Volume 2 No. 1: How to Measure TV Advertising's Impact

This week we’re talking TV attribution. After all, smart marketing is all about making decisions based on what the data tells us.

So what does the data tell us about TV advertising?

Does it tell us anything? Can TV be accountable and measurable in the same ways we’d expect from any other marketing channel?

The short answer is yes.

For a longer answer, keep reading.

 

   Marketing Myths   

TV can't must be measured.

Each week, we break down a common misconception around TV advertising.

"I don’t know whether our TV campaign worked or not.”

We can’t even explain how painful this statement is—and unfortunately not uncommon. There’s nothing worse than investing hundreds of thousands (to millions!) of dollars in a marketing initiative only to be left wondering if it did... well, anything. And yet, when it comes to TV advertising, not knowing is frighteningly acceptable.

Honestly, we’d rather know TV didn’t work (and why) so we can adjust as needed. Instead of throwing up your hands in defeat, ask a few key questions.

What happens in the minutes immediately after your commercial airs? Tracking web traffic is one way to find out.

What are TV’s longer-term effects? One option might be measuring the lifetime value of TV-driven customers.

How does TV impact the overall business? This might look like a rising stock price, new partnerships, or growing revenue.

What's the takeaway? Marketing that’s not measurable is not worth your time. The good news is TV attribution is very doable. But best practices depend on your campaign’s unique goals. (If you're interested, this podcast episode goes into way more detail).

 

  Advertising Answers  

Question: What is ACR data and how does it work?

We take the web’s most searched questions about TV advertising to a range of marketing experts who can’t help but love TV.

Answer: “ACR is technology built into smart TVs that allows you to actually see when a consumer is seeing your ads on their television, and that television is connected to the Internet. So if your consumer goes and then picks up a device that is connected to the Internet as well, they'll have the same IP address which allows you to do deterministic matching. From there, you can see how it compares to OTT campaigns, how reach and frequency vary between campaigns, as well as even see if people are responding to particular ads on certain networks.”

— Matt Hultgren, VP Analytics

At work, Matt studies the patterns in TV attribution and measurement. When not at work, he studies patterns in everything from music to Rubik’s Cube solutions.

 

  Channel Changers  

Read: Subprime Attention Crisis

Here we celebrate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers that are actively pushing marketing into the future.

Subprime Attention Crisis: Advertising and the Time Bomb at the Heart of the Internet is a must-read for growth marketers. Google alum Tim Hwang explains how tech companies have monetized attention—and his fear that the bubble around digital advertising is ready to burst.

Our favorite insight? Future-proof your business by looking beyond digital. Recent privacy regulations and increasing online competition make this advice even more relevant.

 

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