Study Links TV Content To Ad Value

Bravo said a neuroscience study it commissioned shows advertising has a considerably better chance of resonating when shown during a program with related content -- i.e., food brands during “Top Chef.”

The study, conducted by Melbourne-based Neuro-Insight, gauged the live brain response of 150 people using 24 ads in categories ranging from automotive to entertainment to retail. The ads were within six series on Bravo and competitive networks, and compared consumers' brain reaction to ads related to the content with those where there was no direct link. The research found that in the brain regions where long-term memory is stored, neuro-activity on average is 15% greater when ads are contextually relevant to the content. Bravo said, however, that effectiveness is not simple, such as a natural link between a Macy’s ad and “Fashion Hunters.” A “stronger impact” comes when the creative content has a certain appeal -- even if it is in a somewhat unrelated category -- such as when a car ad highlights the “beauty and glamour of the driving experience” airs during a fashion program.