1.TV as Ad Media

:: Advantages

There are several benefits TV has as advertising media. They are the reason why national advertisers prefer TV commercials to promote their products and services.

• High coverage, reach, and repetition: The first thing is based on TV's power as a communication channel. "TV has the highest daily and weekly reach of any medium" (The Commercial Factory). TV can reach more than 98 percent of all households in the US, who consist of diverse demographic segments. Thus, TV provides advertisers with a chance to maximize the exposure of advertised products and service.
• Creative opportunities: TV sends a message using sight, sound, and motion. By providing clear visual image and enhanced sound effects, TV can increase its creative opportunities by showing the product instantly and dynamically.
• Cost-effective medium: For advertisers who need to sell their products and service to broadly defined mass market, TV is the best media because it offers a cost-effective way to reach a lot of target audience. That's why 'big' advertisers such as Procter&Gamble and AT&T spend much money on creating TV commercials.

:: Disadvantages

• High absolute cost: "While the cost per contract of TV advertising is the best of all media, the absolute cost may the worst. The average cost of airtime for a single 30-second TV spot during prime time is just over $100,000, and the average cost of producing a 30-second TV spot is around $200,000"(O'Guinn (et al.), 2000, p.492). This high cost blocks many small companies to participate into the TV advertising industry.
• Poor audience attitude and attentiveness: Because of TV's fleeting message and likelihood of wasted coverage, TV has people outside the market among the audience. Moreover, consumers have bemoaned the intrusive nature of TV commercials

2. Kinds of TV Ad

TV commercials are usually categorized by running time: 30-second and 15-second spot. Another category, comparably newly developed, is infomercial, which indicates TV commercial with long running time and informative message.

• 30-second spot: The most popular TV spot, which airs for 30 second.
• 15-second spot: 'Splitting 30s' developed to reduce costs.
• Infomercial: program-length (30-minutes) advertisement that take an educational approach to communicate with potential consumers. Today more than 90 percent of all TV stations air infomercials, and more than 25 percent of all consumers have purchased a product as a result of seeing an infomercial.