For many years TV advertising has struggled to present convincing arguments about its effectiveness. Whilst it has been possible to show the linkage between TV activity and advertising awareness, it has been far more difficult to identify and statistically explain a causal relationship between TV advertising and sales.

What’s missing is the numerical stepping stone that forms a quantifiable link between TV advertising and sales response. If such a measure were in place, it would become easier to create and cross the “bridge” between TV advertising and attributable sales - and to build compelling arguments for TV advertising in the Digital Age.

Search traffic data may now be providing this bridge. There is increasing and compelling evidence that TV advertising drives search traffic and that the linkages are highly quantifiable. For example, the AA have teamed up with Hitwise and i-Level to contribute the ‘Hitwise UK Media Impact Report‘. This report contains two case studies, from the AA and Sky, which build on the TV advertising to Search traffic argument.

The effect of TV advertising on search metrics may be as deep as it is potentially broad; There is evidence that TV advertising affects conversion metrics within search activity. When these effects are quantified they can produce dramatic ROI results. For example, if TV advertising increases a) search volumes b) conversion rates from click to bona fide lead c) conversion to sale and d) sales value, then the argument for TV advertising becomes extremely compelling. In fact, the sorts of uplifts that are being reported against these deeper metrics are at the levels that can make a TV campaign potentially self-funding.

Whilst many in the marketing community discuss ‘either or’ arguments about TV advertising and search marketing, they may be more amply rewarded if they move to a synchronisation point of view. TV advertising and search marketing may be so closely linked that we embark on a new era of TV effectiveness.