With consumers engaging across more platforms than ever, brands need a marketing strategy that meets them where they actually are. Digital channels often lead the conversation, but TV advertising remains a genuinely powerful tool for reaching wide audiences and building brand awareness.
Here’s how TV fits into a multi-channel marketing strategy, and why it still matters in a digital-first world.
Why TV Still Dominates in Multi-Channel Mix
Streaming services like Netflix and Stan are growing fast, but plenty of Australians still tune into free-to-air TV regularly. Data from Voz shows Australians consumed over 16.2 billion minutes of free-to-air content in the first quarter of 2025 alone.
The Benefits of TV Advertising in 2025
Is TV advertising still relevant in 2025? The answer is a resounding yes. TV boasts impressive reach on its own, and its audience engagement, trust, and brand recall continue to rank among the highest of any channel.
TV is also commonly tied to premium content and professionally produced programming, which gives TV ads a real sense of credibility. That’s genuinely good news for engagement too, since viewers tend to pay closer attention to TV ads than digital-only ones.
What sets TV apart from other channels is its ability to combine sight, sound, and motion into something genuinely impactful and memorable. For brands trying to build an emotional connection with their audience, that combination is particularly valuable.
Research has shown that ads seen on TV are remembered more easily and perceived as more trustworthy than both social and out-of-home ads.
Where Linear TV Fits in Modern Campaigns
Linear TV, also known as traditional or free-to-air TV, refers to classic television programming where viewers tune in at scheduled times to watch content broadcast by channels and networks. It earns the name “linear” because the content follows a set programming schedule, unlike on-demand content, which can be streamed whenever viewers want.
Despite concerns that linear TV would become irrelevant in the streaming era, it still reaches a broad Australian audience and remains a genuinely promising option for brands looking to establish credibility and gain national exposure.
Thanks to that wide reach, linear TV works particularly well for brand awareness campaigns, and its strong viewership among older audiences makes it an ideal channel for campaigns targeting that demographic. Unlike ads on streaming platforms, linear TV ads can’t be skipped, letting you get your full message across and genuinely maximise your ad spend.
Bridging Screens: From Broadcast to BVOD
As Australians’ viewing habits shift, the line between traditional broadcast TV and digital video is blurring fast. Broadcaster Video on Demand (BVOD) has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, thanks to its ability to extend linear TV’s reach across connected devices while offering far more precise targeting.
What BVOD Means for Advertisers Today
Broadcast Video on Demand (BVOD), also known as “catch-up TV,” refers to on-demand streaming services run by traditional broadcasters. Popular BVOD platforms in Australia include 9Now, iView, and SBS on Demand. BVOD counts as “lean-in” media, meaning viewers are deliberately searching out and engaging with content on their own terms.
That’s different from “lean-back” media, where viewers passively stumble across content, social media videos, for instance. For advertisers, BVOD presents a genuine opportunity to get in front of a highly engaged, attentive audience.
Thanks to those higher attention levels, BVOD ads also tend to be more memorable than ads on social platforms like Facebook or YouTube.
Connected TV and the New Ad Opportunity
Connected TV (CTV) advertising refers to ads shown on internet-connected TV sets. Compared to traditional TV advertising, which reaches a broader audience overall, CTV allows for far more precise targeting and segmentation. Showing ads that are genuinely relevant to your target audience also raises the odds they’ll watch the whole thing through.
How to Build an Integrated TV Strategy
TV and Digital in One Unified Campaign
TV becomes even more effective when it’s woven into a multi-channel strategy alongside digital. Combining TV’s mass reach and emotional impact with digital’s precision targeting and interactivity lets brands connect more effectively with their audience across every channel they use.
An integrated marketing strategy also lets you adapt to how your audience actually consumes content, often across multiple screens, sometimes simultaneously. TV puts your message in front of your audience, while digital keeps it top of mind through personalised reminders, social amplification, or direct calls to action.
With the right attribution models in place, this approach both improves your brand’s visibility and gives you genuinely valuable insight into what’s working, where, and why.
When to Call a TV Advertising Agency
If you’re interested in launching a TV advertising campaign but don’t have the time or resources to dedicate to one, partnering with an agency is worth considering. Agencies bring real experience in media buying, creative production, audience targeting, and campaign optimisation, helping you get more out of your ad spend.
They can also make sure your TV strategy aligns with your broader multi-channel efforts, digital and out-of-home included. Whether you’re looking to scale brand awareness, launch a product, or reach a specific demographic, a TV advertising agency can streamline the whole process and get you the results you want, with far less effort required on your end.
Ready to discover the benefits of TV advertising for your brand? We’d love to help you get the most out of TV. Get in contact with us at hello@omdigigroup.com to get started!
