A couple of related news stories last week suggest some possible survival strategies for advertisers in the age of Tivo and other personal video recorders.
Last week Tivo and Google announced a deal in which Google will record “anonymous, second-by-second DVR viewing data from TiVo” devices so that companies that purchase TV ads through Google will have a more precise measurement of an ads exposure. This would include knowing which ads are being watched and which are being skipped.
And it will be granular enough to know which ads are being partially watched. For example, when using the Tivo remote control to skip over ads, most users see at least a few seconds of the commercial before the programming resumes. Data backing up that assumption could lead to increased pricing for that coveted time.
“By using TiVo’s massive samples and second-by-second granularity in its currency measurement, Google TV Ads can now provide an order of magnitude of improved accountability for advertisers,” Tivo said in a press release.
It comes as no surprise that Google would use its vast analytical capabilities to figure out how to better monetize advertising on devices like Tivo. After all, they already slice and dice users’ Web surfing habits to deliver maximum benefit to their online advertisers. And, as long as they keep the reporting completely anonymous, I’m not going to lose much sleep over the privacy implications, though I understand why
some people might be concerned about how technology now makes it possible to track our TV viewing habits along with our Web habits.What I find more interesting is that, according to Advertising Age, Tivo is teaming up with MillersCoors to display Coors Light ads when people fast forward, rewind or pause during NFL games.
Tivo-owning football fans are twice as likely to watch the games live than other programming, according to Ad Age, which says only 20 percent of first-run football games are viewed on a time-shifted basis. Still, that’s a lot of viewers and, if this works out well for football games, we will likely see it with other types of programming.
What concerns me more than putting up what amounts to a banner ad while a viewer is skipping a commercial is the embedding of advertising into the program, which, of course, makes these messages immune to Tivo’s fast-forward button.
We’re already seeing little ads on the corner of the screen during some entertainment programs — mostly promos for other shows on the same network. I find that annoying and distracting but at least it’s honest advertising. I’m more bothered by product placement.
Apple Macintosh has only a single-digit share of the computer market. Yet, whenever you see someone use a computer on TV or in a movie, the odds are good it’s a Mac. When you see someone drinking a Coke on a TV show, it’s not likely because the actor happens to prefer Coke over Pepsi. It’s because of a business deal.
I worry there will be pressure to include embedded ads and product placement in TV news as well. There was a time when network news was more of a service than a money-making venture. The networks used it to add to their prestige with viewers and with Congress and the FCC.
Today, TV news departments are “profit centers,” which is one reason we’re seeing an increasing blur between news and entertainment. “News” shows like NBC’s “Dateline” and CBS’s “48 Hours” cater to our collective fascination with real-life crime drama while local, cable and network news programs are increasingly becoming venues for what amounts to gossip. It’s also becoming commonplace for TV news programs to hype that network’s entertainment shows.
It’s also common for TV talk shows like “The View” or “Oprah” — not technically news programs — to hype products for a fee. There is often a disclosure in the credit roll at the end of the show but you might not know it from watching and listening.
At a time when media companies are hurting — partly because of changes in technology — I suppose I should applaud creative ways to keep the doors open and free content flowing. But I worry about integrity.
Call me naive, but I believe that journalists and even entertainers should have a higher calling than just making money. Sure we need to pay our bills, but I grew up during a time when journalism was a highly respected profession, along with law and politics. How times have changed.
Be the first to comment