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18 octobre 2005
PVRs, VCRs and Time-Shifting in RSA
Later this year, new video recording technology will be introduced in South Africa. It goes by the name of PVR, or Personal Video Recording. And it has advertisers trembling because viewers will suddenly be able to effectively skip ads.
In all honesty, we've always had the capacity to do so with VCRs, but this new gadget here can record and playback at the same time, giving viewers the ability to skip commercials at will. Imagine stopping a live program, doing an errand, and coming back to watch it at a later time. This is called time-shifting and implies reduced viewing of TV commercials.
What's the difference between a PVR and a VCR? PVRs record TV data in digital format, as opposed to VCRs, which do so in analog format. VCRs use analog cassettes to record and play TV programs, whereas PVRs store data in MPEG format and deposit the data on a hard drive. In essence, then, PVRs are similar to VCRs in functionality (recording, playing back, fast forwarding, re-winding, etc), but can also instantly jump to any part of the program without re-winding or fast-forwarding the data stream. Bye ads.
Will time-shifted viewing reduce the effectiveness of TV commercials in South Africa? It remains to be seen. Has it reduced the effectiveness of TV commercials in America and Europe?
To prevent ad-skipping, advertisers may need to shift their focus to live TV shows or even consider other media options. This means that sport and news slots as well as ads positioned first and last in the break, will be sold at a premium, due to the greater likelihood of them being actively viewed. The number of ads in a break is also expected to diminish.
[Source]
octobre 18, 2005 dans Advertising | 
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Commentaires
What is really the point of developping techs to prevent ad skipping, I wonder. People can always skip manually or physically (look elsewhere, get out of the room)or mentally (focus on something else, chat with friends) while ads go on. Best practice would be to focus on relevance in contents and planning. Or why not try and see skipping as media in itself :)
now, It occurs to me that the harder we try to deprive the consumer of freedom to skip, the more he will want it back and tend to skip. Plus, imagine it were actually possible to keep people in front of commercials : would it make those more effective ? would it increase persuasion and leads ? to be proved. I tend to think no.
If someone wants a commercial or a brand silent every now and then, let it be. They won't listen anyway. Running the risk of having their ears shut not merely momentarily but forever is brandruining, what do you think ?
By the way, I am glad you are blogging again. I read youtr previos post, first one for a long time, with some kind of emotion. Which reminded me of that note about silence.
Rédigé par: flo | 27 oct 2005 23:36:44
Hi there Flo,
I don't think they could come up with tech stuff to prevent ad-skipping; they would have to use live shows or do something else.
If I wanna skip an ad I wanna be able to do so.
As you suggest, we cannot keep viewers in front of their tellies by force.
I'm glad I'm back, too, thank you. It's proving to be a real challenge, however, seeing as to how I'm snowed under with work and with family matters. Cheers to you.
Rédigé par: Rethabile Masilo | 28 oct 2005 12:56:02
Hi to both of you,
I think also that we are still talking about a mass media even if all those technologies tend to increase 1to1 communication.
Then it is mostly a stat game. It works on some, and this is enough for advertisers.
It reminds me the fact about junk mail. Usually we all say "I never read junk mail, why do they continue sending me those letters?".
Because it works...
Rédigé par: /reza | 2 nov 2005 12:07:20
Hi Flo, Ret & Reza!
I have been absent for a while (too much work & house vandalized!) - it's good to be back...
In the States, the ad-skipping phenomenon has led advertisers to exploit different strategies, such as product placement in the actual programme. So, for example, someone in a sitcom will be drinking from a can of Coke with the brand name in evidence in the shot. Sometimes it gets riduculous, with characters drinking Coke at every possible opportunity. The 'advertisers' pay more depending on the number of shots featuring their product/brand and on the profile of the placement (in other words, you pay more - much more - if your product is featured in the foreground of the opening scene of a programme etc). It's almost a return to the 1950's, when TV shows were sponsored by brands, except it is much more subtle; what could be more natural than a character saying "I'm hungry - phone Pizza Hut and order a Family Size Stuffed Crust(tm). They have a special two for one offer tonight"? Subliminal? Yes...
Rédigé par: andrew | 3 nov 2005 12:52:32
Actually, one of the things I like about watching old videos is seeing old adverts again! I watched my wife's tape of Rocky from the late 80's and the most interesting thing about it was the ephemera - old adverts, news broadcasts... It's sometimes good to see these things in context - to see how far advertising has advanced in the last two decades, for example.
Rédigé par: andrew | 3 nov 2005 15:56:03
...house vandalized
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Sorry to hear that, Andrew. It sucks.
In the States, the ad-skipping phenomenon has led advertisers to exploit different strategies, such as product placement in the actual programme.
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I couldn't see them doing anything else but manipulating the product (in this case the film) from the source. I couldn't because I know that if they mess with my machine or my remote control I switch makes, and I'm not the only one who feels that way, I bet.
Why not just get the protagonist to wear a "Coke is it" T-shirt? I suppose advertising on sports uniforms (have you watched a football match lately?) is another way of outfoxing ad-skippers. One jersey will have four or five sponsor logos on it. As you say, it's ridiculous.
I also wonder about the "exportability" of the approach. Will Europe, France, adopt it? I remember that in the States (when I was there) competitive advertising was routine, and didn't shock. Saying product X is worse than my product just got product X adspeople to say my product was worse than theirs. Full-stop. To this day, that has not really been adopted in France.
Rédigé par: Rethabile Masilo | 7 nov 2005 13:01:04
I don't think everything is "exportable" : I remember the ironical laughs when Puma or msn appeared on the screen in "the island", or in the latest "mission impossible" that looked like a huge l'Oreal commercial featuring Tom Cruise, for instance. Yet, with a bit of humor you can do a lot of things : it works "second degree" and there is no manipulation ; latest James Bond with Pierce Brosnan is a nice example. The real point is, in such uses you have to have consideration for people in adverts, tou have to create a kind of complicity. It is the empathic, affective side of it. If it is gross or manipulating, it does not work. The motto for it could be something like : "be strategic but somehow light".
Andrew, I hope you are doing and feeling well despite of what happened to your home.
huh by the way if you saw "the Island", there is a very good integration of commercials, the moment when Scarlett Johanson (as "product")stares at the CK ad featuring her humane referent. A great "mise en abyme", that goes much further than mere use of commercial.
Rédigé par: flo | 7 nov 2005 18:08:51
Things are a lot better chez moi now... thanks!
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latest James Bond with Pierce Brosnan is a nice example
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Actually, James Bond films have had this philosophy since the 1960's - "Dr. No" featured placement of Pan-Am, Red Stripe and Smirnoff (although Bond in "Die Another Day" now drinks Finlandia...) But up to now it has been done subtly, integrating the brands as part of Bond's personality - Bollinger champagne, for example. "Die Another Day" places around 20 brands.
Rédigé par: andrew | 14 nov 2005 14:39:29
