Bad Commercials Trigger DVR Fast Forwarding
from the why-am-I-watching-this? dept
While the story linked here is mostly about yet another overhyped prediction saying that TiVo-like DVR devices are “a threat to commercial advertising,” there are two interesting points that seem obvious — but haven’t gotten much attention in these debates. The first is that, while everyone figures out how to fast forward through commercials, some people apparently forget until a bad commercial comes on. In other words, they’re fine watching a commercial that seems interesting, amusing or relevant — but when the bad commercials come on, they realize they are wasting their time. The second point is that users of DVR’s, while fast forwarding through commercials do tend to be paying close attention to what’s on the TV, looking for “heavily branded screenshots” that indicate it’s time to stop fast-forwarding. While this idea has been taken and tweaked to lead to TiVo’s popup ads during commercials, it does make you wonder if advertisers will start designing more TiVo-friendly commercials which would be heavily branded, even for people fast forwarding through. It might also mean that some TV shows could try a branded intro shot, with a statement along the lines of “Stop fast forwarding NOW!” which could also be sponsored by various brands — though, that could annoy non-DVR using watchers.
Comments on “Bad Commercials Trigger DVR Fast Forwarding”
viability of advertising-based business model
I am all for PVRs, and they’re acting as a stepping stone towards full-blown on-demand media-over-IP, but I still am skeptical at how an advertising-centric business model such as that employed by traditional broadcast television will translate to a widespread on-demand situation.
merging content and commercials
I wouldn’t be surprised if the issue is resolved by merging commercials into programs. It’s happening already with “product placements,” not to mention the various “home shopping” channels, which are nothing but continuous commercials.
Re: merging content and commercials
I would think (or I suppose “hope” is the more realistic word) that programming influenced by marketing to the extent that they are essentially elaborate advertisements in themselves would not survive very long in an on-demand environment.
Though that’s my opinion. There probably is somebody out there who would want to download an hours-worth of infomercial, or the jewelry specials on “QVC.”
Afraid of truth
TV advertising has always been a scam. The returns per dollar tend to be pretty low and Tivo is just showing that. As they stuff more commercials in, the effect is just more reduced, but the ad industry is based on oversaturation. Think about a half-hour show with literally one commercial of a minute. It would have a million times more effect than the current mode. Nobody would probably bother to fast-forward or tune out of it anyway.
Re: Afraid of truth
I’ll buy that, akatsuki…One ad per half hour is more powerful than 4 ads. Though the bottom line for the networks would likely be significantly reduced with less advertisers investing in each hour of their day.
They could offset the lesser number of advertisers by increasing the cost of that ad slot. But if four ads were sold at $250,000, that means one ad, instead, would alone be worth $1,000,000 to make the same revenue – which might not be worth it for most.
But you do highlight the most significant flaw with advertising-based business… There is no concrete way for companies to connect their advertising to their profits. They can only put their message out there as effectively and often as possible and pretend that the increase in profits results from that marketing effort.
And if most people were like me in this country, preferring to hit up Google for actual feedback on products, rather than depending on marketers to BS their way into my pockets, then the advertising business model has much to worry about. Then again, I am very weird.
Screaming Commercials
Those screaming commercials in particular Billy Mays oxy commercials are very bad. My husband and I have to mute our TV whenever he and other screaming commercials come on. Why do they have to scream? We’re not deaf.
Company exects think that the louder commercials become the more products they will sell. Well, in my opinion “the product sells itself”. Advertisers throw away a lot of money on stupid commercials because they think it sells. They don’t realize that their commercials are extremely rude and that their products can sell themselves.
Product companies need to hire real professional commercial creators who know how to create classy and pleasant commercials in good taste, not these commercial so called artists who put out cheap and horrible, loud, crude and junky commercials. There, I got it off of my chest.
Re: Screaming Commercials
Thank you for telling me this guys name – I can’t stand his yelling either!! I get almost physically ill when I hear his voice!! Now I’m even afraid he’s doing more than the oxy commercials. I even called Oxy to complain!! They don’t have a website contact or I’d post it here.
Suppose we could get a petition to have him stop yelling!!
Locally we even have a carpet company that creats soft commercials and say that they KNOW we don’t like to be yelled at!! Guess where I’m buying carpet next time.
Loud TV advertising
There are so many ads that only SCREAM at you. Then they added FLASHES, explosions and more yelling. Enough already.
If your shorts are too tight, get some that fit better. Stop yelling at everyone. Lower your pitch and your volume.
Go back to the 60’s where the product QUIETLY appears, the benefits are QUIETLY layed out on the table, the customer is informed of the benefits and remembers the name of the product and goes to buy it.
Present day ads will take up to 10 minutes in any 30 minutes of show. They will show 10 to 20 ads and repeat some of them at least 2 times during any break. The advertised product has nothing to do with the show and in many cases, nothing to do with the other ads being shown.
How effective is it when you are instructed to do something and in 15 seconds, someone else instructs you to do this, then another person (ad) pulls you this way. Repeat this 10-15 times during a commercial break, then try to remember what you really needed to do. IMPOSSIBLE. Save your money, stop yelling at us and find honest work that society as a whole can benefit from. If all you can do in life is run your mouth and scream and yell, you are not of much value.