Effectiveness and Efficiency of TV's Brand-Building Power: A Historical Review

ABSTRACT

This article examines the effectiveness of television advertising and changes in television-audience response in the United States since the 1980s. It concludes that television remains one of the most effective platforms for advertising, despite the rise of digital media and new technological developments. On a single, quality exposure basis, television advertising continues to be highly effective, although the rate of delivery of advertising selling power per gross rating point (GRP) has declined, but the decline is mitigated by the increasing number of households in the United States. Television advertising remains effective despite the potential increase in distracted viewing, but advertisers need to manage the quality of their messages and the media weight of their advertising more carefully than in the past. The persuasion rating point (PRP) offers an accurate measure of that effectiveness.