Facts and Figures:
In the modern world, viewing technology impacts the effectiveness of commercial messages
 

We’ve come a long, long way from the early days of television when the entire family gathered around that tiny black and white screen and eagerly shared in the latest episode of The Honeymooners or The Jack Benny Show. The American public was so enthralled with the new medium that it would happily devour any programming that was offered, and would even sit through the often-live commercial messages that made it possible.
That was then. Today, the number of channels has exploded, the variety of programming covers the whole spectrum of interests, and commercials have become what many feel is an intrusive part of the medium. As a result, Americans have changed the way they watch TV, and today’s technology is making it easy.

Many of the new on-demand media technologies are designed to limit the viewer’s exposure to commercials. From fast-forwarding through commercials in the show you recorded on VHS to commercial-free video-on-demand, technology has provided consumers with the means to circumvent the messages many businesses rely on to sell their products.

A recent Arbitron/Edison Media Research Study on the on-demand consumer, reported by the Center for Media Research’s April 26th MediaPost, found that:

  • 29% of people who record TV to watch later say the ability to skip through commercials is the primary reason they do so.
  • 19% say the ability to skip through commercials and the ability to time-shift are equally important.
  • 55% of TiVo/DVR users say their digital recorder has a “big impact” on their lives.
  • 81% of consumers have access to the Internet from any location (representing a 50% rise from six years ago).
  • 14% have watched Internet video in the last month; 8% in the last week.

Couple this with the impact of technology on audio delivery – satellite radio, MP3 devices, and radio over the Internet – and traditional advertising channels are being challenged, especially since the most affluent consumers are the ones most likely to use on-demand media. The Arbitron/Edison report recommended that “marketers need to work now on strategies that will cut through in an increasingly on-demand media world.”

If your business is concerned with the effectiveness of your television and radio advertising, it’s time to consult with an integrated marketing firm like MillerWhite, which is not only watching these developing trends, but is also formulating strategies to overcome them.

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