Why Search Should Be The Icing On The Cake To Your TV Spend
Putting a certain global pandemic aside and despite its innumerable detractors, television ad spends in Australia were nudging the $4 billion-mark annually before COVID arrived and pummelled the numbers.
Putting that in perspective, linear, free-to-air TV in Australia still pulls about one-in-four of every ad dollars spent.
Despite the competitive and growing fight for eyeballs – primarily from the spiralling number of SVOD players operating in Australia – networks and their agencies have done well in recent times to increase TV’s transparency, improve measurement and have invested heavily in the promise of addressable TV.
If advertisers want reach and volume, a concerted TV campaign on free-to-air arguably still remains the best bang for your marketing buck.
But for Tug Agency’s client service director, Charlie Bacon (pictured above), too often brands overlook the one thing that can turn a TVC’s ROI from good to gold – the Search component.
The Sydney-based agency’s roots lie in Search and use a combination of media, tech and creative to drive better results for clients’ budgets.
Bacon – who has previously had stints as a Buyer & Planner at Omnicom’s PHD and GroupM’s Wavemaker – is a passionate exponent of the value the too often-ignored role Search plays in improving ATL campaigns and TVC’s effectiveness.
For Bacon, a lot of brands are doing paid search, but SEO remains a cheap and effective way to drive organic growth particularly when combined with the shear grunt TV advertising can provide.
“Anyone can spend a tonne of money on paid advertising, in-house, and still not have any real idea what they’re doing,” Bacon tells B&T.
“What we do at Tug is to work with a client’s development team to improve a brand’s visibility through SEO.
“And what you have to remember is that these people are developers, they’re coders and they don’t always look at things the way a customer does,” Bacon reveals.
“You’d think it would be that simple, and don’t get me wrong, a lot of brands do their SEO really well. But you also need to look at what your competitors are doing. What are they doing better than you? We have a lot of tools we use at Tug and the first thing we do is crawl your site and it could be as simple as your ‘about you’ or the products you have. It’s about putting in the most searched terms and making sure those terms are in their sites content.
“It’s also important to see what your domain authority is. That’s where Google gives you a rating out of 100. Or you can just go for cost per click where you simply buy your way to the top of the page.
“I generally think people are getting better at understanding search in the way it effects them and their brands; it’s definitely not as foreign as it was in the day. But again, that’s not to say everyone’s doing it well,” Bacon says.
To that, he adds, SEO’s never been top of mind for many of the big holding company – led media agencies where traditional thinking – TV, billboards and print – remains writ large in their DNA.
“If your SEO is terrible, you’re not even going to get ranked on the first page, so what’s the point of spending huge sums of money on traditional media if the consumer is unable to find you online when they are at a key trigger point?” Bacon asks.
“You can pour your entire budget into a six-week campaign, but will anyone remember you after it’s finished? Sure, you’ll build brand awareness really quickly, but people also forget really quickly, too. People forget ads because they’re constantly bombarded by ads.”
Bacon adds that what the better media companies are good at doing is using data to discover exactly when a customer is watching and shopping. “It’s about finding when people are most receptive to your message and, yes, that takes a lot of work and I think a lot of agencies just aren’t prepared to put the effort in.”
And then you’ve got the whole search thing on top of that, Bacon adds and “I just think clients aren’t buying into Search as an extension of their other channels because they’re just not aware of the importance of it.”
“Some brands are on-air all year round and that gives you enormous data and metrics. That means their leads are at an all-time high and they’ve never had more brand awareness before and they’re ranking very well.
“Again, if you’re not on the first page (of a Google search) then what’s the point?” he says.
“This is particularly true for new entry brands; they’re going to have to do a lot of heavy lifting to get the same recognition as their well-credentialed competitors.”
Another problem, Bacon adds, is that agencies like to specialise and, too often, only pedal that one speciality.
