Surprise Fans of TV Advertising? Smaller Tech Firms

As television advertising loses ground to digital ads, technology companies should be in the vanguard of businesses bailing from the medium. For many, the opposite is true, and it isn’t just Apple, Microsoft and other giants that are pouring more money into commercials.

An array of smaller technology companies—from the online travel agent TripAdvisor to the real estate firm Redfin to the digital fitness company Peloton—have all significantly stepped up their spending on television advertising in recent years, according to estimates shared with The Information by iSpot.tv, a firm that tracks television ad campaigns. Many are investing more in television ads to reach audiences that have eluded them through digital marketing channels like Google and Facebook. Some have warmed to television because of techniques that make it easier to measure the impact of advertising, one area where digital advertising has long had an advantage.