How TV Advertising Supercharges Social Media Performance for Emerging Brands

Emerging brands (those new to streaming advertising or still building brand identity) have long leaned on social media for its ease of use, affordability, and measurable results. But now, thanks to platforms like Comcast’s Universal Ads Manager, TV advertising is just as accessible – allowing brands to rethink their media mix and unlock new performance potential.

Streaming TV is no longer reserved for big-budget campaigns. Brands of any size can now buy, manage, and measure TV ads as easily as they do on social. This shift opens the door for emerging brands to combine the power of premium video with social media – and the results speak for themselves.

Universal Ads’ latest study, “Beyond the Scroll,” demonstrates the true impact of adding streaming TV to social media advertising. The results reveal that pairing the two helps significantly boost performance for emerging brands across the entire marketing funnel.

Streaming TV + Social Media = Big Results

1) Capturing Attention

Streaming TV ads command more attention than social media ads:

• Viewers are +43% more likely to look at a streaming TV ad versus a social ad.

• They spend +67% more time watching TV ads compared to social media ads.

• For emerging brands, the impact is even greater, with 2.9x higher visual attention as compared to their more “well-known brand” counterparts.

2) Driving Higher Brand Recall

Combining streaming TV with social media dramatically improves brand recall:

• There is 2.8x higher unaided recall when viewers see both a streaming TV and social ad.

• Viewers experience 5x higher recall when a TV ad is paired with an ad via social video feed (i.e. Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts).

• TV also boosts brand perception, with emerging brands seeing a 2.3x higher lift than well-known brands.

3) Increasing Purchase Intent

TV doesn’t just build awareness, it drives action:

• Adding a streaming TV ad to a social media campaign leads to a +24% increase in purchase intent – whereas two social ads alone show no significant lift.

• TV has a special impact for emerging brands, with results not replicated for already well-established brands.

Supporting Full-Funnel Performance

Streaming TV doesn’t just boost top-of-funnel awareness – it drives results across the entire consumer journey. When paired with social media, it helps emerging brands stand out, build memory, spark interest, and inspire action:

• Viewers exposed to both streaming TV and social media ads are 2.8x more likely to remember the brand.

• They’re also 2.1x more likely to visit the brand’s website to learn more.

Together, TV and social media create a powerful synergy that helps emerging brands break through the noise and accelerate growth.

Social Media Advertisers Should Lean into Premium Video

TV advertising enhances other mediums by capturing high attention and engagement. For emerging brands, combining streaming TV with social media ensures that messages are not only seen but remembered and acted upon, leading to more effective and impactful campaigns.

With Universal Ads, brands of any size can leverage premium video. Whether as a primary strategy or to complement social media efforts, advertisers can maximize their impact and achieve superior results – setting a new standard for innovation and efficiency in the industry.

_Source:

• _{Universal Ads, “Beyond the Scroll: How TV Drives Performance for Emerging Brands,” 2025. Study conducted in partnership with MediaScience.}  

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