ANA Marketing Maestros

What Can Advertisers Learn from TV?

By Susan Burke

CBS’s hit show How I Met Your Mother is not only funny, but also a great example of how a sitcom has extended its life beyond a 30 minute time slot. Fans of How I Met Your Mother can visit the show’s homepage to access character blogs, trivia games, full episodes, and desktop apps. Many other shows offer this type of content on their homepages, but How I Met Your Mother has raised the bar by also designing separate websites to house the videos “created” by characters from the show (and they make a lot of them!), such as Marshall’s “Best Night Ever” video, Barney’s video resume, or the now expired SlapBet countdown clock.

These videos allow the show to remain a part of viewers’ lives after Monday night has come and gone. They also can be easily forwarded to friends who may not even watch the show. Additionally, NBC’s The Office has gotten into the value-added video game with their new “Subtle Sexuality” music video, featuring characters from the show.

   

These videos help TV shows reach and excite their biggest fans. They also give the people who work on the show a chance to push the envelope beyond what can be shown on TV because of time restraints or content issues. Why aren’t more advertisers doing the same? Value-added, entertaining, online content is a great way to turn a casual consumer into a brand loyalist.

Are Things Looking Up for TV in 2010?

By Susan Burke

According to recently released reports, the Television Bureau of Advertising is predicting an increase in advertising revenue for 2010, as a result of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the U.S. mid-term elections, both of which are expected to lead to an influx of dollars into the TV ad market.  

Additionally, Disney’s CFO, Tom Staggs, announced that they have started to see improvements in ad sales for local markets, as well as among automotive manufacturers on the national stage. Recently, General Motors ventured back into the advertising market with an ad featuring their new chairman, Edward E. Whitacre, Jr. The ad offers customers a full refund (within 60 days of purchase) if they are not happy with their new GM vehicle:

New TV shows, such as The CW’s The Vampire Diaries (yes, I watched it), the network’s biggest series debut to date, are still drawing in viewers during their regularly scheduled time slots, potentially indicating that some ads are surviving the much discussed DVR blitz.

Does all of this point to a recovery? It’s too soon to tell, but it’s certainly better news than what we’ve been hearing for the past few months.

Drawing Attention to Yourself by Going Local

By Adrienne Tallacksen

My daily commute takes me past a local gym. I always look forward to checking out the latest advertisement they have to get people in the door, which is posted on a chalkboard easel on the sidewalk. The handwritten ads sometimes feature quotes (always altered in some way to play up the fitness angle), sometimes verge on offensive (needling those who might not be physically fit), and sometimes they aren't ads at all (a simple "YAY!" was posted on November 5th after President Obama was elected). The messages are often targeted to the Jersey City, NJ audience with references to local restaurants and even our most recent political scandal. Above all, the ads are clever and witty and almost always get my attention.

The gym is part of a small New York/New Jersey chain, so it may be easier for it to target the local audience than it would be for a national advertiser. But new tools are making targeted ads possible on a larger scale. At a meeting of the ANA's Television Advertising Committee Meeting in March, committee members learned about how Canoe Ventures is using community addressable advertising to target television viewers in different markets.

When an ad is targeted at people who live in my community, I feel like I can relate to the advertiser, even if I might not be interested in its product. This can be a powerful connection for marketers to make with consumers.

Is Online Video Advertising More Effective Than TV Advertising?

By Susan Burke

At a recent ANA Brand Management committee meeting, a presenter from Nielsen IAG shared the following information:

• A piece of creative running on a site such as Hulu.com (or ABC.com, NBC.com, CBS.com, etc.) delivers more effective advertising in terms of brand and message recall, than the same piece of creative running on TV. (Click here to see the snapshot and presentation.)

