TV advertising isn't dead - it's just evolved into a piece of a multi-channel marketing machine. Advertisers who've mastered the art of televised branding and direct response campaigns on social media are well-positioned against competitors who haven't yet adapted to the new customer journey.
Joining the Conversation
As a real-time social platform for conversation about trending topics, Twitter naturally goes hand-in-hand with televised events like the Super Bowl, where people can trade critiques of controversial plays and share their favorite ad moments, or the Oscars, where red carpet fashion and acceptance speeches are often dissected.
The platform's also ideal for fans of serial shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead to discuss the latest near-escape or the death of a major character.
To enable online marketers to tap into these real-time conversations, Twitter offers Promoted Tweet targeting for specific TV shows and sets of shows, by network or by genre.
Advertisers who can provide entertainment, inspiration, or information not found elsewhere have the opportunity to generate goodwill and an emotional connection with TV viewers on Twitter.
Extending the Reach of Televised Commercials
While TV commercials are a tried and true method for getting someone's attention, they're not designed to drive immediate action. When someone watches your ad on TV, they may not be in the position to take the next step - such as visiting your website or making a purchase. That's why adding in direct response social ads on sites like Twitter is a sound strategy for driving the action that your commercial may not be able to deliver on its own.
Aside from increasing conversions, this approach also keeps your message top of mind. According to Twitter, TV advertisers have seen a 9% average lift in ad recall, compared to other campaigns that didn't run Promoted Tweets concurrently with aired commercials.
Here are a few examples of how real businesses are combining TV ads and Twitter ads to boost the effectiveness of both:
Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com has run several ad spots on TV featuring stories from actual customers who've made surprising discoveries about their heritage through its genealogy service - in the TV commercial above, a woman shares how Ancestry.com helped her learn that she was related to George Washington. The ads are designed to make viewers wonder what they might discover if they use Ancestry's service themselves.
Ancestry drives homes this pique in interest with an accompanying Twitter ad campaign, inviting audiences to muse about what historical figures they might be related to. Twitter users who view this ad can immediately take action by clicking through to Ancestry.com. Using Twitter ads as part of a larger marketing strategy, Ancestry.com sparks interest with TV commercials, then drive leads with direct response.
Squarespace
Many brands are beginning to understand that the story doesn't end once your TV commercial has finished airing. Ad spots can have a second life on mobile sites like Twitter, especially when it comes to the Super Bowl.
Squarespace made a splash in this year's Super Bowl with a commercial encouraging viewers to watch comedy duo Key and Peele's live game commentary on their website. Because the Super Bowl is full of distracting TV commercials, Squarespace hedged its (expensive) bet with a follow-up campaign on Twitter:
While Squarespace's TV commercial may make for memorable viewing, the digital side of this campaign is what really packs a punch. The company brought the TV campaign full circle with Twitter video ads pointing Super Bowl audiences toward Key and Peele's sports commentary on the Squarespace site, not only reinforcing the commercials but driving toward downstream action (in this case, a signup).
Mobile Strike
When crafting a marketing campaign, it's important to consider the big picture. Whether the medium is TV or social, direct mail or email, keeping messaging and imagery consistent is the key to increased recognition from prospective customers and users.
Thanks to an action-packed, thrilling trailer-style TV commercial featuring movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger, popular game Mobile Strike was able to get sports fans' attention during the 2016 Super Bowl.
Understanding that the Super Bowl spot would be seen and remembered by many, Mobile Strike followed up with similar imagery in a Twitter MAI ad, ensuring that viewers would associate the digital campaign with the excitement of the TV commercial.
The added bonus to the advertiser? Audiences can take immediate action by hitting the "Install" call-to-action (CTA) button on Twitter and start playing the game within a few clicks.
The bottom line
If you're planning on airing a TV commercial, consider running a Promoted Tweet at the same time. Doing so will increase your chances of leaving a lasting impression and give viewers an outlet for taking immediate action online. If you don't have the bandwidth or resources to run your own television campaigns, identify TV shows and live events (like the upcoming Summer Olympics) that align with your brand, and jump on the bandwagon.