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The Impact of Advertising on Purchase Behavior
The 2025 Purchase Funnel Study identifies the importance of media platforms that influence consumers during the purchase decision process. Linear TV, and specifically, broadcast TV have historically been the primary drivers of this influence. TVB commissioned GfK/NIQ to conduct this study, which looked at consumers exposed to advertising across six categories through ANY of 20+ media platforms.
While this study recognizes the role of a variety of different media platforms (traditional & digital including streaming), it confirms that linear TV remains the most important influence by far, through all stages of the purchase decision process.
Media Platforms Analyzed
Some key findings:
- TV is the most important influencer at all stages of the purchase funnel. This is true for all categories, key demos, and ethnic groups. It is also true of streamers.
- Among those who cited TV as the most important for awareness, seven out of ten respondents chose broadcast TV versus cable.
- At 68%, TV is the top platform for exposure to advertising. This is about three times that of the next five runners up.
- Exposure to a media platform is not a guarantee of consumer importance, except for TV.
- Broadcast TV is the primary source of news.
- Local broadcast TV news is #1 for trust among media platforms. Social media is the least trusted.
- Exposure to TV ads influenced the online search selections of respondents.
- 82% of total respondents said that linear TV ads influence their online search selections.
- Streamers are more exposed to advertisements on linear TV than the average adult 18+.
- Streamers also deemed linear TV as most important in making them aware of a product or service.
QA4: Most important for media in the awareness stage with at least 1 funnel stage at 2%+ shown; 2%, 1%, & 0% not shown/labeled)
QA4 “Thinking about the ads you saw/heard for the categories, which advertising media made you most aware of the category?”
How to read: Of the 43% who chose television as most important, 70% chose broadcast TV
For more information, please contact Hadassa Gerber, Chief Research Officer, TVB.
© 2025 Television Bureau of Advertising, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication and redistribution of this report in total, other than by TVB members or its authorized agents or designees, without written permission is strictly forbidden. Any republication, in whole or in part, must include credit to TVB and its sources.