Thinkbox
TV advertising starts delivering from the moment it is seen and then carries on delivering for years. But its powerful short-term effects are often hidden, overlooked, or underappreciated.
“Instant” is usually associated with online. But thanks to always-on, always-to-hand mobile devices, all TV ads are now instantly actionable. Viewers can immediately search for a brand they’ve just seen on TV, join in with social elements of a campaign, or go straight to purchase.
And brands see it. Online businesses have become the biggest category of advertiser on TV. Why? Because they experience TV’s instant impact first hand.
TV drives web traffic
Econometric analysis by Magic Numbers found a direct relationship between TV advertising and online response. Across ten brands modelled, TV was responsible for 42% of all web visits – around 50 million in total. This uplift was consistent regardless of investment level.
TV makes search work harder and smarter
TV improves the efficiency of online journeys. It encourages people to search for brands directly rather than generically – and that matters. Brand search is far more cost-effective than generic paid search, which costs advertisers more.
TV also brings people with the right ‘level of intent’ to a site, people who have already understood the proposition and are ready to buy. These people are more likely to complete the purchase journey.
TV delivers immediate profit, not just long-term ROI
Crucially TV’s instant impact doesn’t just stir action, it drives profit. Despite sometimes being pigeon-holed as only a long-term investment, TV is in fact the second biggest driver of immediate payback – the profit generated in the same week as ad exposure. Linear TV accounts for 20.5% of immediate payback; BVOD contributes 7.3%.
Only generic search ranks higher, but it lacks long-lasting effects – the same is true of paid social. Search and social fizzle out while TV fizzes.
TV is easier to buy than ever
From low-cost packages to regionally targeted campaigns, there are ready-made solutions that make getting on TV fast and simple – even for first-time advertisers.
All the TV companies have expert teams on hand to help guide planning, buying, and creative – making the process smooth even for newcomers.
And today’s TV lets advertisers plan, book, and optimise campaigns programmatically – with flexibility, control, and clear metrics. This is about to be supercharged in 2026 following the announcement that Channel 4, ITV, and Sky – through Comcast Advertising – are launching a new advertising marketplace that will allow small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs) to run a single campaign across all three platforms for the first time
Brands also don’t have to start big, the TV companies will work with them to test smaller TV campaigns regionally or with BVOD and then scale up once the – probably very good – results come in.