Television advertising is easier and cheaper than you think

An advantages of being a business owner in a regional area is the inexpensive access to one of the most powerful marketing tools available – television advertising. You would almost never see a School Fair advertised on television in a capital city but in a regional centre it’s not only feasible, but VERY effective.

One key barrier that prevents small to medium business owners from considering TV advertising is perceived cost – note that we say perceived cost rather than actual cost. Some time slots can be bought for $8 or even less (yes eight dollars) making them cheaper than some classified newspaper ads.

With smart management, even production costs can be kept to a minimum, and can be amortised to less than $10 per week over the lifetime of a campaign.

High impact medium

Affordability is only of value of course if you get a good return on your investment. Because TV advertising appeals to more sense than just radio or newspaper and has a higher penetration* than other media, it has a high impact on your target market.

Last year, Utopia Creative produced a simple but very effective TV commercial for a café/restaurant in a small regional town. The client reports a 40% increase in turnover during weeks when the campaign screens and was even booked out the day after the Melbourne Cup as a result of a special Melbourne Cup blitz. The School Fair commercial mentioned above generated a record turnout and turnover in the first year it screened (2006).

Getting it right

TV advertising isn’t rocket science but a few tips worth remembering are:

• Don’t devalue your brand. Low budget commercials don’t have to look cheap and can actually drive business away rather than towards you. A little bit of creative ingenuity add a touch of class that can make the world of difference.
• Don’t expect overnight results. Overnight success with television advertising can happen but the biggest impact comes from repetition. A longer campaign can actually cost save you money and deliver more results in the longer term.

Make sure your time slot and chosen channels are actually reaching the market you are targeting. As with any marketing, make sure your marketing spend is actually working for you.

Get the Utopia edge

Of course the easy way to get your television advertising underway is to give us a call at Utopia Creative. We can take care of all elements from concept right through to broadcast (including dealing with the television stations) so you can get on with what you do best. It costs nothing to enquire but could ultimately generate more income for your business through increased turnover.

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR OUR OWN UTOPIA CREATIVE TELEVISION COMMERCIALS – COMING TO A SCREEN NEAR YOU SOON.

Until then, all the best from the team at Utopia Creative.