Twitter & TV Advertising – A Match Made In Heaven

Recent research from Twitter has explored the correlation between how viewers react on an emotional level to TV shows on the social media platform and brand affinity, ad recall and purchase intent.

Twitter developed the research, in partnership with Canvs and Starcom, in a bid to showcase the value of its platform to brands and agencies.

With Google and Facebook more concerned with attacking TV as an advertising medium it’s an interesting move from Twitter, as it places itself firmly alongside TV.

It also follows nicely on from a Nielsen study which effectively demonstrated that TV advertising results in positive exposure for brands on Twitter, demonstrating that the platform can elongate the effectiveness of an advert on TV.

The Twitter Study

The latest research conducted by Twitter itself, focused on a sample study of 3,546 Twitter users and non-twitter users, with both groups watching the same episode of TV.

The study revealed some incredibly interesting ideas surrounding the close connection between TV and Twitter, as well as building upon the notion that emotionally charged TV shows makes audiences more receptive to adverts.

Among the most important findings, the Twitter study revealed that when people tweeted emotional reactions to a TV show they are 48% more likely to recall an advert as compared to those who watched a more mundane show.

 “This research shows that audiences who are emotionally invested in a TV show are more responsive to both TV advertising and corresponding Twitter advertising—finally dismissing the nagging notion of the distracted social viewer.”

“Social and emotional TV data combined help illustrate the value of emotional engagement for brands beyond a single impression on either screen. This can be done with Twitter TV targeting, which lets brands build cross-screen frequency with people who are engaging with shows on Twitter.”- Kate Sirkin, Global Head of Audience Measurement at Publicis Media

Intriguingly, the research found that people using Twitter whilst the show aired were 62% more likely to recall the advertisements than those who were not. A critical statistic that demonstrates the value of the study.

The question that remains is whether this recall had a positive effect on ROI for the advertisers and Twitter’s research seems to comprehensively answer this query. Indeed, the study concluded that 61% of those who reacted emotionally to the show on Twitter said they were likely to make a purchase based on the adverts in future.

What Does This Mean For TV Advertisers?

The study is highly interesting. For TV advertisers it means that when advertising a product aimed at a similar audience to Twitter’s own, it would be useful to place it during an emotionally charged show to help elongate the effect of the ad and drive an improved ROI.

The research once again helps to demonstrate the symbiosis between social media and TV advertising. In that one complements the other, even if Google are still trying to convince the world that YouTube is more effective than TV.

Maybe it’s time for Google to take a look at Twitter’s example. After all, research shows TV is still the most effective medium for advertisers.

 Need help with a TV advertising campaign? Why not get in contact with The Living Room today for friendly, expert advice.