There's another solution to this problem: better commercials.
More eTrade babies, less Howie Long / Chevys.
jonathanc
· 1 month ago
97% of what I watch is off the DVR (we don't watch any sports) and we fast forward thru commercials almost without fail. I end up watching the tail end of commercials that are just before the show starts again (as the DVR backs up x seconds when I press "play"). I wonder if the metric is including those commercials as really being watched -- it shouldn't. Its not that I don't look at the commercials (I have to figure out when to press "play"), I just try not to pay attention to them. I have noticed that some commercials have the product on-screen for longer and, even though I am zipping through the commercial, I can't help but notice it. It that isn't intentional, it should be. Has anyone ever done research on how to leave an impression using just fast forward visuals?
bijan
· 1 month ago
You are touching on the key thing.
Here's what my friend told me last night and he knows a lot about this stuff:
"There is a big difference between "ratings" and actual viewership metrics. Think of ratings as a negotiated currency where several of the major parties (Nielsen & the programmers) have overwhelming incentives to ensure that program viewership continues to be used as a proxy for commercial viewership and thereby the basis for pricing advertising inventory. It should never be mistaken for a measurement of what is actually going on in people's homes.
True viewership data reveals a lot more about how people actually watch TV. Unlike ratings data it is collected on a second by second basis so you can actually tell the difference between program time and commercial time. Minute based ratings (like Nielsen) inherently blend content & advertising such that the ads at the beginning and end of a pod almost always get measured as though they are part of the program. There are a long list of other deficiencies with the Nielsen data that are well known in the industry - sample size is too small, even worse on DVRs, not passive measurement, limited local market data, etc, etc."
chrispalsho
· 1 month ago
Great post on a great topic!
The only time I don't fast forward through commercials is when I'm multi-tasking and forget it's a DVR'd program. It's sad, but it happens. Also agree I rarely watch live television except for sports (sorry, big Phillies fan!)
Your post brought back memories of KFC's ad campaign in 2006 when they provided an incentive for people NOT to fast forward through their commercial. With so many DVR owners and veteran commercial skippers, I'm surprised we haven't seen more innovation from advertisers in this area.
All Comments
More eTrade babies, less Howie Long / Chevys.
Here's what my friend told me last night and he knows a lot about this stuff:
"There is a big difference between "ratings" and actual viewership metrics. Think of ratings as a negotiated currency where several of the major parties (Nielsen & the programmers) have overwhelming incentives to ensure that program viewership continues to be used as a proxy for commercial viewership and thereby the basis for pricing advertising inventory. It should never be mistaken for a measurement of what is actually going on in people's homes.
True viewership data reveals a lot more about how people actually watch TV. Unlike ratings data it is collected on a second by second basis so you can actually tell the difference between program time and commercial time. Minute based ratings (like Nielsen) inherently blend content & advertising such that the ads at the beginning and end of a pod almost always get measured as though they are part of the program. There are a long list of other deficiencies with the Nielsen data that are well known in the industry - sample size is too small, even worse on DVRs, not passive measurement, limited local market data, etc, etc."
The only time I don't fast forward through commercials is when I'm multi-tasking and forget it's a DVR'd program. It's sad, but it happens. Also agree I rarely watch live television except for sports (sorry, big Phillies fan!)
Your post brought back memories of KFC's ad campaign in 2006 when they provided an incentive for people NOT to fast forward through their commercial. With so many DVR owners and veteran commercial skippers, I'm surprised we haven't seen more innovation from advertisers in this area.
KFC Campaign: http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/23/kfc-leverage...
that is so misleading. it should read 46% of DVR owners had commercials shown during playback.
people sometimes forget, leave the room, etc... i doubt theyre actually watching. right now its too difficult to measure engagement.