Advertisers need a wake-up call, not product placement in new shows
Filed under: Sex Sells, Celebs & Money
The dismal viewer numbers facing TV networks and advertisers this fall are leading them to do all sorts of tricks to keep putting dollars in the pockets of the entertainment companies and products in front of the eyeballs of consumers. One ramped up approach this season is the integrated product placement that goes so far into the story that shows are weaving story lines around the items. Of course, this is nothing new. Millions of people have been staring at Coke glasses in front of the judges on American Idol for years, and it was more than 25 years ago that E.T. parceled out Reese's Pieces on the big screen for big bucks. But this year's efforts, as detailed in the L.A. Times, go much further, creating side shows (pun intended) -- like Desperate Housewives extra scene involving Sprint and a Heroes subplot about a Palm Pre.
The question is: Does it pay off?
For advertisers and TV networks, the answer is no, because it just defers the question of where the audience is and how ad rates are determined.There's a reason that industry experts have been waiting for a new age of advertising since digital media came into play: It's because consumers are demanding it. Consumers just aren't listening to advertising anymore. They aren't watching network TV or cable as much as they used to, and they aren't paying as much attention to brand names -- buying generics or store brands at record percentages because of the cost savings.
But TV networks and advertisers have long not thought about the consumer experience in their equations. If they did, they certainly wouldn't be trying to create product placements where they don't work naturally, and where anyone watching will be bored or alienated by the intrusion. What consumers want is value. We watch TV because it is available, cheap entertainment. We watch the ads because they are there, but we never really pay attention. Any impact is subliminal, which may have been enough for advertisers at one point, but is not any more. Subliminal is hard now. It's like a pop-under ad that you just ignore or have a program to zap out. If you are a consumer who doesn't want to be bothered, you just adapt some device to you don't see these things -- a DVR or a mute button or simply walking out of the room.
And therein lies the desperation.For ages, the way TV and advertisers have worked hand-in-hand is that the entertainment companies attract people to sit passively and watch and the advertisers pay to promote their wares in front of as many as they can. Traditionally, they paid based on ratings, which were compiled based on a sampling of viewers filling out forms about the shows that they watched. Eventually, much of that process went digital (instead of paper ballots...) but the sampling process remained essentially the same.
The problem with this is that you get only a vague idea of who is watching what, and not any idea at all about what they are doing during the commercials, or if they are paying attention to the show at all and just have it on for background noise.
Anyone who has worked in web publishing, or any web-based business, can tell you that this model is no good. Digital media can tell you exactly who is watching what and who is interacting -- with click throughs, heat maps, users studies. It all leads to granular data about people's habits. Much of this data is available to TV networks and advertisers now, they just have been afraid to tap into it. It has been a game of chicken: Who really wants to know that a new prime time show's viewer numbers aren't anywhere near what the network says they are? Certainly not the network. Not even the advertisers -- lower rates might be welcome, but not at the expense of cachet as numbers would go down across the board.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-30-2009 @ 8:15PM
Koneer said...
Scandal with Michelle Obama! http://tr.im/typU
Reply
9-30-2009 @ 8:18PM
Justin said...
I don't think I ever noticed when they used sub plots like a phone or something, just because it actually does the opposite of what they want. It doesn't make you think about it, because its part of the story. You pass it off as a story element and don't think about it. The BEST way to advertise now is through interest. Make something interesting without advertising it and people will build a fan base around it. Use the internet and "leaked" news of something "big" and people will flock to it.
Reply
10-01-2009 @ 12:52PM
Dona said...
Some product placement efforts are so obvious that they are a complete turn-off. Worse than that, though, are the ads for other shows that pop up on the bottom of the screen. Ugh! TNT is the worst. I'm in the middle of a dramatic scene and and a character from some tv show walks across the bottom of the screen. It's so annoying I often change the channel.
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9-30-2009 @ 8:47PM
LG said...
After the abuse ads on TV from too many in one show, and
too loud--------thank heavens----i can not skip them and
watch my shows-------You guys screwed yourself!!!!
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9-30-2009 @ 9:21PM
Bill Bender said...
I guess its business as usual; but, first they put the same commercial on twice in a row & half of the say,"the American public is Stupid .! Who really gives a S---or even pays any attention to any of your STUPID commercials, REALLY wake up you $.10 millionairs.you aought to be in JAIL W/ madoff & that bunch of arogent BASTERDS & 75% of wall st.Thank GOD we've got a MAN in the Whitehouse instead of that wimpy SOB from Tx.& chaney should just sit down or lay down & shut the F--- up. They had 12 whatever yrs.to F--- the American people!!!!!!! thanks
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9-30-2009 @ 9:40PM
suz said...
Biggest Loser has been advertising products during their show for a long time.
