How Not To Freefall On TV
TV can feel big and scary, and expensive. You may be transferring budget from an incumbent marketing channel, in the hope that the results will exceed existing performance. When you embark on TV, you need to make sure you get the reward your hard work deserves.
Here is the ultimate tick list to command the results you desire.
Be TV Ready. It sounds obvious but so many brands feel ready to take the leap without thinking about how their brand will look at feel on TV. Even though they may have done OOH, radio or below the line marketing. It is not actually up to the advertising agency to decide the look and feel. A business must know their brand position before briefing agencies. This includes Tone of voice, Brand Identity, Call to Action, Brand messaging and more. For a comprehensive guide on how to brief an agency go here.
Understand the power of TV. Do your research on ALL the media options. From standard TV to VOD and digital platforms. You could do this by speaking to media agencies, but for a more independent, unbiased view check out Thinkbox, the TV industry’s media think tank. If you want to be a real media buff sign up to the Thinkbox’s TV Masters course, which has seasonal cohorts.
Know your audience. Sounds obvious, but you need to REALLY know you audience, who does the purchasing in the household, who do you most want to connect with. What do they like, dislike, purchase, how do they consume their media, what pastimes they have etc. You may even be representing these individuals on screen, and at the very least you will be expecting an emotional response from them.
Learn how to write a brief that will get the result you ask for. Writing a brief should not be half baked hoping the agency will have the answers. In reality, after the briefing process there is little time for agencies to clarify and confirm facts. So the more information you give them, the more spot on the creative will be.
Prioritise your claims. USPs translate into claims. What USPs are your audience really going to care about? The message has to be a genuine help to the audience, not bragging rights. Believe me, a garden centre telling the audience they are a family business, established since 1920 is not going to sell more BBQs.
Know how to set KPIs - To truly set effective KPIs you need to understand the potential profitability and effectiveness of TV. Far too much to explain here. But firstly your KPIs have to be SMART - specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound. And secondly you need to understand what effective means. Unwisely I will attempt to summarise a whole topic in two sentences (cringe): a) Find the right balance of brand vs activation. Initially short term gain is important for growth and ROI, and in the long term brand fame is the ultimate goal. b) You need to measure how the inputs affect the outCOMES NOT the outPUTS. Inputs are spend and impressions. Outputs from the campaign are clicks (which mean nothing to business profitability ultimately) and outCOMES are sales, web visits, brand metrics and market share.
Set a budget. It may seem like a good idea to get agencies offer various budget solutions. But without a finite budget the creative solutions may not be achievable. Apportion budget before the brief.
Tell people your budget. When you know your budget, tell your suppliers. You won’t save money keeping it a secret. And there is no “right budget”.
Learn what Performance TV is and how to use it. Know the difference between Performance and Brand TV. Performance or DRTV offers instant gratification and profitability. Brand advertising is a long game. Performance metrics is important for new to TV and challenger brands to reap the profitability that TV can bring.
Be timely. Is your product / service seasonal, what is the lead time your audience needs to buy your product? Plan your campaign timeline effectively and allow 8 weeks for a TV campaign from brief to broadcast.
Have your back end sorted. Not a colonic but you need to get your internal process together. Make preparation in the business to deliver on your product or service once it is ordered in high volumes. This could be anything from digital capabilities, customer service, supply chain, stock, staffing and other logistical departments.
Get the C Suite on board. Ensure that the people at the top are looped in from the start. Inviting the CEO to view the ad when it is complete without any previous input usually goes down like a bag of sick. Not because they’ll dislike it, but because they may change it, and that will affect deadlines.
Be disciplined. When it comes to feedback, collate all the stakeholders’ opinions and feedback collectively. This way you can filter internal differences. Changing your mind costs money.
Ditch the ego. A TV campaign feels big and important, and with this people get romantic visions of what they want their TV ad to look like. High quality creative that sparks emotion is critical. But keeping it lean at first will grow ROI much faster. Ultimately you pay for results not the TV ad.
Media - test and learn. A media plan should be responsive. See how the first wave of media performs, how people react and adapt your plan to tweak your hypotheses. Your media agency will be able to advise on this.
Flexible Creative. Your creative asset should be as flexible as the media. Otherwise you are not truly testing your brand on TV.
Invite the lawyers round. If your creative or claims require internal legal representation or examination, brief them from the start. Changes cost money.
Have bi-weekly meetings with agencies. If you have a creative / production agency and a media agency, chances are they won’t speak to each other. So it is the job of the brand guardian to be the middle man and make this happen.
Understand Clearcast. Clearcast is not only the knowledge base on TV advertising standards but also the organisation who approves that every broadcast commercial complies with the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) code (rules). So understanding the basics is key to getting the messaging you require approved.
OK, that is a lot to get your head around. If you have questions and want to get in touch for 1-2-1 advice email us at team@studio90media.co.uk