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Why the UK’s TV Comeback Matters to Growth-Focused Brands in New Zealand

UK brands are rediscovering television - not for nostalgia, but for profit. And the results are impossible to ignore.

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Why the UK’s TV Comeback Matters to Growth-Focused Brands in New Zealand

By

Jacqueline Freeman

GM - Communications, ThinkTV

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6

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UK brands are rediscovering television - not for nostalgia, but for profit. And the results are impossible to ignore.

In a media environment obsessed with short-term thinking and dashboards, UK marketers are shifting toward smarter, more accountable growth strategies. Strategies built on outcomes - not impressions.

For New Zealand brands under pressure to scale, prove ROI and sustain growth, the UK’s resurgence offers a timely warning and a powerful signal.

TV Returns to Growth in the UK

In 2024, UK television advertising revenue grew by 3.8% to £5.27 billion - reversing previous declines and reasserting TV’s central role in high-performance marketing.

This growth wasn’t led by legacy brands. It was powered by a new generation of advertisers. Thinkbox reports that 932 brands ran TV campaigns for the first time in 2024, up from 791 the year before. Many came from ecommerce, DTC and FMCG - digital-first brands now turning to TV for scale, trust and long-term return.

TV vs YouTube: Follow the Profit

Thinkbox’s Profit Ability 2 study found that for every £1 spent:

  • TV delivers £5.60 in profit
  • YouTube delivers £3.86

That’s a 45% better return from television.

And it’s more than profit. TV brings brand safety, fraud-free exposure, mass reach and emotional connection - all factors short-form platforms struggle to match.

Television is not dusty heritage media. It’s a profit engine.

What Happens When You Remove TV

Thinkbox and Tapestry Research analysed more than 52,000 media mix scenarios using their Media Mix Navigator tool.

They found that brands that removed TV - even partially - suffered drops in both short-term and long-term profitability. Saving costs on the media plan often meant sacrificing commercial performance down the line.

This insight is vital for marketers under pressure to justify every spend.

The UK Is the Right Benchmark - Not the US

New Zealand often looks to the US for media thinking. But when it comes to television, the US is the exception - not the rule.

US TV faces legacy issues: high ad loads, fragmented measurement, declining trust, pay-TV dominance and a deteriorating viewer experience.

The UK, by contrast, offers:

  • Trusted public and commercial broadcasters
  • Tighter regulation and lighter ad loads
  • Cohesive measurement frameworks
  • A focus on creative quality and accountability

Structurally and culturally, the UK TV market resembles New Zealand far more closely. And its current growth offers meaningful insight.

Outcomes Over Impressions: What Justin Lebbon Gets Right

Justin Lebbon, founder of the Future of TV Advertising series, has issued a warning:

‘Dashboards are a curse. The C-suite loves them - even though seasoned marketers treat them with caution.’

He champions outcome-based planning grounded in profit, pricing power and growth - not reliance on view-through or vanity metrics.

TV aligns perfectly with that framework. It may not be the flashiest line on a media plan - but it delivers what truly matters: commercial impact.

Why This Matters to New Zealand Marketers

Many Kiwi brands are hitting saturation in digital marketing.

They’ve pushed performance channels hard and still aren’t seeing scale or growth. That’s because reach, trust and emotional connection don’t scale infinitely in digital.

TV offers a strategic next step:

  • A platform to build emotional brand equity
  • A channel that drives sustainable growth
  • A tool that earns trust - both with audiences and CFOs

TV has evolved. With UK data stacking up and our market showing parallels, this is no time to neglect television.

What Marketers Can Do Now

  1. Reframe the role of TV
    Treat it as an ROI engine - not legacy media.
  2. Use UK data as your benchmark
    US metrics don’t apply here - UK ones do.
  3. Invest in storytelling
    TV’s format builds emotion and memory in ways digital can’t.
  4. Talk in business outcomes
    Frame your media choices in terms of profit, pricing power and growth.
  5. Start smart, scale fast
    Use targeted linear or BVOD campaigns to prove the model efficiently.

Final Takeaway

UK brands aren’t returning to television because they’re nostalgic.

They’re doing it because it works.

In a world fixated on short-term metrics and vanity numbers, TV delivers trust, attention and results.

For New Zealand marketers, the lesson from the UK is clear:

If you want sustainable growth, measurable outcomes and enduring impact - start with television.

Sources

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