How to Advertise FAQ

An independent household panel administered by The Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB) measures television viewing in the UK, with its audience figures used as a trading currency by the whole advertising industry.  There are roughly 5,100 representative panel homes across the country and their viewing is automatically monitored on a minute-by-minute basis.  Accurate estimates can then be constructed for all programmes and commercials transmitted, on any channel.  For instance, by studying BARB data we know that Home & Away is on average watched by 1.9m people every evening that it is shown on Channel 5.  We can also determine the demographic profile of these viewers.

Almost any way you like!  We trade against most demographs, although a large proportion of advertisers look to target tighter groups, interlaced with age or social grade - for instance Adults aged 16-34, Housewives with Children aged under 15 or ABC1 Men.  Airtime will then be scheduled to reach your chosen target audience in the most cost-efficient manner possible, reducing wastage to an absolute minimum. 

The cost of advertising on television is determined by a range of factors.  These will include……

Transmission time

The day is divided into ‘dayparts’.  Peak (1730-2300) is the most valued daypart in terms of audience size and profile and will command the highest price.  Daytime (pre-1730) and Late Night (post-2430) represent less demanded dayparts.  Nevertheless Daytime provides a highly effective environment for Direct Response advertising (DRTV), whilst Late Night is especially attractive for advertisers targeting a younger, or male-biased audience.

Programmes

Generally speaking, it is more expensive to advertise in and around high-profile programmes.  On Channel 5, for example, these will include major feature films, live football, US crime drama and popular documentaries.

Time of year 

The cost of advertising on television varies by season, depending on audience levels and overall advertiser demand.  For instance, the autumn months are relatively expensive, while advertising in July and August represents especially good value.

Commercial time-length

The cost of television advertising also depends on the duration of the commercial, with the most popular length on Channel 5 being 30 seconds.  As a guideline, transmitting a 30-second commercial will cost twice as much as showing a 10-second ad and a 60-second twice as much as a 30-second ad.

Target audience

Cost will also depend on the level of detail in specifying an advertiser’s target audience.  The more plentiful and accessible the target, the cheaper the rate for reaching them, on a per viewer basis.  For example, a broad group such as All Adults could be bought at an average cost of around £6 per thousand viewers / or a little under a penny each.  However, a more tightly-defined target, such as Men aged 16-34, will cost closer to £50 per thousand viewers.

Regionality

Although Channel 5 is essentially a national broadcaster, we also cater for advertisers with a specific regional requirement by additionally trading airtime against four broad geographical areas, known as ‘macro’ regions.  These cover London, the North of England and Scotland, with a fourth region including the South and Central parts of England and Wales plus Northern Ireland. The cost associated with regionality reflects both the size and nature of the population, together with the relative level of demand for each region. (See Macro Map).

Channel choice

Terrestrial v Digital – The cost of advertising is also affected by the channel that you are looking at. The terrestrial channels are generally more expensive due to their transmission footprint and their audience size. The terrestrial channels are the only way you can communicate with over 2m viewers on a regular basis. A lower cost entry point for many advertisers is within the multi-channel environment. Smaller broadcasters can deliver a smaller but more targeted audience.

Rough guide to cost

All the complexities aside, the cost of a 30” advertisement in Daytime would be approximately £2,000, whereas in Peak the figure would be around £17,000.

Our macro advertising facility enables you to tailor-make a campaign to fit the regional characteristics of your product range or customer base.  If an advertiser decides that they do not want to reach certain parts of the country, this is possible on Channel 5. The map in the Spot Advertising section details the regions available.

Advertisers generally use either a recognised production company or an advertising agency to produce their commercials.  They will work directly with the client to ensure that the requirements of their communication brief is fully met.  The cost of the commercial will depend on the creative content, music, location, cast etc. and the overall production quality of the commercial.  A successful finished product could cost anything from a few thousand pounds upwards. As a broadcaster we are also able to provide this service both for creative ideas and production. Please call the Channel 5 Sales team on 020-8612 7371for further information.

We do not have a price guide as such because, as we have attempted to illustrate in this section, the cost of a campaign on Channel 5 will be determined by a whole range of different criteria.  You also probably have any number of questions that we have not addressed here so if you would like us to prepare a tailored proposal, or if you would merely like to talk about the possibilities, please call the Channel 5 Sales team on
020 8612 7371