When you’re watching TV, how do you react when an advertisement interrupts a good part of your favorite show? Do you groan and flip through the channels until something good comes on? Or do you actually stay tuned to watch the commercial?

TV advertisements range from being witty, to aggressive, to just plain boring. Regardless of whether the ad is effective or not, they are expensive–hundreds of thousands of dollars for just 60 seconds of TV time. Advertisements can be effective in getting the company’s name out there for the world to know. Most of the time, though, we’d much rather watch our sitcom in peace.

Aside from the expenses, the chance of the advertisement being viewed is becoming less likely. Many everyday TV-watchers have a video recorder remote that allows them to pause their TV show so that they can fast-forward through the commercials when they come. In other words, most people would rather pause the TV and listen to nothing than listen to commercials nowadays.

Not only that, depending on the product, it may be rather tough to play the advertisement at the proper time that reaches the target audience. Who would that target audience be? The newest consumers–the millennials! The point of ads is to reach new customers, and to get the company’s name out there. That way, if they need to buy the product being sold, that specific company will be the first name that comes to mind. Here comes the next problem:

According to a study conducted by Omnicom Media Group, 47% of the millennials involved are no longer watching the traditional TV platforms but have started watching online streaming sources. This reduces the effectiveness of your traditional TV advertisements greatly. Now, the results vary so much that you may not be getting your money’s worth anymore.

If TV ads are less effective, why are online insurance companies using the television advertising technique? Because they do not have agents, the business has less of a chance to grow. These online companies are opting to spend millions on TV ads that may or may not work. Without an agent, it’s going to be more difficult for these companies to thrive. Agents are here for a reason–they are experts in what you’re buying and answer all your questions regarding your purchase. Without agents, you are blindly purchasing from a money-gobbling website that doesn’t care about your needs.

By: KayLynn P.