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We welcome Andrew Tindall from System1 to our Marketing Expert’s Corner to discuss the effectiveness of TV Advertising. Andrew analyses and provides insights for some of the world’s best Ads and offers meaningful data for agencies and brands to assess the emotional impact of their Ads.

Thanks for joining us Andrew.

1. Marketers are aware of the long-term brand-building benefits of TV Advertising but how would you convince an SME who cannot afford to wait for a return on investment to take the leap into TV?

The idea that TV is only for brands with deep pockets and patience is one of the biggest misconceptions in marketing. The truth is, TV does not have to be a long-term gamble for SMEs. While the long-term brand-building benefits are undeniable, TV can also deliver short-term impact when done right.

Firstly, TV has an unfair advantage in reach, credibility, and emotional impact. It is the most trusted advertising channel, and studies consistently show that campaigns featuring strong emotional storytelling generate greater short-term and long-term sales.

Secondly, creative matters more than budget. A brilliantly crafted, emotionally engaging ad can outperform higher-spending competitors. System1’s research proves that ads with strong emotional responses drive both immediate sales and long-term brand growth, making TV an efficient choice for SMEs when they focus on quality, not just spend.

Finally, TV is more accessible than ever. With connected TV and addressable advertising, SMEs can target their most valuable customers with precision, without needing a national budget. It is about playing smart, not just playing big.

If you don’t believe me, read Profit Ability 2.0 from ThinkBox and EssenceMediacom. TV has huge proven short term ROI.

2. Viewers are becoming increasingly suspicious of ‘branded content’, how does TV Advertising overcome this perception?

No, they aren’t! If anything we are seeing more and more of it. Audiences are smart. They know that good content needs funding, just look at everyone’s that’s opted for ad tiers on Netflix and Prime! when they are being sold to, and they are becoming more selective about what they engage with. The trick is not to hide the brand, but to earn attention by being entertaining, emotional, and memorable.

Marketers will quickly see if the quality of what they are putting out is high enough, if the content is entertaining enough – they can get away with murder. It’s a value exchange. Give away valuable content and reap the branded rewards.

3. System1 measures the emotional impact of an Ad. How does the platform do that and what meaningful data can you offer clients?

System1’s approach is rooted in behavioural science and human emotion. Our platform measures an ad’s effectiveness by testing how people actually feel when they watch it, rather than relying on post-rationalised opinions.

We test ads with real audiences and measure emotional intensity and the type of emotions they evoke. The stronger and more positive the response, the greater the likelihood the ad will drive brand growth.

Our Star Rating predicts long-term brand-building potential based on emotional response, while our Spike Rating forecasts short-term sales impact. We also use Fluency, which measures how quickly an ad is linked to the brand.

For clients, this means they can pre-test creative before launch, compare performance against competitors, and identify whether an ad needs adjustments to maximize its effectiveness. Instead of relying on vanity metrics like clicks or impressions, we show how likely an ad is to create real business impact.

Pre-testing is an old word – creative measurement helps marketers understand creatives’ role within the media mix. Before, during or after it’s use.

4. Can you give us an example of a B2B organisation that has had success with TV Advertising?

There is a myth that B2B advertising has to be dull or hyper-rational. Some of the most effective B2B campaigns borrow from B2C creativity to engage decision-makers emotionally.

A great example is Sage, the accounting software brand. They embraced emotional storytelling in their TV campaigns by focusing on the struggles and triumphs of small business owners, rather than just listing software features.

Instead of making an ad about software, they made an ad about what the software enables. By leaning into emotional connection and using TV to build credibility and familiarity, they unlocked growth.

B2B decision-makers are still people. They respond to the same emotional triggers that make great consumer advertising work. TV can be a huge asset for B2B brands when they remember they are talking to humans, not just job titles.

https://testyourad.system1group.com/report/6684dabf-8aea-467b-8a2a-b861181a4190

5. How can you use social media to elevate the effectiveness of a TV Ads once it has been launched?

Use your TV campaigns, with their long luxurious high-attention buys to build fluency, familiarity and processing ease. Then use other lower active attention media channels to refresh these networks and extend the campaigns reach, frequency and ad stock. This will allow you to extend the life of your campaign and wait for your buyers to come into market.

6. What exciting updates can we expect to see from System1 over the next year or so?

We are reconnecting media and creative for effectiveness. We have more new research showing how channels work to create immediate and lasting effects, and how emotion maximises both. With world leading creative guidance for marketers to make the most of their media spend. That’s across TV, digital, OOH and audio. We have even relaunched our innovation testing offering, to help marketers across the entire marketing process. Watch this space.

Andrew publishes lots more insights on some of the world’s best Ads on LinkedIn and their emotional impact on audiences. Connect with him here.