TV Advertising is Key Driver in Word of Mouth for Brands

New research from Thinkbox reveals that TV advertising is the most-effective medium in generating word of mouth (WoM) for brands, responsible for 51 percent of the conversations.

The research—Paid, Owned, Earned: TV's Influence Calculated (POETIC)—was to look at what creates WoM for brands. TV advertising contributed to 51 percent of the conversations, followed by PR/events/brand news, with a very distant 19 percent. Online search, display and affiliate ads accounted for 12 percent, followed by changes to brand products or services, at 9 percent. Print ads drove 4 percent, outdoor ads 2 percent and direct mail 1.5 percent. Cinema advertising had a mere 1 percent and radio just 0.5 percent. This means that in total paid-for advertising is responsible for nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of total WoM about brands offline or online.

Neil Mortensen, research and planning director at Thinkbox, said: “Word of mouth can be marketing magic, but paid advertising’s causal effect is often overlooked with too much emphasis put on what is easily counted or highly visible—where the conversation happens rather than what drove it. This research has revealed for the first time what actually stimulates people’s brand conversations and it is clear that investment in advertising—and especially TV—is key to getting people to talk about your brand positively.”