Frequently Asked questions

This is always number one. Most people assume it’s £50k–£100k minimum, and that’s before creative production. In reality, we regularly run meaningful campaigns from £10k, with creative starting from around £5k. TV is no longer reserved for huge brands with huge budgets.

This is about permission, not money. And yes – small businesses can, and do, advertise on TV. In fact, appearing on TV instantly creates a powerful perception of credibility that often lifts response and sales.

We look at what’s needed to genuinely move the needle. There’s no point spending too little if it won’t impact your KPIs. For example: • A national UK campaign would struggle to be effective on £10k • But a targeted, postcode-led campaign can generate very meaningful results It’s about matching budget to ambition.

Yes – arguably more than ever. TV has changed, not disappeared. In 2026, “TV advertising” now includes: • Broadcast TV • On-demand platforms (ITVX, Channel 4, Sky, Amazon, etc.) • Addressable TV (like Sky AdSmart) • So you get the trust and impact of traditional TV, combined with the targeting and measurement people expect from digital. TV is still the most powerful way to: • Build brand credibility quickly • Reach people in a high-attention environment • Stand out from the noise of social media What’s changed is efficiency. Campaigns can now be: • Highly targeted • Launched with smaller budgets • Clearly measured through web traffic, search uplift and sales Digital ads interrupt people. TV ads are chosen viewing. That difference matters. Brands still use Meta and Google to capture demand. They use TV to create demand. In 2026, the smartest campaigns don’t choose one or the other. They combine both.

Linear TV is traditional, scheduled television. It’s what TV was for decades: • Programmes are broadcast at set times • Everyone watches the same content at the same time • You tune in rather than choose on demand Examples: • ITV live • BBC live • Channel 4 live • Sky channels From an advertising point of view, linear TV is: • Programme-led • Mass reach • High impact • Brilliant for brand building It’s still hugely important because: • It delivers scale fast • It creates shared viewing moments • It carries enormous trust In simple terms: Linear TV = “This programme is on now” On-demand TV = “Watch what you want, when you want” Modern campaigns don’t replace linear TV. They use it alongside on-demand and addressable TV to cover every type of viewing.

Sky AdSmart is fully addressable TV. It’s the most “digital” form of TV advertising. Instead of choosing programmes or channels, you choose households. Your ad is only shown to homes that match your criteria, such as: • Location • Household income • Presence of children • Car ownership • Interest categories • In-market behaviour Two people watching the same programme can see completely different ads. So in simple terms: • ITV (Live TV) = Programme-led • ITVX = Person-led • Sky AdSmart = Household-led That’s what makes AdSmart so powerful: • No wasted spend • Perfect for smaller budgets • Ideal for local or niche businesses • Extremely measurable It brings Meta-style targeting onto the biggest screen in the house, with the trust and impact that only TV delivers. If ITVX is “digital TV with scale." AdSmart is “precision TV with authority".

ITVX sits in the middle of both worlds. It has the trust and scale of ITV, but the targeting and measurement of digital. When someone watches ITV live, your ad is broadcast to everyone watching that programme. When someone watches on ITVX, your ad is served based on who they are. So ITVX lets you: • Target by age, location, interests and viewing behaviour • Run smaller, more efficient campaigns • Measure performance more clearly In simple terms: • ITV (Live TV) = Programme-led • ITVX = Person-led • ITV as a whole = Both working together It’s why ITV is now one of the most powerful advertising platforms in the UK: • Broadcast TV for fame and credibility • ITVX for targeting and efficiency You’re not choosing between “old TV” and “new TV”. You’re using both, through the same broadcaster.

DRTV stands for Direct Response Television. It’s TV advertising designed to make people act immediately, not just remember your brand. Instead of “building awareness”, DRTV asks the viewer to do something right now: • Visit a website • Search for your brand • Call a number • Claim an offer • Buy a product You’ll recognise DRTV because it usually includes: • A strong call to action • A clear offer • A website, phone number or QR code • A sense of urgency For example: “Visit our website today” “Search for…” “Order before midnight” It’s highly measurable because you can track: • Website spikes after ads • Call volume • Search uplift • Sales attribution So in simple terms: • Brand TV builds trust and recognition over time • DRTV drives immediate response and sales Modern campaigns often blend both: • Brand TV to build credibility • DRTV to generate fast, trackable results For businesses new to TV, DRTV is often the easiest and most reassuring place to start because you can see the impact quickly.

Connected TV (often shortened to CTV) simply means any television that is connected to the internet. So instead of only watching live broadcast channels, viewers can also watch: • ITVX • Channel 4 • Sky • Netflix • Amazon Prime • YouTube • Disney+ All on their TV screen. From an advertising point of view, Connected TV is where TV and digital meet. It allows adverts to be: • Targeted (like digital) • Measured (like digital) • Shown on the big screen (like traditional TV) So your advert still has: • The authority of TV • The attention of TV • The viewing experience of TV But with: • Smarter targeting • Better data • Clearer reporting • In simple terms: Traditional TV = Broadcast to everyone Connected TV = Delivered to the right people, on their TV It’s why people say “TV isn’t dying, it’s becoming smarter.”

