Television Advertising Pros and Cons

Con: TV Is a Mass Medium, Not a Targeted One

As we discussed before, TV is a good medium for reaching broadly defined audience groups. If your business wants to deliver targeted advertising to very specific audiences, however, you've got your work cut out for you.

One challenge, of course, is the fact that even niche cable TV channels still appeal to relatively broad audiences: stay-at-home moms, for example, or retirees. Also keep in mind, however, that TV advertisers have a hard time knowing exactly who sees their ads at any given time. This lack of feedback gave rise to the old adage that half of all advertising works but nobody knows which half!

This doesn't mean TV advertising is completely ineffective; it has its time and place. But if your business wants to reach very specific audience groups or access detailed analytical feedback, consider using online advertising instead.