Need to know

  • Data2Decisions and Thinkbox analysed 300 campaigns from 78 small brands – defined as businesses whose brand size is less than 1% of the market leaders – to understand the value of TV advertising.
  • TV’s share of ad spend reflects overall budget. It will be lower when total spends are lower (c. 50% of a total advertising budget of £100k), rising up to 70% for brands that have an annual budget of around £1.5m.
  • Small business TV ad investment should be based on two factors: targeting key purchase periods in the relevant brand category, and identifying periods when TV costs are lower.
  • When considering those two factors, July and August are key months for FMCG advertisers, while February and March are most important for financial services brands.
  • When considering TV for the first time, the primary objective of a TV ad creative should be to increase brand awareness. Activation-led campaigns perform less well when brand familiarity is low.
  • First-time advertisers should start with a creative no longer than 30 seconds. Optimal ad length based on ROI is 20 seconds.
  • Average TV revenue ROI for a smaller advertiser is £6.30 when combining short-term and sustained effects.
  • £2.10 is delivered in the short-term, and a further £4.20 is delivered from that point up to three years on from launch.