AVOD stands for Advertising-Based Video On Demand. It means viewers watch content for free, or at a lower cost, in exchange for seeing adverts. So instead of paying a subscription, the “price” is advertising. Examples of AVOD platforms include: • ITVX • Channel 4 • All 4 • Pluto TV • Freevee (Amazon) • YouTube From an advertising point of view, AVOD is powerful because: • Ads are shown in a premium TV environment • Viewers expect advertising (so it feels natural) • Campaigns are highly targetable • Performance is measurable like digital It combines: • The impact of TV • With the targeting and reporting of online advertising In simple terms: • SVOD (Netflix, Disney+, etc.) = Subscription, usually no ads • AVOD = Free content, funded by advertising AVOD is one of the fastest-growing parts of TV because it gives advertisers: • Big-screen presence • Smart targeting • Lower entry costs • Clear results

FAST TV stands for Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television. It’s a type of TV where viewers watch scheduled “live” channels over the internet, completely free, in exchange for advertising. It feels like traditional TV… but it’s delivered like streaming. So instead of choosing a show, you choose a channel: • True crime channel • Cooking channel • Movies channel • Sport highlights channel • Documentary channel And it just plays, like old-school TV. Popular FAST platforms include: • Pluto TV • Samsung TV Plus • LG Channels • Rakuten TV • Freevee (Amazon) From an advertising point of view, FAST is powerful because: • It’s big-screen TV • It has growing audiences • It’s lower cost than traditional broadcast • It’s digitally targeted and measurable So in simple terms: • Broadcast TV = Scheduled, paid for by licence fee + advertising • AVOD = On-demand, free because of advertising • FAST TV = Live streaming channels, free because of advertising FAST sits somewhere between: • Traditional TV viewing behaviour • And modern digital delivery It’s another example of how TV hasn’t shrunk – it’s expanded.

Traditional ITV advertising is broadcast to everyone watching that programme at that time. You choose the programme, the time, and the broad audience. It’s brilliant for scale, brand awareness and mass credibility. Advertising on platforms like Amazon or Netflix is digital TV. Your ad is shown based on who the viewer is, not what they’re watching. So in simple terms: • ITV = Programme-led targeting “Show my ad during this show to reach this type of audience.” • Amazon / Netflix = Person-led targeting “Show my ad to this type of person, wherever they’re watching.” Both appear on the TV screen. Both feel premium. They just work in different ways. The smartest campaigns use both: • ITV for reach and trust • Streaming platforms for precision and efficiency

Most people expect months. In reality, TVADSWORK can usually have you ready to go in weeks.

We explore this in more detail here: TVADSWORK Creative Guide (https://www.tvadswork.com/creativeguide)

TV targeting today works in three simple ways, often combined: 1. By programme and channel (Traditional TV) You choose environments that naturally attract your audience. This is broad, powerful and ideal for awareness. 2. By person (ITVX, Amazon, Netflix) Your ad is shown based on who the viewer is. You can target by: • Age • Location • Interests • Viewing behaviour 3. By household (Sky AdSmart) Your ad is delivered only to homes that match your criteria: • Postcode or radius • Household income • Family status • Lifestyle and buying behaviour So in simple terms: • Traditional TV finds the right environment • Streaming TV finds the right person • AdSmart finds the right home Modern campaigns blend all three for maximum impact and minimal waste.

TV is far more measurable than most people expect. We look at what changes because your advert is on air: 1. Website traffic increases 2. Search activity rises 3. Enquiries and sales grow 4. Geographic response improves 5. Timing correlation appears If performance lifts when ads run and drops when they stop, TV is working. For addressable and on-demand campaigns, we can also measure: • Impressions • Completion rates • Reach and frequency • Cost per response In simple terms: TV works when it creates measurable change in real behaviour.

It’s not about better. It’s about different jobs. Facebook and Google capture demand. TV creates demand. TV: • Makes your brand look established • Builds trust and credibility • Creates familiarity quickly Digital: • Converts interest into action Digital ads chase intent. TV builds intent. The strongest campaigns use both: • TV to create interest and trust • Google and Meta to turn that interest into results TV doesn’t replace digital. It makes digital work harder.

Pause Ads are adverts that appear when a viewer pauses live TV or on-demand content. So instead of seeing a blank screen or frozen frame, a full-screen static advert appears while the programme is paused. They’re currently available across platforms like ITVX and Channel 4. What makes them powerful is intent and attention: • The viewer has chosen to pause • They are still engaged • The screen is uncluttered • There’s no competing content So your brand gets: • 100% share of the screen • Longer viewing time than a normal TV ad • A calm, interruption-free moment They’re also: • Cost-effective • Highly targeted • Perfect for brand recall and website visits In simple terms: Traditional ads interrupt viewing. Pause Ads appear when viewing has already stopped. That makes them one of the most elegant and effective formats in modern TV advertising.

Clearcast is the organisation that approves TV adverts before they’re allowed on air in the UK. Every TV commercial you see on broadcast television has been checked and cleared by them first. Their job is to make sure adverts are: • Legal • Honest • Not misleading • Not harmful or offensive • Compliant with advertising regulations They work under the rules set by the ASA and BCAP (the bodies that govern UK advertising standards). So before any advert can be shown, Clearcast checks things like: • Claims and substantiation (“fastest”, “best”, “number one”, etc.) • Pricing accuracy • Promotions and offers • Health, finance and legal compliance • Tone, language and responsibility Why they’re so important: Clearcast protects: • The viewer • The broadcaster • The advertiser It means when your advert goes on TV, it carries a huge amount of trust. TV is the most regulated form of advertising in the UK, and that’s exactly why it’s so credible. From your client’s point of view, it’s reassuring: • Their advert won’t be pulled • They won’t face legal trouble • Their brand won’t be damaged In simple terms: Clearcast is the quality control that keeps TV advertising trusted. It’s one of the main reasons a TV advert still feels more “official” and credible than almost any other form of advertising.

YES! Absolutely - as much as you need. We're a full service business and pride ourselves on the level of service we provide! From an exploratory conversation to final delivery, we can oversee everything and ensure we communicate and liaise with you at every step!