The advertising industry and television are crossing paths

In the past, the TV and advertising industries have rightly or wrongly turned their noses up at each other; despite the obvious strategic synergies they mutually benefit from. Advertisers and brands need to capitalise on strong entertainment properties and captured TV audiences, and broadcasters need the money that big brands can bring to the table.  

It’s no secret that the TV industry has had a hell of a two years, but the sheer scale of the challenges might not be fully understood by many in the advertising industry. 

However, despite running entirely different business models and producing distinct forms of ‘art’, like every artist, you need a patron; and these industries – now more than ever – need each other.  

It’s no secret that the TV industry has had a hell of a two years, but the sheer scale of the challenges might not be fully understood by many in the advertising industry. According to a BECTU report in 2023 almost half of freelancers in the TV industry were out of work for longer than six months, due to prolonged periods during which broadcasters almost completely ceased commissioning, one of the main reasons being that there was a lack of brands advertising on their channels. 

The sheer scale of the challenges the TV industry faces might not be fully understood by many in the advertising industry. 

In adland, traditional TVC briefs have been few and far between and it’s increasingly clear, as the number of platforms grows and lines are blurred between platform, creator and content, brands are wanting – and feeling the need – to spread their money, time and ideas in many different directions. This not only dilutes budgets and reduces the typical big one-off spend, but means everyone is jumping on any and every opportunity out there in an over saturated and over-serviced market.  

Producers and creatives that think outside the box – with authenticity – are the ones that will succeed in the future. 

In amongst all of this and driving this change, is the audience. Changing and getting smarter all the time, they are not watching traditional TV in the ways they used to. Audiences can consume and connect with shows and brands they like in many different ways via a sea of platforms, content creators and channels; more than anything else, they don’t like to be advertised to. 

So, is there a positive way forward? Are there still opportunities to be had?  

Audiences are not consuming television in the traditional ways that they used to. 

The short answer is yes; but only if both industries are willing to make fundamental changes and look at entirely new ways of working. Producers and creatives that think outside the box – with authenticity – are the ones that will succeed in the future. 

Working in a completely different way that merges these industries in a cross-platform and cross-genre way.  

One of the first steps to doing this is casting aside the traditional snobbery and cynicism the industries greet each other with. Traditional TVCs and TV shows are only two routes in myriad modes of creative execution – there is a whole breadth of content creation and funding models to delve into. 

At Bullion we’ve, working on everything from short, branded style social content for large sports brands and football teams, to editorial and branded documentaries for Channel 4. Others may have looked down at this approach as we’ve not being seen as quite enough of either industry - but our experience in these spaces is becoming increasingly sought after.