System1 and ITV Research Reveals Key to New-to-TV Advertising Success

TV advertising remains uniquely powerful for reach, attention and long-term business impact, and ads by new-to-TV businesses are getting better and more effective, new research from System1 and ITV has found.

Break Through, a new report into how ‘new-to-TV’ businesses can most effectively take advantage of TV advertising, analysed 500 adverts from 169 businesses that had advertised on ITV. All the ads aired between 2020 and 2024, and none of the businesses had advertised on TV in the preceding 20 years.

The research used System1’s Test Your Ad metrics to look at how these ads performed creatively, including the emotional response to these ads, and how the effectiveness metrics evolved over three years.

The research found that:

1) New-to-TV ads are becoming more effective: In 2020, research by System1 and Tom Roach showed that new-to-TV business ads rated ‘Low’ on key metrics, including a 1.7 Star Rating. Fast forward to 2024, and these ads now achieve 'Modest' ratings across all metrics, with an average Star Rating of 2.4 - the same as the UK average.

2) Consistency boosts results: Businesses new to TV who continue to advertise see consistent improvement. After three years, average Star Ratings rise from 2.3 in the first year, to 2.4 in the second, and 2.6 by year three - surpassing the UK average.

3) Patience pays off: While new-to-TV brands may initially trail the TV average in short-term sales potential (Spike Rating) and brand recognition (Fluency Rating), perseverance and consistency leads to increased brand awareness, stronger distinctive assets and increased business potential.

The report also looks at the two other areas that are critical for maximising the effectiveness of TV advertising:

1. Media planning: Knowing how to make the most of your media budget

2. Measurement: knowing where and how to look for TV's impact and what kind of benchmarks new to TV brands should expect to see from their first campaigns.

Best-in-class examples from new-to-TV brands featured in the report include:

1. Child’s Farm - Childs Farm. Suitable for sensitive skin. Available now at Asda. Mother & Baby Awards Gold.  - 5.7 Star Rating (exceptional), 1.46 Spike Rating (exceptional), 85% Fluency (good)

2. Shaken Udder - Do What Makes You Happy  - 4.2 Star Rating (strong), 1.25 Spike Rating (strong), 51% Fluency (low)

3. Butternut Box - Fetch 15% off a fresh take on dog food - 3.9 Star Rating (good), 1.25 Spike Rating (strong), 82% Fluency (modest)

Kate Waters, director of client strategy and commercial marketing, ITV said, “TV is unrivalled in connecting brands with audiences, driving both short term ‘performance’ and building sustained effects over the longer term, but it’s not always easy to get right first time. Through emotionally engaging creative, effective planning and proper measurement, brands which haven’t advertised before on TV can maximise their chance of success right from the start.”

 Jon Evans, chief customer officer, System1 said, “TV can attract over 90% of the adult population of the UK every week and engages audiences emotionally in a way that no other channel can rival. This new research demonstrates how even brands who haven’t advertised before can, if they get their creative right, be launched into popular culture and see their profitability over the long-term grow.”

Find the full report available here.