Monday, November 27, 2006

TV Viewership Grows with TiVo Users

For some time now, the TV advertising industry has been in flux, waiting to see how drastically the use of "video on demand" (VOD) and "digital video recording"(DVR) technology would hit their bottom line.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumors of the demise of TV have been greatly exaggerated.

According to recent research, with new technology for DVR and VOD, plus the ability to view content on PCs and mobile devices, TV viewership is growing, not shrinking. Households with DVR and VOD are predicted to continue increasing over the next few years. Ample opportunities await advertisers who are agile, and willing to adapt.

Years ago, the remote control enabled viewers to channel surf during commercial breaks, yet TV did not dry up. After the humble VCR was introduced, television experienced a boom in viewership. TV viewers watching pre-recorded shows (time shifting) might fast-forward through ads that are not of interest to them (ad skipping) - but they slow down and view the ads that they do find interesting. The time-shifting viewer is motivated to stick with the pre-recorded show, and along with it, the commercials.

There is even a new feature on the horizon allowing advertisers to offer additional commercials to DVR users, who can choose to play (and replay) your commercial.

Advertisers: this new data on TV viewing means that it's more important than ever to have a great-looking, memorable, engaging commercial. If you want viewers to care about seeing (and even replaying) your ad, make it interesting.

Recently, there has been a rash of new websites offering "make-it-yourself" and "pre-made" commercials. The upfront cost may seem low, but the output lacks the main ingredient required for an effective campaign: a memorable and unique message to catch the viewer's attention. The DIY nature of these websites forces the inexperienced business person, alone, into the complex advertising landscape, where well-funded big marketers can run rings around them. The small business quickly exhausts its already tiny advertising budget, just trying to keep up.

Small business owners should seek out an entrepreneur-focused TV ad agency with the skill and experience to create unique, watchable commercials, within budget. After all, what good is running your TV commercial if it looks so much like someone else's ad that everybody skips it?