Television networks across the globe are trying to come to grips with personal recorders that zap commercials, a proliferation of viewing choices that greatly segment the consumer, and, in Eastern Europe, TV commercial blocks that can last 15 minutes.
The various media rating services can produce all types of evidence that suggests television remains the most effective medium to reach the greatest number of people. No one is arguing with that premise.
However, if you believe such message delivery moves the viewer to action - to buy this product or to respond to commercial stimuli - then I have some swampland in Florida to sell you, along with, of course, the Brooklyn and London Bridges.
A recent survey in the United States revealed people between the age of 13 and 34 spend 84 per cent of their free time surfing the Internet. The same survey showed that only one in four of the same age could name the four major television networks. Could figures in Eastern Europe be that far behind?
In my view, television commercials -- the way they are currently presented in segments of less than a minute--are marginally effective in sustaining the brand, but come up short when it comes to building a brand. And most brands are in the building stage.
If the above does not ring true, asks yourself a couple of questions, even if you are in the advertising industry:
• Do you patiently stay glued to the television during a run of multiple commercials, or do you casually get up and fix a snack, visit the bathroom, or perhaps read a chapter of War and Peace.
• When a viewer has the choice of 25, or 50 or in some places, 100 channels, do you wonder if landing on your particular spot at a certain time on a certain station sometimes seems the physical equivalent of a casino visit.
Okay, you ask, why is television the favored medium of most advertisers who have the budget? Well, for one, it still costs less to reach the consumer through television than any other medium, and it does remain marginally effective.
After that, however, it's pop psychology in Disneyland.
My view is that television is so popular because advertising agencies and advertisers like to make commercials. The agency strains for creativity, and the advertiser wants to be part of that creative process.
If you have ever been on a television shoot, you will recognize the scenario when both the agency and the client representatives have views, and they are often opposing views. This is not bad, and it can result in a better, and more focused commercial.
But not always.
However, there is a certain glamour to making television spots. I wrote and directed my first one in 1985. I still remember the script. It won a local award and finished third in ADDY (Advertising Federation of America) competition in Atlanta. At that time, though, there were only three networks and an independent channel available in the market.
Times have changed. The TV spot should merely be a reinforcement tool in the marketing mix. If you think of it as the cleverest way to deliver messages to your audience, remember that your audience is off slathering mayonnaise on a sandwich.
It is now more effective to reach the audience by creating a personal bond with the consumer, by talking directly to that consumer through targeted media, such as Internet strategies, direct contact, and yes, in certain circumstances, specialized TV.
By creating individual consumer profiles and mining that golden vein, you have a better chance to not only reach your consumer, but to communicate with your consumer. This is how you move an audience to action.
Is the 30-second spot really dead, as I suggest? Probably not. But it is on a life support system. It won't last the decade in its present format.
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