Supporting traditional TV isn’t about nostalgia – it’s a good advertising strategy
If we believe in telling Australian stories, we need to back the media that brings them into our living rooms. Luke Smith from Pubmatic explains.
The long-term strength that brands gain from advertising on TV is under threat. Not because of technology. Not because platforms are changing. And not because audiences are leaving broadcast. The real threat is a race to the bottom on price.
If buyers are evaluating premium TV through the lens of short-term metrics like completions or views and then benchmarking it against the lowest possible CPMs from social or UGC platforms, they’re missing out on real, measurable business value. And by the time that becomes clear, the campaign may already be under water.
In times of economic uncertainty, strong brands don’t just survive. They lead. And in Australia, where competition is fierce and consumer confidence is fragile, one thing still holds true: the stronger your brand, the less you need to rely on discounts to compete.
The issue with the term “premium” is that it’s totally subjective. What the industry means by premium is effectively “professionally made”. People watch what they want and consider premium what they like. With that said it is undoubtedly true as Luke says that within the programmatic landscape and the overvalue of identity we’ve largely forgotten importance of creative in context.