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"Koeppel Direct's media buying expertise has played an integral role in making my company successful. Koeppel generated so much business for our company, occasionally we have to limit their media buys, in order to handle all of the new business." | |
| - R. Gregg Marketer of Senior Products |
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MEDIA BUYING DIRECT RESPONSE TELEVISION (DRTV) ARTICLE ...... |
Shorter pledge drive yields bigger results for partnership
By: Tom Dorsey
Published: 04/07 Courier-Journal |
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Shorter pledge and membership drives seem certain on the Public Radio Partnership
stations after WFPL, WFPK and WUOL raised $397,599 during their recent drive. Last week's air portion of the
drive, which was shortened from nine days to seven, brought in $295,476. That's 72 percent more than last
spring's drive and $95,000 over PRP's goal.
The Cincinnati Reds games on radio have been switched to WKJK (1080-AM) from WLPP, where they were initially
scheduled.
George Hamilton is the reported front-runner to replace Bob Barker on CBS' "The Price Is Right" when Barker
retires in June, says Media Week.
CNN political analyst Jeff Greenfield is returning to CBS News, where he started.
NBC weekend anchor John Seigenthaler has been let go in a network budget cut.
Variety reports that four TV series are goners. NBC is dropping "The Black Donnellys." CW is canceling "7th
Heaven" again; the series finale is set for May 13. Fox will not renew "The Wedding Bells" after next week's
episode. And ABC is dropping "Six Degrees" immediately.
Disguising commercials
Networks and advertisers are experimenting with ways to keep viewers watching commercials at a time when they
can zap through recorded ads or hit the remote control as soon as they see a commercial coming.
A report out this week by Magna Global, a media research firm, says those viewers who have TIVO or digital video
recorders are fast-forwarding through more than 65 percent of the commercials during replay.
"I don't believe it's anywhere near that," said Bill Lamb, general manager of WDRB/WMYO.
He said viewers have had the ability to do that since VCRs first came along and haven't.
Nielsen Media Research couldn't measure what people did with their VCRs in the past, but Lamb points to a poll
of people who recorded programs a decade ago. It showed only 6 percent were zapping ads. "It may be a little
faster to do now, but it's not any easier," he said.
"I zipped right through them every time," said Andy Newcomer of Louisville, recalling what he did with
commercials in recorded shows over the years. Newcomer does see commercials in live shows because he doesn't
switch channels, although he says he often leaves the room.
"Annoying" is his reaction to sitting through ads.
Koeppel Direct, another media research firm, says that as the number of DVRs grows the ability to skip
commercials "could have a profound impact" on the whole annual $70 billion TV industry and could affect what is
shown on the tube.
Even more threatening in a way is Nielsen's plans to start releasing data next month measuring how many people
watch which commercials.
Until now sponsors bought ads in popular programs or the programs watched by the people they wanted to reach.
They had to assume people saw their ads in those shows. Now they're going to know how many people watch or don't
watch their product pitches.
The good news from initial findings is that broadcast networks only lose about 6 percent of their audiences to
channel changers when commercials come on. Cable loses 10 percent.
Some advertisers are reportedly already buying fewer ads based on early results. If that threat continues, it
poses a real crisis for TV networks and viewers indirectly.
The cost of making TV programs right now, with the exception of premium movie channels such as HBO, is paid by
advertising dollars.
Cable gets some money from subscribers but couldn't exist without ads or charging much higher monthly subscriber
rates.
Who pays for the programs if that money disappears or greatly diminishes?
Television is still the best way for advertisers to reach massive numbers of people, though.
The bottom line is that the industry is going to have to find some way to make commercials people will watch or a
lot of their revenue could go out the door.
Sponsors and advertisers are experimenting with disguising commercials, according to The New York Times.
The idea is to make commercials that don't look like ads.
The best examples were the Taster's Choice ads of the 1990s that featured an attractive thirtysomething couple
that shared a fondness for that brand of coffee. The serialized ads teased the audience into watching to see if
the attraction would go beyond the cup of coffee.
The ads, which started in Great Britain, became so popular that they spun off a 300-page romance novel based on
the coffee characters, exceeding Taster's Choice's wildest dreams.
Some advertising agencies and sponsors are trying to devise similar mini-dramas or comedy skits, which don't
look or sound like straight commercials.
It could work if they're skillfully done and if the product is willing to play a discreet supporting role
instead of the upfront, in-your-face pitch many advertisers are used to.
A lot of us have already been hooked on the concept to a lesser degree by the GEICO caveman commercials that
don't pitch car insurance in a direct way. They have become so popular that ABC commissioned a sitcom pilot
about the cavemen.
Some analysts believe viewers will see a blurring between programs and commercials and that perhaps traditional
commercial breaks will eventually fade away altogether.
Others are trying to adapt to the reality of DVRs. Some of those recorders have a button that stops the
fast-forward when the program resumes. "But it jumps back about 10 seconds," Lamb notes, so that people see
the end of a commercial. "There are people developing 1-, 3- and 5-second commercials to go there."
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