TV Advertising

TV advertising is the main form of television marketing today. When televisions became the norm in the 1940's it was only natural that TV advertising would replace the radio ads that had come to be the main form of advertising. TV advertising started with one commercial in the year 1941 that cost $10.00. Today, TV advertising costs as much as 2 million dollars for a thirty second spot during the Super Bowl.

TV advertising appeals to a general market. The trick is in learning who your target audience is and creating TV advertising that will speak to that specific audience. For instance, many household and cleaning commercials air during the day, between soap operas and talk shows because the target audience, moms at home, are watching.
Many car commercials come on during the prime time shows when Dads and Moms are most likely to be watching television together. On Saturday mornings, in between kid's cartoons you will find lots of commercials geared towards sugar cereals, candy, and anything pertaining to kids.

Another area of TV advertising is the Infomercial. The Infomercial is a combination of the word information and commercial. An Infomercial lasts much longer than a commercial and they typically run for as long as a show- either 30 or 60 minutes long. Infomercials are forms of direct marketing. They know who their audience is and target them directly. A celebrity represents many products sold by means of Infomercials. This helps the target audience feel more comfortable with the product and helps them to "trust" the product that is being sold. Many people prefer Infomercials because there is greater information about a product given, and the viewer has the opportunity to hear real testimonials, from both regular people and celebrities alike. Infomercials debuted in the 1980's and they have been gaining audiences ever since. Most infomercials air during non-peak hours, such as early in the morning, or very late at night.