How to Make a TV Commercial

Close your eyes and consider your favorite childhood commercial. You could recall it immediately, right?

From McDonald's unforgettable 90's Super Bowl ad featuring Michael Jordan and Larry Bird battling it out for a Big Mac to the (somewhat) more recent, but equally absurdist, E*Trade talking babies commercial-an excellent ad spot sticks with its viewers long after they change the channel.

How can you craft a commercial that catches eyes and gets people talking? CMG's advertising experts spill the secret sauce here.

The Three Types of "TV" Advertising: Explained

Despite rumors of its demise, TV advertising isn't dying--it's just evolving. Yes, customers are cutting the cord, but millions of people still engage in front of the traditional television set. A survey from 2022 revealed that the majority of audiences prefer the precision audience targeting of CTV over OTT (over-the-top). Creating a message specific to your TV commercial has the potential to bring in a plethora of new clients, allowing you to measure its effectiveness.

Advertising type:	What it is:	Reach:
Traditional TV	Traditional TV advertising reaches audiences on moving image formats broadcasted via traditional transmission channels such as cable and satellite TV	305.4 million people (ages 2+)
CTV	Connected TV advertising refers to ads shown on devices such as smart TVs or mobile phones that allow brands to reach streaming audiences	More than 1.1 billion households
OTT	Over-the-top advertising allows companies to reach customers using streaming services directly via the internet	230 million people

Lights, Camera, Action! Shooting a Commercial That Churns a Profit

So, you've got a seedling of an ad idea. Now, it's time to make it a reality. The best way to do this? Partner with a company with the resources to make your commercial successful. No other marketing company has as stellar a reputation in TV and news as CMG. We've been in the business a long time and truly understand the power of TV advertising. CMG has a firm grasp on emerging methods, making us more than capable of blending traditional advertising with digital.

To create a commercial that churns a profit, we need to know a few things about your audience beyond their age and gender: what are their motivations? Their grievances? Commercials have routinely been the go-to medium for advertisers. Even if they're only 30-60 seconds long, they can make your brand be remembered if they stand out from others. But, if you can't answer the questions above, you could lose out on a highly beneficial opportunity. CMG's experts will help you craft a message for the airwaves using emotion, brand resonance, a clear message, simplicity, and visuals to resonate with customers and stick with them.

Qualities of a Good Commercial

Let's be frank: bad commercials get ignored-and even ridiculed-by consumers. But excellent commercials have the capacity to make them feel and react. Not sure how to make sure your ads fall into the latter? Lucky for you, there's a formula.

Applying Advertising Magic to Your Commercial

Consider all the commercials you've seen this week alone. Which one sticks out to you most? What is it about them that made them do that? You'll probably notice they have a few similarities, like a strong hook, high-quality video and audio, and an engaging narrative. CMG has a few tips on how to add your commercial to the list of memorable ads. Your commercial should utilize:

● Humor

● An emotional pull

● Catchy language

● Personality

● A recurring theme

● A signature element

● A strong and clear offer

Successful commercials don't just promote a product; they draw you into their story. Time and time again, people have been shown to make purchases based more on their emotions than logic, at least to a point. This makes utilizing humor, emotion, and personality crucial in creating advertisements. CMG can help create an ad for your company that capitalizes on positive feelings to generate positive results.

Never Underestimate The Impact of Creative Quality

Your creative messaging is just as crucial as your media buy. After all, no matter how much tech we have at our fingertips, we're still human: we're driven by desire and respond to emotion. If you book a primetime slot and fill it with a lifeless, underbaked creative concept, you might as well set money on fire. However, when you make an upfront effort to connect to your audience and align your messaging across all platforms, your ROI soars:

● Creative accounts for 49% of driving ROI

● Google reports that 70% of a campaign's success is determined by the creative

● The majority of marketers say that creative video content has the highest ROI

Craft a Commercial Customers Won't Be Tempted to Skip

TV marketing has grown remarkably over the last few years; 2024 is no different. It's expected to increase to $137.9 billion this year and won't slow down anytime soon. Why shouldn't your business profit from it, too? But before we create your TV commercial that customers will actually want to pay attention to, there are a few tips to keep in mind when brainstorming.

Maintain your theme

Your brand and values should align with the theme of your ad and stay consistent during air time. If you have the resources, creating a series of ads that work together is a great way to do this.

Consider the subjects

Think about who you're casting. Some of the most well-remembered commercials focus on people interacting or who have striking features.

Keep a clear message

Your commercial should never be confusing. Viewers should be able to follow along without feeling like they're being given too much or not enough information.

Always use a CTA

Tell your audience exactly what you want them to do at the end. Whether calling in, following on social media, or physically coming to your store, there should be some direction for them to follow or offer for them to pursue. Think deeply about what your right to win is and how you can articulate it.

Get a great script

Commercials are about telling a story, so the script should do that efficiently. Pay close attention to the tone, pace, and direction to stay true to the concept.

Highlight unique selling points

A report by The Drum detailed that people see over 100 ads daily. You have to stand out. Tell your audience what makes your company special and why they should choose it over another.

A memorable tagline

Think about all the taglines for businesses you know off the top of your head. Their marketing works wonders. Your commercial should utilize a tagline that sticks.

Is TV Advertising Worth the Investment?

● Three years after campaigns ended, 86% of the campaigns resulted in a profitable return

● Television advertising generates over 70% of all profit derived from any marketing and promotional efforts

● CTV advertising is expected to grow to a $42.4 billion industry by 2027

● 59% of marketers said that they will be increasing their budgets for advanced TV, including data-driven linear TV and addressable TV

● TV short-term advertising saw 62% of all advertising-generated profit, the highest of any media

● In a 2022 survey conducted among marketers in the U.S., 38% of respondents said the achievement of brand awareness and performance marketing goals constituted the primary performance- and pricing-related benefit of CTV and OTT advertising

The Power of Pairing Strategies

When your message is consistent across all platforms, it sticks with customers and increases purchase intent. The easiest and most surefire way to make sure your campaign is getting the most bang for its buck, is by pairing your TV campaign with digital. Pairing them creates a full-funnel strategy that regularly converts the audience into customers. According to data published by Agencia Business Intelligence, advertisers blending TV ads with digital ads have seen a higher return on their investment from online strategies.

Spend some time considering how your business is doing with brand touchpoints - all interactions both online and offline a customer has with your brand. Are you seeing high levels of interaction? Are clicks being converted to purchases? Are customers coming back or are they one time wonders? As customers are naturally drawn to brands that they feel understand their needs, personally align with them, and that provide high quality experiences, having outstanding touchpoints are critical. The Interactive Advertising Bureau published a study showing that purchase intent improves by 90% and brand perception increases by 68% when consumers view consistent messaging.

CMG is the only legacy media company that can successfully aid you in harmonizing the two. We'll look at your brand touchpoints, social media, and PPC (pay-per-click) to see how pairing traditional and digital can best serve your needs.

CMG- The Marketing Partner for Successful Enterprises

CMG is ready to help you create a dazzling TV commercial that will attract new clients, reinterest old ones, and keep them both padding your profits. TV ads are powerful tools when used correctly with concise messages, CTAs, and carefully thought-out details. Share your ideal commercial vision with CMG, and we'll help you realize it.

To take advantage of the best TV marketing strategies, you need the best marketing company: CMG. With decades of experience in traditional marketing and growing expertise in digital, we're uniquely positioned to create TV commercials that make an impact.

Contact CMG when you're ready to take over the primetime slots.