Nielsen To Begin Measuring How Many People Aren't Watching Commercials
from the bring-back-the-bud-bowl dept
The point of the Nielsen ratings has always been advertising: the more people that watch a show, the higher its ratings, and the more valuable its advertising slots are. The only problem is that the ratings only track how many people watch the show as a whole, not how many watch the ads -- something that can be a valuable distinction for advertisers, and has helped hasten their move away from TV ads to other platforms that offer more compelling and more trackable ad opportunities. Now, Nielsen says it will begin delivering more useful information to advertisers: the number of viewers actually watching ads. Since it will account for channel-surfing during ad breaks and even people going to the bathroom or kitchen, the company says, the new figures are expected to drive ad rates down and further fuel the move away from the standard TV ad to media more fitting today's consumer habits. But they'll also reinforce the need for those advertisers who do stick to TV commercials to make better ads that people will actually pay attention to. Again, the message here isn't that viewers are skipping out on their part of the bargain by not watching ads, but rather that the industry needs to undertake some wholesale changes to make their messages more efficient.
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What A Concept
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joke
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If they can't make enough money with that marketing data to justify giving me the unit for free, they are idiots.
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Brilliant? What?
Honestly I don't want ads cause their mostly boring, and quite repetitive. However if they're actually good they do a qualified job in holding the consumers focus.
A great example? The Snickers commercials. "Happy peanuts soaring over chocolate-covered mountain tops and waterfalls of caramel. Prancing nougat in the middle sings a song of satisfaction to the world." Now that's a quality ad.
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Quality
1. they're interesting/entertaining. I must have watched that AVIS ad with the three suits lip-syncing to Lumbajac 100 times on my TiVo.
2. they're advertising something that I'm actually interested in.
3. they're sponsoring a particularly great presentation. During the Psych pilot, I was so enthralled, I forgot to fast-forward. OK, I wasn't actually *watching* the ads, but they were playing.
So, hey, you stupid, pampered, out-of-touch executives. I know you'd like to think your $#!+ don't stink, but lean a little bit closer, see, your programming really smells like poo-poo-poo...
I suppose that TV execs have developed the same relationship that politicians have to taxation: They see it only as revenue, without considering the value they return for it. That is, they feel entitled.
The good news is that interrupted entitlement is only good for lip service. Now, interrupted livelihood (or the perception thereof) is enough for any citizen to risk life, limb, and/or property in order to preserve "our way of life."
Isn't it cool when pols say that, and you know they really mean "our way of life in these elected/appointed offices"? So cool it makes me shiver.
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Re: Brilliant? What?
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perhaps TV producers could make changes as well
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What about my home brew PVR?
I don't typically watch a show when it airs "live" so my GB-PVR records the show, analyzes it and cuts out all the commercials for me. All automatically!!!
Measure that Nielson!
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Congress Involvement
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Inovate or die
ie. Stop making comercials in the same old boring way, use more product placement in the show and do what donald suggested, making 30 second long commercial slots.
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I'll do the study for them...
Please send me a check for $372,425.21
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Re: Congress Involvement
I've also read that they are going to make it impossible for you to channel surf when a commercial cascade appears.
To say I resent the way they are trying to force people to bow to their rules is an understatement.
And yes,commercials are usually stupid,insulting,boring and about items I really don't give a sparrow fart about.
Add to that,the legenth of each one and the amount piled together that we are expected to watch and be inspired by...Gimmie a break.
For the most part, I never watch them. I do like the Snickers and M& M candy commercials and the latest Mac Vs. PC and some of Intel's ads,but for the most part, ads are a waste of time.
One day,I was in a Dr's office and a pill man came in.
He was pushing his latest product and wanted some pamphlets to be placed in the office that said:"Love your bones."
He went on to explain that patients would see the pamphlet and wonder what it meant and read about the drug and ask the Dr. for it.
In his dreams...
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Can't Wait
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What Bargain?
Today, most people pay for cable or sattelite. Why should we pay $80+ a month and still be forced to watch commercials.
Somewhere along the way, radio and TV separated. You can still get free radio, but put up with the ads, or you can subscribe to satellite radio, and get it ad free.
Where is my subscription based ad-free televison?
In any regards, I think they have this all wrong. There has never been any guarantee that the commercial that airs is being watched. People always could either change channles, mute the TV, leave the room or turn the TV off for a few minutes. All that will result from this kind of "rating" system is that Advertisers will for more obnoxiouis and in your face advertising mechanisms, like forcing you NOT to fast forward your PVR recordings, or pop up ads during regular television broadcasts.
Advertising is a billion dollar industry, and I think this is an industry soley created by advertising agencies. Does McDonald's really need to advertise? Do you need tampon or diaper commercials? Do you need car commercials? I mean, we are inidated with advertising with products we either already readily buy in massive quantities, will buy regardless of the advertising, or are so brand fixated on particular products that no amount of advertising will take us away from them.
In fact, some of the most successful "brands" are things like no-name or store brands, people people buy them because its the cheapest. You can advertise Tide all you want, but when the no-name or store brand is $4 cheaper per bottle, who cares.
It is time for the advertising industry to accept the fact that consumers need a break. Rather then trying to figure out more ways to inidate us with advertising, why not realize that you have had us hooked for years now and advertising has become redundant and in many cases, ineffective.
If I need to buy toilete paper, I get whats on sale, I don't care what any commercial full of kittens have to say. I don't wipe my ass with kittens.
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re:Brilliant? What? by Rich by name, Rich by natur
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why see the ads?
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Why pay to watch ads?
The $13/month I pay TiVo is worth the time saved not having to watch ads.
Note to big entertainment. I am your customer. I am your paycheck. Fear me, respect me and give me what I want. Or insist on your "rights" as a content provider... and watch me walk away with my dollars. Your choice.
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aren
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how many numbers watcing what t v channell
I still do not know how they can say we had ex number of people watching at what ever time.
How on earth can they know?
please let me know how they claim toknow
thank you
rgds
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