Traditional Television Advertising Versus Digital Advertising: A Comparative Study on Audience Attention, Engagement, and Persuasiveness in the Modern Era

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16965295

Abstract

This paper draws a parallel between the traditional television advertising and digital advertising with references to the ability to attract the attention of the audience, encourage their engagement and fostering their persuasiveness in the contemporary world. The study deployed a mixed-methods design based on the results of a survey of 300 participants within two age groups (18 to 34, 35 to 60) to explore such processes as store recall, interaction frequency, and purchase intentions after exposure to television and digital advertising using standardized advertising content. Findings revealed a distinct generational difference where digital ad messages were reported to be much less negatively affected by the younger respondents in terms of attention, engagement and persuasiveness but the commercial ad messages on the TV were more trusted and there was stronger purchase intent towards the same. Engagement proved an important indicator of persuasiveness, with digital platforms having an even greater explanatory power as a result of interactive functionality, including likes, shares, and comments. The results promote the synergistic advantages of both mediums, making them assume a combined approach, which capitalises on the trustworthiness and universality of the television and the personalisation and interactivity available in digital formats. In an already active conversation on media fragmentation, the study adds value to the existing literature through empirical insight into the factors of programming, engagement, and advertising media dynamics as they apply to age to determine the preference of advertising channels to promote effectiveness.