Wade McLemore

On Demand Offers Insight

Wade — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:52:49 +0000

How will TV spots hold their clout? Since the turn of the millennium, television and its viewing audience is continually changing. Much like how radio’s evolution was induced by the introduction of television, television is now adapting to the introduction of new media like the Internet. It used to be that if you wanted to see a show at 8 o’clock, then you will need to find a TV. As we know today, On Demand, DVR, and the emergence of recent Internet sites like Hulu offer opportunities for individuals to watch their favorite network programs at their own leisure.

For advertisers, the change in TV viewing behaviors has forced the use of new strategies and tactics to reach their target. Specifically, fast-forwarding commercials during recorded shows provides an obstacle for advertisers.

According to a Media Life article, “Coming, a Surge in Ad Skipping,” by Kevin Downey, “DVR Research Institute recently released the results of a survey it conducted with ad agency executives about how they’re changing their media buys and commercial executions as viewers increasingly fast-forward through commercials.”

The same article illustrates, “About one-third of homes now have DVRs, and the total number of ads skipped is only about 6 percent across DVR and non-DVR households, but Schultz is predicting that in two years the number of DVR households will increase to 50 percent and the percent of ads skipped in all TV households will rise to 20 percent.”

It is evident that the increasing number of people recording shows and fast-forwarding through commercials will only increase in the future. When television first appeared in our society, it was popular for advertisers to lock into a sponsorship of a particular program. This approach could be used today as a beneficial strategy to combat “fast-forwarding.”

Currently, On Demand shows contain only one sponsor of the show, whose ad in the only ad that appears during the show. As a result, multiple advertisers are not fighting for the highest share-of-voice. Plus, the ads are shown in only one 15-30 second spot during the commercial break, which discourages people from fast-forwarding given its short time frame. The ad seem to never appear back-to-bac. Why should they? It’s not like the ad needs to fight any other ads by different advertisers during that program. I can’t remember the number of times I have seen the new Kool-Aid ads during an On Demand program, but I can remember that my dollar goes further with Kool-Aid when compared to soda (a refreshing message for a poor recent graduate).

iMAGINE Alexandria Pioneers Creative Harbor

Wade — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:16:47 +0000

iMAGINE Alexandria is a movement created by various businesses of Alexandria, Virginia, that aims to establish a 500,000 square foot facility in their city. Their goal is to use this premise as a national hub for commercial creativity. Advertising executives, graphic designers, and other related professionals can use this hub as a resource to stay current with innovative marketing and creative efforts.

The location will consist of five main divisions: a creative museum, an “incubator” (for new businesses), conference rooms, a higher learning department, and a market research lab.

Three of the five divisions for the planned facility are worth mentioning as valuable business tools for the creativity community.

The “incubator” will help new entrepreneurs develop a solid business model for sustainable growth. While in the incubator business owners have access to services like applying for loans, hiring, accounting services, and writing business plans. These businesses will also be introduced to community players of Alexandria like the Chamber of Commerce. The average “incubator business” will spend an average of 18 months before being permanently placed in the Alexandria community.

The “higher learning center” will hold lectures from notable speakers that will to cater to those involved with commercial creativity. Speakers will discuss current trends and other business topics related to the creative field.

The “market research lab” will imitate a retail setting complete with the shelves, racks, and real customers found in any retail setting. The advantage is to provide marketers with a way to test their products and packaging on racking systems. The advantage for creatives is to test their creative concepts. Marketers and creatives from the anonymity of a one-way mirror observe the in-store tests.

A centralized hub that harbors commercial creativity would add exponential value to businesses involved in commercial creativity. Seemingly, each day a new piece of technology is introduced which adds to the rapidly evolving pace of today’s society. A key element for success in commercial creativity is staying current with trends, technology, and media. Movements like iMAGINE Alexandria provide a great avenue for businesses to stay educated with all of the communication changes in today’s society.

This article only scratches the surface of the iMAGINE Alexandria movement. Information found is this article was obtained from imaginealexandria.org. So please, visit their website for a more in depth perspective.