This nugget of information spurred a great deal of discussion in the meeting. Some attendees agreed with this finding, while others argued against it. To me, it makes sense that an ad running on an online video site has more of an impact than one on TV for a few reasons:

1. Conditioning: If I happen to be watching live TV, I will generally take the garbage out, channel surf, or leave the room during a commercial break. Most of us know how long the average commercial break is, so we are usually able to time our return to the couch perfectly.
2. DVRs: As I said in my first point, “If I happen to be watching live TV”—this activity happens rarely. Commercials are generally skipped, thanks to my DVR. However, you can’t fast forward through an online video ad.
3. Appreciation: When an ad is shown during an online video, I often find myself feeling grateful to the advertiser. Their sponsorship of the program means that I can watch it at my leisure, so I don’t mind viewing a 30 second spot in return.
4. Captive Audience: When commercial breaks occur during an online video, they are much shorter than a television commercial break. Therefore, I’m more likely to watch the ad, as opposed to doing something else during it. I can pause or mute the ad, of course, but I’ll still have to play it at some point if I want to finish the show.
5. Recall: My recall of an ad played during an online episode of a TV show is generally stronger than my recall of an ad played during the televised episode. This is because there are generally fewer total commercials during an online video.

While I think there is still a purpose to television advertising, I also believe that online video advertising is an avenue that many advertisers should explore more thoroughly. Online video isn’t going anywhere, so it’s time to embrace it.

A Fish Named Dorothy

By Susan Burke

I rarely watch commercials. Thanks to my DVR, I can record 30 Rock, start watching it at 9:45 (as opposed to 9:30), and fast forward through all the commercials, while still ending the show on time at 10. This not only saves me time, but also allows me to avoid some particularly grating commercials that seem to be in heavy repeat these days.

However, there is one commercial I genuinely like. In fact, I like it so much that I almost always stop fast forwarding to watch it. It’s a commercial from Microsoft, featuring a little girl named Kylie and her fish Dorothy. If you haven’t seen it already, take a look:

All marketers know that a good commercial, among other things, tells a story, tells you something about the product, provokes an emotional response, and is memorable. For me this commercial does all of that. It’s not only adorable, but it also isn’t quite as aggressive as some of the other PC vs. Mac commercials out there, which makes it seem more like a slice of life as opposed to a sales pitch (even though it is still very much a sales pitch). Plus, if Kylie can do it, chances are that I too can improve my photographs with the click of a button.

In the end, there’s no way to know exactly how or why a consumer will connect with your commercial. I like this particular ad because not only does it work as a sales pitch, but it also makes me laugh and we could definitely use more of that these days.

(Of course, once you’ve come up with a great idea for your next commercial, you still need to produce it.
 
For a case study, click here to learn how Kraft handles their television commercial production.)

Respect Your Customers or They’ll Look Elsewhere

By Adrienne Tallacksen

I don’t own a TV. It wasn’t really a conscious decision—after my husband’s TV broke and I had to give a borrowed one back to its owner, we just didn’t bother to replace them. I can’t say I’ve missed having a TV all that much, but there are a few shows I still like to watch, and like many others, I watch them online.

There’s one show I’ve been watching online for a couple of years. The network, which will remain nameless, was nice enough to post the entire first season so I could catch up with the program after I’d missed the show’s broadcast television debut. I’ve enjoyed watching the show in an online setting. I can pause and rewind if needed, and while there are the same number of commercial breaks online as during the TV broadcast, there has been only one commercial per break…until now.

I don’t mind commercials—that’s not the problem here. In fact, I’d rather watch a program with a few commercials from a legal source than go to the trouble of looking for illegal downloads. My problem is that instead of getting the expected single 30-second commercial, it’s now followed up by another 15-second commercial. This may not sound like a big change, but it was startling and surprisingly annoying that commercial breaks are now half again as long as they used to be. I know, 15 seconds is next to nothing compared to a 45-minute program, but as a viewer I felt disrespected.

One 30-second commercial seems to have been the standard, but apparently the standard has changed. Now that there are two commercials, I’m more likely to spend the commercial break annoyed that there are two commercials, rather than give any of my attention to the commercials that air.  When I knew there was only going to be one commercial, it did catch my attention, especially when one company advertised throughout the program. In my mind, this is a double whammy for advertisers—the consumer is annoyed and is also not paying attention to their ads.

This change isn’t enough to make me stop watching the program entirely, but it was enough to make me switch to Hulu.com, which carries the same program. And, for now at least, Hulu has stuck to one commercial per break, so that’s where I’ll be going to watch TV online.

Consumers "Crash The Super Bowl"

By Irina Skaya

In my last blog, I talked about the value of being innovative and engaging consumers during the economic slowdown. What’s more ground-breaking and engaging than user-generated advertising? 

