New Study from Effectv and MediaScience Reveals Campaigns that Include Both TV and Digital Drive Consistently Stronger Results Than Digital Alone

In the study, viewers spent 3x more time with ads, had 2x better recall, and drove a 15% lift in purchase intent when exposed to TV and digital versus digital alone.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, released a new study conducted with MediaScience, “Digital Loves TV”, that evaluates brand metrics and advertising perceptions for digital-only campaigns versus campaigns that include both digital and TV components. The research found that advertising campaigns are more effective with the inclusion of TV than campaigns that are digital-only.

To conduct the study, Effectv and MediaScience developed a panel of adults, who were shown ads on YouTube only, Facebook only, YouTube and TV, and Facebook and TV. The participants were shown a mix of known and unknown (fictitious) brands in several viewing environments, and then their responses were measured with neurometrics, facial coding, eye tracking, and survey questions.

When shown ads in both TV and digital environments, the study found that:

• Viewers spent 3X more time with ads on TV and digital compared to digital alone
• Their brand recall more than doubled when a digital ad was accompanied by a TV ad for the same brand
• There was a 15% lift in purchase intent when ads aired on TV plus digital compared to digital alone

“This study demonstrates TV advertising’s impact on consumer awareness of and attitude toward both established and lesser-known brands,” said John Brauer, Executive Director of Data, Insights and Innovation, Effectv. “TV is a trusted source of information, and pairing TV with digital video more effectively builds brand strength than digital alone.”

"This is a landmark study that benefits, in particular, from the inclusion of fictitious brands,” said Duane Varan, CEO of MediaScience. "In this way, prior exposure is properly controlled for, helping better moderate brand familiarity effects.”

The study also examined how exposure to TV ads impacted participants’ perception of the brand’s digital ads. When a digital ad was preceded by a TV ad, the researchers observed a 12% lift in brand attitude, suggesting that TV provides a halo effect for digital ads. Additionally, digital ads were perceived to be less intrusive and less “annoying” after TV exposure.

By showing a mix of known and unknown brands, the study was also able to determine TV’s impact on companies at different stages of awareness. The results showed that TV helps consumers connect to all brands, but the lift in key metrics is greater for unknown brands. Participants stated that seeing a brand on TV, even if unknown, “legitimized” the company for them, whereas there was skepticism for unknown brands they only saw on digital channels.

Finally, the results showed that by adding TV to the digital video environments tested (YouTube and Facebook), advertisers could significantly improve brand performance, due to lower attention in those digital environments. In the study, 94% of viewers watched the TV ads compared to 78% in the digital environment.

“It can be difficult for advertisers to know how and where to put their advertising dollars, especially during these challenging times where budgets may have been cut,” added Brauer. “This report shows that TV advertising is an essential piece of the puzzle, dramatically improving results, complementing digital channels and making advertising dollars work harder.”

To read the full report, which is the second in a three-part series called The Halo Effect, click here. You can also visit www.effectv.com/insights to check out additional resources such as a video on the study.

About Effectv

Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, helps local, regional and national advertisers use the best of digital with the power of TV to grow their business. It provides multi-screen marketing solutions to make advertising campaigns more effective and easier to execute. Headquartered in New York with offices throughout the country, Effectv has a presence in 66 markets with nearly 35 million owned and represented subscribers. For more information, visit www.effectv.com.

About MediaScience

MediaScience is the leading provider of lab-based audience research, incorporating a range of technology and tools to measure human emotion directly, through neurometrics, facial expression analysis, eye tracking, EEG, and more. With state-of-the-art labs in New York, Chicago, and Austin - MediaScience is discovering key insights in advertising, emerging digital technology, media, and consumer trends.