“As an example, a search agency only wants to do search or they only do traditional media and they just push that agenda,” Bacon reveals.
“Some of the bigger shops, yes, they do the job, but I just don’t think they still understand how strong search is, it takes a back seat. The bigger the brands, they tend to be the ones who have all their bases covered.
“But where there’s a disconnect is when TV is doing well for awareness, you need to be visible online as a consumer enters the consideration phase of a purchase decision. People just don’t see it as a full-circle thing,” he says.
Latest News
Tastemade Launches “Tastemade Me Do It” On Snapchat
Tastemade, launched the Snap Mini “Tastemade Me Do It” – a bite-sized, third-party experience that lives in Snapchat and does not require extra installation. With “Tastemade Me Do It,” Snapchatters can test their at-home cooking and DIY skills with weekly challenges, and can answer polls about their taste preferences to earn personalised stickers that they […]
Deakin University Releases ‘Opportunity’ Campaign, Via TBWA Melbourne
Why not discover the "new you" with a uni course? Which alternatively could discover the "lazy and disinterested" you.
10 Announces Third Season Of Pilot Week To Boost Aussie Programming
Network 10 announces the third season of Pilot Week. Rove being actively encouraged not to bother again this year.
Five Ways To Build Culture In A Hybrid Workplace
This ticks the three boxes - culture, hybrid and workplace. What it doesn't tick is the "mysterious odour" box.
Sugary Drink Ad Spend Reaches $129.5M In Australia
You'll read this sugary drink ad spend article through gritted teeth. Or no teeth if you're partaking in sugary drinks.
ABC iView Unveils Brand Campaign Led By Puppet Pals
Finally, someone's answered B&T's call for more puppets in ads. We's also like to see more fake doctors & fake pilots.
“# I Gay Ass!” X-Rated Hashtag Ruins Supermarket’s Chocolate Box Giveaway
Here's top tips on how not to do a social media campaign. Or, how to, judging by the press it's getting.
Battle Of The Bulge: Ad For Men’s Lingerie Banned From TV And Social Media
Tired of your partner wearing your lady undergarments? Well, there's mixed news on the men's lingerie front today.
WPP’s Dan Forman Joins Stink Group As COO
Global creative network the Stink Group has appointed Dan Forman as its new chief operating officer. In the position, Forman will drive global growth and commercial strategy across Stink Films and Stink Studios, with the objective of expanding both companies’ offerings to more global clients. Forman, who leaves WPP, will work closely with leads across […]
Altman Solon Acquires Venture Consulting
Telecommunications, Media, and Technology (TMT) strategy consulting firm Altman Solon today announces its acquisition of Venture Consulting, the largest TMT specialist consulting firm in Australia and New Zealand. Venture Consulting will start operating as part of Altman Solon in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) today under the leadership of two of the region’s most experienced and well-respected […]
Ancestry Encourages People To Investigate Their Family Tree In New Work From Saatchi & Saatchi
Searching one's family tree can throw-up some real surprises. Particularly anyone German in the late 1930s, early 40s.
Commonwealth Bank And Quantium Launch New Joint Venture CommBank iQ
Commonwealth Bank and Quantium unveil a new JV. B&T's unsure if it comes with a money box or the Lions Christmas cake.
Sunday TV Wrap: Lego Masters Continues To Dominate Sundays
As anyone who's ever trodden on a piece would attest, Lego Masters is much easier on the eye than it is on the feet.
DDB Sydney Unveils Latest Work For Volkswagen’s Amarok Ute
As you'll see here, when it comes to gender, diversity and inclusion, the ute companies are valiantly holding out.
opr Announces A Raft Of New Promotions
Some extra chest puffing over at opr at the moment after it appears everybody at the agency just got promoted.
