Nielson Ratings system will begin to track the amount of people who actually watch advertisements beginning May 31st according to a story on USAToday.com (read entire story here)
Apparently the companies that still pay unbelievable amounts of money to advertise on network television have gotten wind to the fact (I do not know what has taken them so long) that even though people may want to watch the networks entertainment programming they simply fast-forward the DVR through the commercials or even worse go get a Jones Soda and some string cheese.
Now the networks are really sweating as they will only be able to collect money for things that actually work. What a novel idea.
So, rather than actually being concerned that advertising is dead and that they need to actually think of new ideas the networks are taking a flash to the past and working a new spin on more product placement. It even looks like some subliminal messages 2.0 are in the works…It looks like the old guard advertisement community just figures, "why come up with new ideas when you can rehash old ones".
Here is a couple of things they are working on:
Ideas to boost ad viewing:
â¢Fox. In each prime-time hour, it will randomly insert into ad breaks two 8-second cartoon humor clips featuring quirky cabbie Oleg.
"Hopefully, this is something that viewers will see, react to and stay a little longer," says Jon Nesvig, president of sales.
The time will come out of Fox’s commercial and promo time, not the show.
â¢ABC. As early as June, it will try starting an ad in the show to lead into the break, Shaw says. Among 10 prototypes: A magazine ad on Ugly Betty morphs into an actual ad. In another, an ad on a TV set in According to Jim becomes the real ad.
â¢NBC. NBC this month will try trivia during the ad breaks of Scrubs and another concept in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, but will give no further details.
â¢CBS. It’s talking with individual sponsors and likely won’t employ a "one-size-fits-all" approach, says Jo Ann Ross, sales president.
â¢CW. The network last fall tried "content wraps" â 2-minute ads that include news or information, plus the ad message â and will sell more this year. A "wrap" for Clairol Herbal Essences, for example, included hair-styling tips.
I love this quote from a Ad Pimp executive.
They "create a deeper connection with viewers," says Alison Tarrant, head of integrated marketing/sales.
Yes. That deeper connection is so deep, so deep.
What would happen if the church found out no one was really listening to anything we were saying? Would be rehash old ideas or get innovative and come up some new ones?
I hope the latter, but I suspect the former is true as well.
Filed under: Church Experience, Leadership Principles
