linear TV advertising?
The obituary of TV advertising has been written many times since the 2008 financial crisis and, each time, it has confounded the doomsayers. The television ad market suffered its steepest downturn on record between April and June 2020. There were declines of close to 50% during the worst of the pandemic, yet it has bounced back.
ITV has told investors it expects its ad revenues to be up as much as 90% in June – thanks in part to the Euros, rescheduled from 2020, and the return of Love Island.
RTS Thames Valley Creative Technology event gathers leading experts to discuss the evolution of the television advertising landscape.
The panel includes David Joel - Head of Commercial, Clearcast, Justin Gupta - Head of Broadcast and Entertainment, Google (UK & Ireland), Nikita Panchal - Marketing Director, Bubble Agency, Dr Phillip McLauchlan - Chief Scientist, Mirriad, and Peter Kemp - Media Strategist.
Covid-19 has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people in the UK to date, and almost shut down the TV airtime advertising industry. Across April and May revenues dropped by more than 50%.
Most citizens were locked down in their homes with their children homeschooled – or not – for close to four months. The world seemed to have gone mad. Worldwide, the message was to wash your hands, wear a face mask, socially distance and pretty much hope for the best.
In one way, the career of David Abraham has come full circle. He began his working life in advertising – and, in his latest role, running his own company, Wonderhood Studios, he is once again involved in producing TV commercials, as well as making TV programmes. With his trademark heavy-rimmed glasses and carefully judged wardrobe, Abraham still looks like he might have stepped out of the pages of ad bible Campaign at its 1980s’ peak.
