Marketers on TV

The booklet is by marketers for marketers and is designed to inspire innovative and perhaps unexpected uses of TV advertising.

As everybody reading this will know, the job of marketing is a mix of goals, strategy, objectives and tactics. 

Those marketers that have a clear understanding of what it is they want to achieve are better placed to determine the right approach. The marketers that unambiguously define what good looks like are better placed to choose the right tools to execute their strategy and achieve their goals. 

The case studies in this booklet provide valuable lessons in setting and delivering strategy according to business needs. They also offer insight into television’s versatility in delivering a variety of strategic objectives across multiple vertical sectors. 

For example, Age UK wanted to increase awareness of its work and bolster volunteer numbers by increasing the emotional engagement Britons’ had with it and the challenges of those it helped. Through partnerships with John Lewis and Channel 4’s Gogglebox it was able to tell meaningful stories that delivered impressive uplifts in awareness and volunteer numbers. 

Elsewhere, Yorkshire Tea wanted to grow share the only way you can in a declining market – stealing sales from rivals. The brand did so by positioning itself against rivals with TV ads showing iconic Yorkshiremen and women going the extra mile to ensure its tea was as good as it could be. Unlike the competition, this brand “do things proper”. The campaign led to a spike in sales and a jump to second place in a market that continues to head south. 

Meanwhile, Nationwide Building Society wanted to increase the loyalty of its customers by offering a view of the bank that was more than a provider of functional, if essential, products and services, at the same time as finding new ways to underline how it is different from banks. The “Voices” series of ads, which saw spoken word poets offering their take on universal issues such as home, friendship, family and loyalty. Measures to determine brand differentiation, trust and affinity all increased, as did the value of existing members. 

These case studies and the others detailed show the value of setting goals, of strategy, of working out objectives. They also show how television as part of an integrated marketing communications campaign played an important tactical role in their success. 

Marketing effectiveness is the subject that has dominated most of my conversations with marketers in recent years. With the spectre of macro-economic uncertainty and digital disruption hanging over business, how to achieve meaningful success for your brand that will drive sustainable business growth over the long term, and achieve greater influence in your organisation, is a challenge anxious marketer are striving to meet.   

The cases presented in this report are excellent examples of marketing done well. They should help you in pursuit of your ultimate goal – adding value.   

By Russell Parsons, Editor, Marketing Week

For more information or to request a copy of this booklet, Marketers on TV, please contact [email protected]

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