Advertising through television is one of the most popular forms of advertising for companies. Consumers cannot watch one half hour of TV without being exposed to at least ten minutes of commercials. Even just outside of the usual television advertising through commercials, companies can also place advertisements within programs in a more subtle way. This advertising through television brings with it many advantages as well as presenting many limitations. Advantages of this can also be seen as limitations.

One advantage of television advertising is the ability for greater creativity and impact. Companies can be more creative with their techniques and are able to demonstrate and show off their product or service. Typically the amount of creativity in this media is especially shown off during major events, such as the Super Bowl. Advertisers take the opportunity to set out to create something that will be eye-catching and will make the consumer pay attention. Advertisers have room to be creative and think outside to box Recently many companies have utilized a ‘prank’ like approach to advertise. This is seen through the advertising for the most recent mid-season premiere of the Walking Dead on AMC. 

Another advantage of television advertising is the widespread coverage and cost effectiveness. While the cost of putting together and distributing a commercial is typically quite expensive and can also be a limitation, if the company is attempting to reach a mass-market and widespread audience, this media is more cost effective than creating different advertisements and distributing them everywhere desired.

The Big Bang Theory demands the highest amount of money for a 30-second advertisement at $326,260 (Crupi, 2013). This high cost is justifiable for advertisers based on the shows ratings. On average 19.2 million adults in the 18-49 demographic watch the show (Crupi, 2013).

The cost of television advertising is also seen as a limitation. Not only do advertisers have to pay the high cost to have their commercial placed during a program, but they also need to consider the expenses of creating and producing a quality commercial that will be effective. On average it costs $298,000, a cost that continues to rise with more elaborate commercials (McClellan, 2013).

Selectivity is another factor that can be both an advantage as well as a limitation. Companies can target their audience by displaying their ad on certain television channels such as E! for women, or Sports Center which breaks down the markets. Though this is also a mass media so the companies can be spending all of this money to reach consumers who are not in their target market, making it an ineffective effort.

Belch, G.E., & Belch, M. A. (2001). Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective (5^th ed.). Boston, Mass.: Irwin/McGraw-Hill.

Crupi, Anthony. (13 October 2013). A Pricing Guide to the 2013-2014 Broadcast Season. Ad Week. Retrieved 18 Feb. 2014 from http://www.adweek.com/news/television/big-bang-theory-gets-highest-ad-rates-outside-nfl-153087

McClellan, Steve. (29 January 2013). Costs for TV Spots Rocket 7%. Media Daily News. Retrieved 18 February 2014 from http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/192213/costs-for-tv-spots-rocket-7.html