Commercial Advertising Overview: What’s Best for Your Business in 2024

In 2024, businesses have a wide range of commercial advertising options; including the high-reach multi-media choices of radio, television, and internet ads. 

Each channel offers unique strengths for your branding strategy, but choosing the right one depends on your budget, audience, and goals. 

This article provides a quick, no-fluff overview of these advertising types and their effectiveness in 2024.

Internet Advertising

Internet advertising remains the leading choice for businesses in 2024 due to its flexibility, measurable ROI, and ability to reach specific audiences across different platforms. It includes options like social media, search engine ads, display ads, and newer formats like programmatic and augmented reality ads.

• Social Media Ads

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn can deliver highly targeted ads based on user interests, behaviours, and demographics. 

This level of precision allows businesses to directly engage with their ideal customers and even interact in real-time. However, the sheer volume of ads on these platforms can lead to oversaturation. As a result, users may become less responsive due to the so-called “ad fatigue,” which can reduce the overall impact of your campaigns. 

That’s why more brands add user-generated content to their ads. By collaborating with a UGC creator UK, they create scroll-stopping ads, test different creatives, and target different audiences to increase conversions and engagement. 

• Search Engine Ads (PPC)

Search engine ads are a great option to reach potential customers who are actively searching for specific products or services. The downside is that popular keywords can be highly competitive, and drive up costs of the advertising campaigns. For businesses with smaller budgets, this makes competing against larger companies with more resources to spend on top search positions harder.

• Display Ads

Display ads, such as banner ads or retargeting campaigns, are great for increasing brand visibility and keeping your business top-of-mind for users who have already visited your website. Retargeting, in particular, can be effective at converting previous visitors into customers.

In 2024, programmatic advertising continues to shape display ad strategies, allowing automated, real-time bidding on ad placements across multiple platforms. Programmatic’s growth in Connected TV (CTV) and digital out-of-home (DOOH) formats is expanding its reach beyond traditional online display ads.

• Augmented Reality (AR) Ads

AR ads are gaining momentum, offering immersive experiences that allow users to visualize products in their real-world environments. This format is especially popular in retail, where customers can “try on” items virtually before purchasing. As AR technology becomes more accessible, it will play a significant role in mobile and social media advertising, providing brands with an interactive way to connect with audiences.

Radio Advertising

Despite internet advertising, radio remains a relevant advertising medium, especially for smaller businesses and local businesses, niche audiences, and those with limited advertising budgets for a few reasons: 

• Affordable compared to TV advertising
• Demographic targeting based on the station or program type
• Ads during peak commuting hours can deliver a solid return, especially for time-sensitive promotions.

Due to the growing popularity of streaming services and podcasts, radio’s overall audience has been gradually declining.

Television Advertising

Television remains a traditional but highly impactful advertisement medium, particularly for national campaigns. Its main strength lies in its wide reach and unmatched potential for visual storytelling.  The classic tv commercial has been a big part of most Gen X’s childhood, so has a sense of nostalgia even if difficult to prove return on investment.

TV ads are excellent for building brand awareness and creating emotional connections with viewers, which can lead to long-term brand loyalty. With advancements in targeted advertising, cable and streaming TV services now offer more precise ad placements (often called addressable TV), allowing businesses to target specific audience segments, much like digital platforms.

However, the costs associated with TV ads are very high. Both production and airtime are expensive, limiting TV advertising to businesses with larger budgets but addressable TV ads are still powerful. This is when advertisers can deliver targeted ads to specific households based on demographics and viewing habits, similar to how digital platforms operate. An example would be the fast fashion brands that advertise during Love Island targeting that demographic.

This year has also seen the forced change into streaming services’ ad-supported models, such as the basic tier for Amazon Prime, Netflix and Disney, which all have advertisements. And it’s opened new avenues for reaching viewers who prefer on-demand content, even if it interrupts our viewing pleasure to the point of annoyance.

Why is annoying I don’t hear you ask? Because in the old days, TV programmes were made with natural ad breaks, and it used to have a twirling black and white indicator the advertisements were coming. Now, you get the interruption based on length of time passed, interrupting the flow and enjoyment.

The Impact of AI on Advertising Strategies

AI is playing a transformative role in advertising strategies for 2024. From optimizing ad targeting and automating content creation to predicting campaign outcomes, AI helps enhance ad performance across platforms.

For instance, generative AI can quickly produce multiple versions of ad copy to test different creatives, while predictive analytics can identify the most effective channels for a given campaign. AI’s role in programmatic advertising also streamlines the buying process, making it easier for businesses to scale their campaigns.

It’s also heavily used in an automated email sales funnel. This is when you sign up for a free product/download and then get bombarded with emails you never read.

What’s The Most Effective Method for Your Business

When it comes to choosing the right advertising channel in 2024, each medium has its strengths, and its challenges, but the best method for your business depends on:

• Your budget
• Target Audience
• Campaign Goals

Let’s review all three options:

Radio remains a good option for local businesses or those looking to reach niche audiences. It’s cost-effective, so if you’re running promotions or want to target a specific community, radio can be a smart choice. It’s best for local markets, promotions, and real-time ads (events, sales)

Television is still the go-to for powerful brand storytelling, but it’s almost exclusively limited to larger brands with substantial budgets. TV ads deliver unmatched emotional appeal through visuals and sound, making them perfect for national campaigns or big-brand moments. While it’s strong for large brands and national campaigns, but competition with digital video ads is increasing.

