What's the point of TV ads?

[Dave2002]

We are told that some TV stations need to survive by putting out adverts.

Leaving aside the fact that I don't like them anyway, what's the point?

I see adverts which are either for things I'm not interested in, could not afford, or already have.
Plus often if I watch via the internet the adverts are exactly the same day after day, even with the same sequence.

Once upon a time ads might have worked, but now .....

[Old Grumpy]

We are told that some TV stations need to survive by putting out adverts.

Leaving aside the fact that I don't like them anyway, what's the point?

I see adverts which are either for things I'm not interested in, could not afford, or already have.
Plus often if I watch via the internet the adverts are exactly the same day after day, even with the same sequence.

Once upon a time ads might have worked, but now .....

Most of the adverts on TV seem be for other programmes on the same channel anyway, nowadays - rather like Radio 3!

OG

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Either the TV channel is funded, or it isn't. If it isn't then adverts are necessary. When there was only ITV (now ITV1) needing advertising, there wasn't much of a problem. Now that we have hundreds of channels with adverts, there's only so much money available for TV advertising, so it's very thinly spread.

[oddoneout]

We are told that some TV stations need to survive by putting out adverts.

Leaving aside the fact that I don't like them anyway, what's the point?

I see adverts which are either for things I'm not interested in, could not afford, or already have.
Plus often if I watch via the internet the adverts are exactly the same day after day, even with the same sequence.

Once upon a time ads might have worked, but now .....

So they'll try and convince you that you are interested, you can afford it and the one you've got needs replacing.
And then there are all the other folk who might be interested etc who need 'directing' in their choices, not forgetting those who measure their place in the world by what they've got, and so can be reassured by the ads that they've got all the right stuff and all's right in their world - at least until the next new thing or fad comes along - in which case the answer has been provided for them.
It's a captive audience that can be dripfed to believe what passes in front of their eyes - or through their heads, so that choices are made it is hoped on the basis of what's been seen or heard over weeks and months, rather than looking around for what else might be available. If that can be linked with internet presence to ensure that searching for bargains will return the same products then bingo.
Ads are also a way of projecting an image of a company or keeping it in the public eye.

[LMcD]

Either the TV channel is funded, or it isn't. If it isn't then adverts are necessary. When there was only ITV (now ITV1) needing advertising, there wasn't much of a problem. Now that we have hundreds of channels with adverts, there's only so much money available for TV advertising, so it's very thinly spread.

Precisely - where is the money for classy dramas such as 'Broadchurch', 'Cold Feet' and 'Unforgotten' to come from, if not from advertisements (in which I include sponsorship)? Programme sales help, but in most cases are earned only when production is complete, previews have been seen and the programme has actually aired.

[Dave2002]

Precisely - where is the money for classy dramas such as 'Broadchurch', 'Cold Feet' and 'Unforgotten' to come from, if not from advertisements (in which I include sponsorship)? Programme sales help, but in most cases are earned only when production is complete, previews have been seen and the programme has actually aired.

My point is that there is now insufficient money to be made from TV adverts, as the adverts are not targetting the "right" people and a very blunt way to get any sort of message across. This has already been noted with internet advertising, which is successful - up to a point - but revenues from adverts and click throughs have been dropping like stones for years now.

I know people who have been very successful with advertising, but the world is changing.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

My point is that there is now insufficient money to be made from TV adverts

How do you know this, Dave?

[french frank]

I see adverts which are either for things I'm not interested in, could not afford, or already have.
Plus often if I watch via the internet the adverts are exactly the same day after day, even with the same sequence.

Television is geared to mass audiences. It catches all the people who might be interested as well as those who aren't. Like universal benefits: it's more efficient to give them to everyone in order to make sure that those who need them are able to get them.

[That said, it is getting more and more difficult to raise revenue from ads]

[LMcD]

It is my understanding that advertising revenue, while down a little, still represents a significant proportion of TV companies' revenue - without which fewer programmes would get made and - importantly - as a consequence there would probably be less opportunity to cross-subsidize worthwhile programmes with the money made from more 'down-market' offerings.

