When we think of summer, we envision outdoor activities and traveling. It’s no wonder that advertisers often assume it’s a good idea to reduce or even pause their TV advertising campaigns during this time. However, new research challenges this notion and reveals the importance of staying on air during the summer months to increase share of voice. Brands that pull back on TV advertising campaigns miss out on a unique opportunity to garner more share of voice in the market without increasing investment.
Summer Viewing Creates Strong Opportunity for Advertisers That Stay On Air
Contrary to popular belief, viewership during the summer months remains fairly consistent. During the summer of 2023, there was only a 3% decline in time spent per day with traditional TV and streaming compared to the other seasons.1 Despite this, approximately 8% of advertisers go dark during the summer, resulting in a drop in advertisers on air.2 Brands that cut back on advertising are missing out on potential engagement when viewers are still actively watching TV.
Sales Remain Consistent in the Summer Across Many Key Categories
Summer is not only a time for consumers to enjoy the sunshine, but it’s also a period of consistent sales across various industries. Data shows that in categories such as general contractors, restaurants, power sports, auto, and furniture, summer revenue contributes as much as other quarters of the year.3 This insight highlights the opportunity for advertisers to tap into the summer market and connect with potential customers who are ready to spend.
Multiscreen Share of Voice Increases for Advertisers That Stay on Air
Share of voice represents the share of advertising a brand has compared to others in the category and market. At lower levels of competitive advertising, recall of advertising messages increases – a clear advantage for brands that stay on air consistently. Furthermore, market share for advertising brands accelerates when competitors stop advertising, and market share of any brand declines rapidly when it stops advertising.4
Advertisers that maintained their presence on air during the summer of 2023 saw a +13% increase in their multiscreen share of voice compared to other times of the year.5 This presents a tremendous opportunity to stand out and leave a lasting impression.
Let’s look at a specific case study from a client in the health and wellness space:
Case Study: Finance Client in Chicago Showcases Advantages Across Categories
A compelling case study from the financial services category in Chicago demonstrates the benefits of staying on air during the summer. In the summer of 2023, there were 74% fewer financial services advertisers on air in Chicago. Advertiser A, who maintained consistent advertising during this time, gained an impressive +6 percentage points in share, while Advertiser B, who went dark in July and August, lost 5% share of voice over the summer.6 This example emphasizes the advantage of maintaining a consistent advertising presence even when competitors pull back.
Increasing share of voice within a specific category allows advertisers to gain an edge over their competition. When viewers are more likely to see an advertiser’s message compared to their competitors, brand recall and customer engagement are naturally likely to increase. Notably, there were significant increases in category share of voice for advertisers who stayed on air while advertiser count dropped during the summer months.5 This further reinforces the importance of maintaining a presence during this season.
Increased Multiscreen Reach
Beyond share of voice, advertisers have the opportunity to continuously build reach by staying on air throughout the year. Research shows that advertisers gain +6% multiscreen reach and a 1.1 increase in multiscreen frequency every month after the first 30 days of their campaign.7
By maintaining a consistent advertising strategy, brands can extend their reach and frequency, ensuring their message reaches a broader audience consistently. As summer arrives, advertisers should seize the opportunity to maintain or even increase their TV advertising presence.
Contact us for more information on how you can start advertising with Effectv.
Sources:
Note: Share of Voice based on advertiser impressions out of total market impressions. Category share of voice based on advertiser impressions out of total market and category impressions.
1. Samba ACR Data, Total HH, Before summer = Mar – May 2023, Summer = Jun-Aug 2023, After Summer = Sep-Nov 2023.
2. Comcast Aggregated Viewership and Ad Exposure Data from TV + Effectv Streaming campaigns. Percentage of on-air advertisers Mar-May that dropped advertising June-August 2023, Total HH, n=22,764
3. “Estimates of Monthly Retail and Food Services Sales by Kind of Business: 2023”, Monthly Retail Trade Survey, U.S. Census Bureau, Mar 2024.
4. De Canha, N., Ewing, M., Tamaddoni, Al. “The Impact of Advertising On Market Share: Controlling for Clutter, Familiarity, and Goodwill Decay.” Journal of Advertising Research, March 2020.
5. Comcast Aggregated Viewership Data from TV + Effectv Streaming campaigns, FY 2023, Total HH, n=8,438.
6. Comcast Aggregated Viewership Data combined with Ad Exposure Data from TV + Effectv Streaming Campaigns, Chicago DMA, 2023, n=2, Summer= June – August. Non-Summer=Jan – May & Sep – Dec.
7. Comcast Aggregated Viewership Data combined with Ad Exposure Data from TV + Effectv Streaming campaigns (Jan-Dec 2023). Total HHs, n=101.