Internet stands out as the most versatile and scalable option. Whether through social media, search engines, display, or video ads, businesses of any size can find a way to reach their audience online. The flexibility to target specific users and measure results in real time is unmatched. Minimize ad fatigue with fresh approaches to advertising, such as video ads with UGC content.

Types of Commercial Advertisement

For clarity here is the full list of commercial advertising techniques. I cannot stress enough that you should find the appropriate channel for your business and target audience. And I feel the need to point out potential brand damage from doing it wrong. Any unsolicited emails, texts or calls are not just seen as spam, but negatively impacting your brand.

1. Print Advertising

• Newspaper Ads: Ads placed in daily or weekly newspapers.
• Magazine Ads: Often feature high-quality visuals targeting niche audiences.
• Brochures, Flyers, and Leaflets: Typically used for local businesses or event-based marketing.
• Classified Ads: Small, text-based ads found in the classifieds section of newspapers.

2. Broadcast Advertising

• Television Advertising: Includes commercials aired on network, cable, or streaming TV services.
• Radio Advertising: Audio ads broadcast over radio stations or podcasts, often including live reads or sponsorships.

3. Digital Advertising

• Social Media Advertising: Ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
• Search Engine Advertising (PPC): Paid ads that appear on search engines such as Google and Bing.
• Display Advertising: Banner ads placed on websites; can include static images, videos, or interactive elements.
• Video Advertising: Ads played before, during, or after video content on platforms like YouTube or streaming services.
• Email Advertising: Marketing messages sent directly to users’ inboxes, often used for promotional content. Under GDPR receivers should have consented to this for B2C, although does not apply to B2B.

4. Outdoor Advertising (Out-of-Home or OOH)

• Billboards: Large-scale ads displayed on outdoor boards, often near main roads in urban areas.
• Digital Billboards: Electronic versions that can show animated content or rotate different ads (like Piccadilly Circus)
• Transit Advertising: Ads placed on buses, trains, taxis, or subways.
• Street Furniture Advertising: Ads on benches, bus shelters, kiosks, or rubbish bins (mostly only bus stops in the UK)

5. Direct Mail Advertising

• Catalogues and Brochures: Sent directly to customers to showcase products, although often considered junk mail and discarded.
• Postcards and Coupons: Often used for local promotions or special discounts.
• Personalized Letters: Targeted letters sent to prospective customers.

6. Product Placement and Sponsorships

• Product Placement: Integrating products or brands into movies, TV shows, or video games.
• Event Sponsorships: Funding or supporting events to gain exposure (e.g., sports, music festivals).

7. Guerrilla Advertising

• Ambient Advertising: Using unconventional settings to create surprising ads.
• Street Marketing: Handing out flyers or setting up displays in busy areas.
• Stunts or Flash Mobs: Interactive or unexpected events designed to capture attention.

8. Native Advertising

• Sponsored Content: Articles or videos designed to blend in with the editorial content of a website.

9. Programmatic Advertising

• Real-Time Bidding (RTB): Automated buying and selling of online ad impressions.
• Programmatic Direct: Reserved digital ad space purchased in advance through software.

10. In-App Advertising

• Mobile Ads: Displayed within apps on smartphones and tablets.
• Playable Ads: Interactive ads that allow users to “play” with a demo of a mobile game or app before downloading.

11. Influencer Marketing

• Sponsored Posts: Content created by influencers who are paid to promote a brand or receive affiliate commission on any sales.

12. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Advertising

• AR Ads: Users interact with ads that overlay digital information on the real world.
• VR Ads: Immersive ads experienced through VR headsets, often used for gaming or 3D tours.

13. Experiential Advertising

• Pop-up Shops: Temporary retail spaces to promote a brand or product.
• Live Demonstrations: In-store or event-based demos to engage customers directly.
• Event Marketing: Hosting or participating in events to promote a brand (e.g., trade shows).

14. Telemarketing

• Cold Calling: Unsolicited calls to potential customers and a terrible way to get leads (yes it was how I started my sales career)
• Robocalls: Automated dialler phone messages with promotional or spam content. Again, no self-respecting person will take your company seriously.

15. SMS and Mobile Advertising

• Text Message Campaigns: Sending promotional messages directly to users’ phones, wasted unless you have consent.
• Push Notifications: Alerts sent from mobile apps to engage users with special offers or updates.

16. Streaming Service Ads

• Pre-Roll and Mid-Roll Video Ads: Ads played before or during streaming content.
• Ad-Supported Subscription Models: Lower subscription fees in exchange for watching ads (e.g., Hulu, YouTube).

17. Content Marketing

• Blog Posts and Articles: Content created to provide value to readers while promoting a brand.
• White Papers and Ebooks: In-depth guides or research papers offered as downloadable content.

18. Affiliate Advertising

• Commission-Based Promotions: Partnering with affiliates to promote products in exchange for a percentage of sales, usually done via websites, even ones masquerading as money saving advice from people in the media.