How important are time-shifters in the advertising mix, anyway? Then again, there are some who don’t fast-forward between commercials.
Madison avenue has officially weighed in on the debate surrounding Nielsen’s new TV commercial ratings, adding a new, potentially combustible discussion point: the exclusion of VCR data. In a letter sent to late Thursday to Nielsen CEO Susan Whiting, the American Association of Advertising Agencies laid out the ad industry’s position on Nielsen’s plans to release average commercial minute ratings data beginning this fall.
The letter, which was drafted with input from the AAAA’s influential Media Policy, National Television and Radio, Local Television and Radio, Media Research and Media Technology committees, largely echoes points raised by other vocal groups such as the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau, but adds the new VCR twist. The letter is sure to stir the debate as Nielsen prepares to release the new TV ratings data, and as an ad hoc group of Nielsen clients are planning their own summit in hopes of establishing an industry consensus for how Nielsen should process and disseminate commercial ratings data.
The other issue is where does all this tracking end? What about DVRs? Will they eventually track user data in laptops and handhelds, too? Where is your privacy in all this? They say all this data is anonymous, but can they guarantee that it won’t be abused?
Since I travel a lot for work, I record shows and movies on my DVR and watch them when I return. I was with a group of people recently and someone mentioned an ad. Apparently it’s famous and clever or something. I’ve never seen it since I just skip the ads. Watch a 60 minute show in 44 minutes? Hell yeah! And when I am home, I wait until about quarter after the hour and then start watching a show I’m in the middle of recording. I finish watching just when the show ends on the hour. Bet a lot of people do that, too.
I can tell them right now without even a survey. I skip commercials where I can. I use SageTV instead of Dish networks PVR. When I was using DishPVR I was pressing the foward button all the time to skip commercials. The remore writing is worn off I used it so much. I now use SageTV because you can get a third party software to skip commercials automatically without a remote.
The only reason I have a PVR is to skip commercials. I also skip commericials on Podcasts too.
If the companies ever dissable foward skipping I will just resort to watching DVD’s every night since you can get TV shows without commercials (wonder if that will change too).
The problem is that the younger crowd who is used to being bombarded with commercial advertising does not now the difference of the way it use to be with less advertising EVERYWHERE.
I spend a modicum of time in a couple of home theatre/HDTV forums. In the TiVo-specific groups, our most-asked-for tip is how to program the remote for the 30-second jump.
Screw the commercials! They’re for people who believe that crap, anyway.
Nielsen is at this very moment tracking my DVR usage specificly to track how I time shift. Not only did TiVo call and then write me for authorization to do so so did A.C. Neilson.
Am I a dying breed? I turn on a TV show, or music, and then go about doing something else. If the TV show really strikes my interest I’ll sit down and watch it, or make sure it’s being TiVoed to watch later. The only time I intently watch something is if it’s a movie… or Boston Legal.
Could it be that this move away from advertising is actually making the population more susceptible to advertising placed in shows? It sounds like all of your are actively engaged in watching a program when its recorded, which makes you a willing subject.. the kind of mark advertisers love.
I’m usually out when my favorite shows come on. Sometimes I don’t see a show for as much as six days after the original air date. The most useless ads on are the network promotional ads that promote an episode or movie that already aired or car dealers who have a sale, this weekend only [with anoying flying graphic, but that’s another issue]
James hill is correct. I am usually using my laptop in front of the computer. I wonder if Neilson ratings takes that into consideration?
This big companies hate choice. There are no longer three networks and people’s time is just fragmented into different choices.
There will need to be a different model no doubt. Hell, I’d pay (and do) for something without commercials, I.e. HBO
Yes, many of the shows are recorded and then watched. Like above however, if you can delay watching say a sitcom by 15-20 minutes, you can watch an hours worth of prime time shows without commercials in somewhat real time.
I have been using a DIY DVR for a couple of years (thank you GBPVR!).
To my surprise I often forget to skip through the commercials. For me the major benefit of the DVR is time shifting not avoiding commercials.
My major problem with commercials is the frequency with which the same commercial is aired. If advertisers were a little less sadistic they may find people would be less likely to skip their ads.
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My wife and I cannot stand to watch live TV. In fact, when we do, I forget and try to fast forward through the commercials. I agree with the above poster in that if they ever disable my fast forward button, then it is straight to DVD land for me.
They are slowly killing the Golden Goose with ever more commercials versus content. Even during content they impose those silly assed, flying graphics that promote some damned show that won’t be on for three weeks. I understand that quality content must be paid for somehow, but there must be a better way than dumbed down, repetitive spiels for stuff I never buy anyways. The entertainment industry needs to find a way to provide (and charge) end users for only the content they want, and when they want it.
In other words, give me Stewart and Colbert, The Weather Channel (without those dumbass storm stories), World Music from LinkTV (sans the activist crap) and the occasional movie with naked women and starships and I’m good to go.