During these past weeks, the world was captivated by the events of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. From Michael Phelps becoming the most decorated Olympian in history, to Simone Biles winning gold with her gravity defying gymnastics, to Usain Bolt showing once again he must have some cheetah DNA in him, the 2016 Olympics served up moments that kept viewers glued to their television sets. And advertisers knew just how to reap the benefits. NBCUniversal sold over $1.2 billion in national advertising for the games, resulting in brand new ad campaigns from corporations like Nike, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and BMW. And it wasn’t just the big guns showing up; local businesses also came to play.
But now that the Rio Olympics are over, does this mean the bright lights have dimmed on the advantages of television advertising? Not at all. In fact, the Olympics can help provide some very important tips on how to get the absolute most out of TV advertising, no matter when or where.
Choose Ad Placement Wisely
With the new fall TV season close at hand, companies will no doubt try to get plenty of advertising on the most anticipated programs, both new and returning. From a marketing standpoint, this makes sense. However, a business may not always be in the best position to buy up vast amounts of television ad space. But that doesn’t mean they should just give up. The Rio Olympics showed us that sometimes just one night can make all the difference. Olympic viewership noticeably escalated for Michael Phelps’s (alleged) final Olympic event, reaching 32.7 million viewers (a 20.4/36 household rating) just for the 15 minutes when Phelps was swimming. 35 million viewers tuned in to see Usain Bolt leave his competition in the dust, and Simone Biles’s third gold medal win boosted a 17.4 household rating. These were momentous events, so it’s only natural more people would tune in to see them. And anyone who chose to advertise on those nights had a distinct edge.
The same lesson can be applied to non-Olympic television programming and advertising. There is almost always some special event during a TV show’s run that helps to bring in more viewers. Maybe an episode will be the last one for a fan favorite character, or maybe they’re coming back for a reunion. Maybe the couple everyone has been rooting for will finally have their first real kiss, or maybe the elusive villain the protagonist has been chasing will at long last be revealed. Whatever it is, ratings for that night are all but guaranteed to be much higher than usual. And the more people watching the show, the more people likely to see an advertisement airing that same evening. So if a business is unable to purchase lots of ad space throughout the television season, they can learn when these momentous episodes will air, and obtain ad space for that particular night.
Vanity Numbers Will Make Your TV Campaigns Memorable
When it came to setting themselves apart from the competition, many Olympic TV advertisers showed they had what it took to make a real impression. The strategy of boosting sentiment in their ads worked well for the companies, with people claiming it changed the way they viewed a product for the better. Nike’s “Unlimited” campaign stayed in the minds of 34.4 % of consumers, while 33% remembered Coca-Cola’s “That’s Gold” spot. The Procter and Gamble “Small Can Be Powerful” ad for Tide boasted a 50% product-recall rate, with 28% of consumers claiming they were more apt to get more information on the product, or even purchase it.
When your television advertisements connect with people on a personal level, it helps embed your brand into people’s minds. And once they decide they want to more about you, whether it’s five minutes, five days, or five weeks after seeing your ad, you’ll want them to have a simple way to reach out to you. This can be accomplished by using an effective call to action such as a vanity 800 phone number. Studies show consumers have an average of 58% higher recall rates of vanity 800 numbers than they do of web addresses. By implementing an unforgettable vanity number in your television ads, you will capture even more incoming leads.
The 2016 Olympic Games may have come to a close, but that doesn’t mean television advertising can’t be just as effective at any other time. With smart strategic decisions and the right tools, you can ensure your ad campaign sticks the landing!