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cross-platform deals Very few advertisers are integrating online May 15, 2008
With one more day of broadcast upfront presentations to go, one trend that has emerged is the networks’ emphasis on cross-platform ad deals. NBC Universal focused its entire presentation on its companywide cable, broadcast and new media options, CBS started its announcement with a discussion of parent company CBS Corp.’s overall performance, and ABC and the CW emphasized their online programming successes. Perhaps that’s because, while many advertisers pay lip service to cross-platform advertising, few are actually integrating their on- and offline campaigns. That’s the finding of a new study from DoubleClick Performics, the digital marketing division of the online ad serving company, which examines the most effective forms of advertising and also delves into the media habits of DVR owners. The study finds that TV ads make by far the strongest impression on consumers, while online lags far behind. Other conclusions: DVR users watch very few commercials, fast-forwarding through the vast majority, and the content of some ads gets lost when a consumer is engaging in media multitasking. Stuart Larkins, senior vice president of search at DoubleClick Performics, talks to Media Life about the growth of DVRs, cross-platform advertising, and what media people need to know about it.
What did you find most interesting or most surprising about this study? This signals that there is still a need for a strong mix of marketing efforts. In other words, big-brand advertisers that spend significant amounts of money on offline advertising, television ads, for example, continue to miss out on very cost-effective opportunities to carry that message online. We ran across very few advertisers who supplement their sponsorship of a television program by also sponsoring that same program in different online venues such as Hulu.com or network web sites. This doesn’t make much sense; if the advertiser has identified those viewers as appropriate targets, then why not also communicate with them online where they lack the option to fast forward through advertisements?
What is the most important thing that media planners and buyers can take from the study? The data enable companies to improve their media spend by targeting the best consumers and getting their brand in front of the right audience in the right places, not exclusively through television brand advertising or other isolated channels.
Based on your findings, would you say DVR owners generally have a lower tolerance for commercials (on- or offline) than the general population? Since purchasing a DVR, nearly half of respondents watch more television, but 85 percent watch fewer commercials.
Why do such a high number of DVR owners also watch TV programs on the web? Is it simply a matter of them being early adopters? The primary reason for watching television programs online is that the respondent missed seeing the program when it aired live (60 percent). Almost one-quarter of respondents think that they will watch more television programs online in the future.
It’s possible that multi-tasking could be part of the reason here. Another dynamic to consider is that consumers won’t always report being attentive or receptive to ads even though they may very well be paying attention either directly or subconsciously.
We think a big reason for the disparity here could be the understanding among consumers of search ads. In other words, many consumers are not aware that “sponsored links” are advertisements. This could be generating an unfair perception among web users of the credibility or source of these “sponsored links.”
However, the usual primetime and late-night TV lineups are the most highly-recorded types of programs for DVR owners. Consumers generally are more interested in watching sports and other types of events live, as they happen, whereas some other types of programming work just as well after their original air date.
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