The two best-rated ads during Sunday’s Super Bowl were consumer-generated ads for Doritos.  Every marketing conference I attend, I hear of the importance of putting ourselves, marketers, into the shoes of consumers. Our products must reflect the needs of the consumers. Consumer insights are a key to creating ads. So why aren’t more marketers letting their own consumers create ads for their products? Won’t these ads engage more target consumers and be more relevant?

User-generated advertising is much more cost-effective; it’s basically free! Plus, there is a tremendous potential for PR. The other benefit of user-generated content is the possibility of discovering brand new advertising talent—advertisers are always seeking the next big creative genius. So why aren’t marketers embracing consumer-generated advertising as much as they should? 

Don't be afraid of not receiving high-quality ads. There are plenty of campaigns that have launched contests for consumer-generated advertising, and have received high-quality content. Consumers also like the opportunity to be creative because they feel they have some impact and some ownership. They put a lot of time and thought into what they are doing.  There's something to be said about an ad created by someone who really loves the product, versus what you get from someone who is paid.

Take a look at examples from HP, Apple, Converse, and of course Doritos. Below is one of the Doritos ads from this year’s Super Bowl.

Technorati tags: Super Bowl user-generated consumer-generated Doritos ad Apple HP Converse consumer engagement

Grab the chips and dip, It’s Super Bowl Commercial Time!

By Barry Garbarino

It’s hard to believe that it was just 25 short years ago when a small company made a big impact on the national stage with their single Super Bowl advertisement (and this being the only time it ever ran on national TV.)  Movie Director Ridley Scott helped not only usher in the age of the Apple Computer, but also the cinematic television commercial. 

Take another look at this iconic advertisement.

Without fail, each year the Super Bowl offers up to its audience at least one or more new advertising concepts.  Good or bad, remembered or not, commercial viewing during this event almost becomes a sport in its self.  This year, we have a few 3-D entries for viewers to judge (for those lucky few who found the 3-D glasses!)  Along with perennial sponsors, the game will almost certainly have a commercial that will have people talking at the water cooler on Monday morning.

Now I would like your opinion, the blog reader, what have been some of your favorite, not so favorite or just plain crazy Super Bowl commercials?  After the game let us know and next week we will post a few of them on here.  We will also feature what sites reviewed the ads and what are some of the industry’s favorite picks.

As for me on Sunday, I will be at home lounging on the couch in my snuggie watching the commercials and the game.

Recession’s Impact on the Super Bowl Advertising '09

By: Irina Skaya

During good economic times, Super Bowl advertising is expensive but in a recession is the return on the investment valuable enough to spend a swooping $3 million on a 30-second spot?  The other interesting question is what will be the tonality of the brands like in this economic hurricane, humorous and risqué, or more somber?

Many companies who routinely advertise during the NFL's biggest game of the year will still continue to do so. They argue that Super Bowl ads reach the largest audience (approximately 95 million people) at one time. Those who are pulling back are beginning the question the value of their ads in this traditional medium. 

Whether or not you are advertising during the Big Game this year, there are a few things you should keep an eye on. Below are some recommendations by top-level executives for those who did purchase a spot in this year's Super Bowl:

PBMAI
Kellogg Super Bowl Advertising Review
AdAge

TV widgets...upcoming trend of 2009?

By: Irina Skaya

Apparently, widgets are taking on a new life--they are now coming to a TV near you! And who is behind this revolutionary thinking? Yahoo! in partnership with Samsung, Sony, LG Electronics and VIZIO announced their launch of an internet widget-based function for the TV, this week at the CES conference. The idea behind this Widget Channel is to develop mini-applications that can complement TV viewing with information from the Internet, providing viewers with relevant and targeted information while enhancing their television watching experience. Widget Engine combines key attributes of the Internet, including openness, community, and personalization, with the power of television.

This is great for advertisers because the widget could allow users to purchase products advertised on TV from online store. There are several applications planned such as MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, eBay, CBS, Netflix, Blockbuster, New York Times and various Yahoo! widgets.

We all know that despite the rise of the Web, TV is not going anywhere. People still spend more time watching television than they do on the Internet. TV widgets is a great way to converge the two. For instance, MySpace users will be able to access the widget using a remote and type message to their friends using an on-screen keyboard. Flickr users will be able to share photos with family and friends or watch a slideshow on their TV screen. Many of the widgets are still in the development process, but you can preview them here.