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9-30-2009 @ 9:57PM
kathy said...
already the ads take up about 14 min...out of 1/2 hour .... its called overload...and any sublimitable ad ...taking up how much more.....i wonder...why am i paying for cable when over 50% of the time its ads....but then i dont pay attention to any ads..and i do notice the brand names in movies and shows that dont have a place there....but it doesnt start a pavlof effect......
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10-01-2009 @ 11:24AM
miarphy said...
Nor should it. A lot of these ads aren't to make you run out and buy it. It's just to keep their product top of mind so that when you do go out to buy... for example... soda, you remember that their brand of soda exists.
9-30-2009 @ 10:00PM
upurs said...
now ...how do we get rid of the rich greedy b*stards and their bot licking diplomats...?
Reply
9-30-2009 @ 10:38PM
Jack Kirkpatrick said...
I watch less and less CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox mainstream TV because they have too many commercials 6-8 plus advertising other programs. They will pay the price. I do take breaks and can do more and more and be late 30 secods or eary 30 seconds and then I may read.
Not to worry - PBS and most of what i watch is more edifying; comedies and shows that continue into the next weeks are not grabbing up that many viewers....
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9-30-2009 @ 10:52PM
Cobweb said...
the networks want to know where the viewers are?? Well I'll tell them.
they are right here on the internet where they can watch any show any time and not have to pay for Tivo... and even the web has commercials now.
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9-30-2009 @ 11:21PM
Sprinkle Cookie said...
DVR! DVR! DVR!
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9-30-2009 @ 11:09PM
donny said...
I seldom watch network television, sick to death of them writing into the storyline their liberal agenda, and I am sick of seeing gays, enough is enough!!!
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10-01-2009 @ 12:03AM
Kate said...
ever watch 90210 the kids always use their sidekick phones and nbc's the biggest loser is constantly plugging products... 24 has featured specific cars based on their key sponsors that year... it's getting a lil over the top with product placement
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10-01-2009 @ 12:11AM
melissa said...
People, do what I do. I pre-record the show on my DVR and then I forward through all the commercials. I can't remember the last time I saw a full commercial, maybe when I watched the superbowl? Anyway, I was feed up with all the commercials and decided to make a change, it's totally worth the price of a DVR to not watch commercial either again. Also, you can pause live tv, for when you have to visit the little girl's room or make popcorn.
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10-01-2009 @ 12:53AM
candace said...
I have noticed the "ads" in such nbc shows such as my favorit soap"Days of our Lives" where 2 charters r chatting and then they pull out a box of something(ie cherrios) and kinda chat about how good this is and how this will help them do this ect and it had been going on 4 a few months now I have noticed so I think it is kinda stupid 4 them to weve a story line around products yea, granted , they may help pay 4 the produiction but to "conviently" put then in the show it just kinda ruins the story where they were before they added the :shameless plug 4 a product I think that they should keep them out and just do the regular commuricals or else u might up haveing people not watch these shows anymore b/c of the "ads" that r inserted into the script
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10-01-2009 @ 1:03AM
Terry Harrison said...
Candace, your spelling and sentence structure is atrocious. You had better go back to school and take basic English classes. If you're still in school, I hope your're not past the fifth grade.
10-01-2009 @ 12:59AM
Barbara said...
Dear Networks: Don't you know that it's not just the stupid, mind-numbing, sickening (diareah, erectile disfunction advertized during dinner!) never-ending, too long, redundant commercials --------it's the SHOWS! Aside from a few like House, Two and a Half Men, and Fringe, most of the shows are terrible!! The "Reality" Shows are a joke! The current shows are so bad, we just can't bear it anymore. Everyone I know who still occasionally looks for something to watch, ends up with a re-run of the great old favorites like Mash on Cable. I even know a man who only watches the Korean Channel cuz even without subtitles they're better than our shows and by the way they have NO commercials during the show, only at the end of the show. Want us to watch the commercials? Make them short and make them funny. And GIVE US SOMETHING WORTH WATCHING!
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10-01-2009 @ 1:48AM
jade said...
I noticed this while i was watching heroes the other day. I thought it seemed off the plot for suddenly this phone being important. I use DVR and love it. Ive noticed that most 30minute shows really only last for 15 minutes or so, the rest of time being commercials. I havent really seen a full commercial in moths because i just record all the shows i want to watch then watch them in half the time.
Reply
10-01-2009 @ 2:25AM
CPC said...
I still love my PROSCAN VCR. I record my favs and watch them later. This VCR has a commercial skip function (I wish my DVR did). After it records it goes back and marks all the commercials, then when you watch the program it automatically fast-forwards through them. Very smooth!
Their TV's (and some of RCA's) also have a commercial skip function which you can set with the remote button for about 4 minutes. When a commercial comes on, set the CS time and you can channel surf or watch something else and when the commercial is over, the TV returns to your original program.
SWEET!
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