Dentsu Qld Strengthens Executive Team With The Appointment Of Wavemaker’s Emily Cook
Look, it's rare news out of Queensland that hasn't required B&T to triple check the spelling of Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Sara Lappage Promoted To COO Customer At QMS Media
QMS Media has promoted current senior executive and CMO Sara Lappage to chief operating officer – customer, as the business looks to streamline processes and communication, it said. The new role will see Lappage oversee the sales, strategy, and marketing functions, enabling complete alignment across the business as QMS further expands its digital offering and […]
James Greet Joins Ben Lilley’s HERO As Chief Operating Officer
On the back of 12 months of sustained growth from a string of agency acquisitions and new business wins including Toyota, Maybelline New York and eBay, HERO has appointed industry luminary James Greet to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer. HERO was launched by Ben Lilley in 2020 after a rapid succession of […]
Empathy Drives Innovation For Online Florist LVLY
National online flower business, LVLY, is leading the way with a thoughtful marketing movement designed to put customers first by allowing them to opt-out from potentially sensitive marketing messages around big calendar events.
Basketballer Liz Cambage Calls Out Australian Olympic Committee For Whitewashed Photoshoots
Liz Cambage, Australian basketball star, has taken to social media to criticise a lack of racial diversity in recent Australian Olympic Committee photoshoots, indicating she may boycott the Tokyo games. Cambage is a member of the Australian Opals basketball team, and has played in a number of elite leagues including the WNBL, where she played […]
Massachusetts Sues Publicis Health For Role In Opioid Epidemic
Massachusetts state attorney Maura Healey has sued Publicis Health, a subsidiary of Publicis Groupe SA, over allegations of deceptive marketing. Healey argued that Publicis Health used unfair, deceptive marketing tactics to sell a powerful, addictive prescription painkiller called OxyContin on behalf of Purdue Pharma. According to the suit, “dangerous opioid drugs continue to kill hundreds […]
Strategic Insights Agency Nature Takes Four Gongs At Research Society Awards
B&T’s Research Agency Of The Year, strategic insights consultancy Nature, was a big winner at the Research Society Awards last night, taking home four prestigious honours. Nature won the Research Effectiveness Award for Technology and Innovation for its work for Don KRC; Managing Partner Chris Crook (main photo) was accepted into the Research Society’s Fellowship; […]
Special Group Named Global Creative & Independent Agency of the Year
Australasia’s leading independent creative company, Special Group, has been named the world’s best Creative and Independent Agency of the Year by one of the world’s most prestigious advertising titles – the United Kingdom’s Campaign. Special Group – which has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Los Angeles – was named Global Agency of the Year […]
Where Talented Meets Nice: Meet The Humans Of DDB
Where Talented Meets Nice: The Humans of DDB
Clemenger BBDO Sydney, Saatchi & Saatchi And Thinkerbell Awarded In Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards
The winners of Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards have just been announced, honoring the businesses, policies, projects, and concepts that are actively engaged and deeply committed to pursuing innovation when it comes to solving health and climate crises, social injustice, or economic inequality. Losing Lena by Clemenger BBDO Sydney was a finalist in […]
Twitter Encourages Users To Think Before They Offend With New Prompt
Twitter seems to be trying to eliminate the sole reason anyone bothers reading Twitter - the offensive comments section.
Steve Smith And Wife Dani Willis Sign On As Cashrewards Official Brand Ambassadors
It appears a certain little episode with a certain bit of sandpaper is all forgotten as Smithy back in the good books.
Wild Rift Gamers Brought Together In Comical Ads By Riot Games And electriclimefilms
electriclimefilms Dubai and Riot Games team up to tell gamers they can play Wild Rift matches anytime and anywhere.
Aussie New Car Sales Hit Record Numbers In April
The threat of a grisly death aside, there's no doubting this COVID bug has proven a boon for retailers' cash registers.
Lights, Camera, Lions! All The Pics From The 2021 Snapchat Cannes Young Lions Ceremony
Adland's future was on display at yesterday's Young Lions. Sadly, the B&T's editor's plumbers crack was also on display.