[cloughie]

Adverts are very good for testing reaction time to cut in at exactly the right time when using catch up. I’ve really got it spot on now for the end of the Robinson’s kid on James Martin’s Saturday Morning.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

https://www.itvplc.com/investors/results-centre

I suppose that the "point" of TV adverts is that it brings in £890 million.

[DracoM]

Adverts are very good for testing reaction time to cut in at exactly the right time when using catch up. I’ve really got it spot on now for the end of the Robinson’s kid on James Martin’s Saturday Morning.

They are a deliberate and ongoing way of reinforcing need - like the supply of any drug.
Anyone watching e,g, Sky Cricket will tell you that the GAMBLING ads on Sky happen every fifteen or so minutes, between overs, at the falls of wickets etc and go on and on and on.....how the gambling biz reinforces the target audience's addiction.
Very simple, and I'd say pretty cheap and riskless way of making sure the addictions do not end. And are increasingly targeting the early-20s / 30's age groups as well.

[Dave2002]

Adverts are very good for testing reaction time to cut in at exactly the right time when using catch up. I’ve really got it spot on now for the end of the Robinson’s kid on James Martin’s Saturday Morning.

Does that work with internet streaming? I don’t think so. It’s a **** nuisance having to watch the adverts, though if two people watch the “solution” is for one person to keep an eye on the adverts then pause the stream when the programme restarts, while the other person goes to make the tea or answer a call of nature.

However with a TV or PVR it does work with units which record internally a few hours of live TV, or if a recording is made, then skip through the adverts on playback. If there were no adverts these acts of digital wizardry would not be necessary.

In the US adverts are, I believe, targeted down to street level. Whether that’s a good thing I can’t say, but areas with older people get incontinence pad and funeral home adverts, areas with young babies get nappies and baby milk, areas with high income get performance cars and 4x4s etc. This is possible because much of the TV is on demand by switching networks.

In the UK the advertisers try do do similar things partly based on overall region (very broad brush), or by making assumptions based on time, schedules and other programmes. That’s why sports programmes are full of adverts for betting companies. I’ve never, as far as I can remember seen such an advert in the “intermission” of a serious discussion programme.

With regard to whether decent programmes are made for broadcast on channels which advertise I’d say yes, but very few.

[cloughie]

They are a deliberate and ongoing way of reinforcing need - like the supply of any drug.
Anyone watching e,g, Sky Cricket will tell you that the GAMBLING ads on Sky happen every fifteen or so minutes, between overs, at the falls of wickets etc and go on and on and on.....how the gambling biz reinforces the target audience's addiction.
Very simple, and I'd say pretty cheap and riskless way of making sure the addictions do not end. And are increasingly targeting the early-20s / 30's age groups as well.

Over the years sport generally has been heavily sponsored by tobacco and drink. Now those have been prohibited or been severely frowned upon - surprise, surprise betting is a major sponsor of leagues and individual clubs and stadia!

[Dave2002]

https://www.itvplc.com/investors/results-centre

I suppose that the "point" of TV adverts is that it brings in £890 million.

Ah - back to big number fallacies ... mmmm.

That's about £13 for each person in the UK - much less than the TV licence fee. It doesn't bother me too much if companies want to do that if their demographic population wants to watch programes such as Coronation street, or sports - I just think it's sad though. Where there are big problems IMO is in advertising aimed at children and young people.

The other thing to watch out for is product placement, and I noticed recently that some "celebrities" have been picked up about this. I didn't know there were any regulations, or who or what enforces them, but seemingly there are.

My one interest in product placement was that I once bought some table knives (remaindered - very cheap) with red plastic handles. I noticed that these featured in a Swedish TV series "Three Crowns", though that was after I bought them. I think I had a fewer number of spoons and forks, but they've mostly all broken and been dumped by now.

I'm not suggesting that some companies aren't viable with adverts, nor that the adverts aren't a significant part of their revenue, but rather that
the adverts are perhaps having less effect nowadays