What's Next In Marketing

Digital Video Extending, Not Eroding TV

Good article on how digital video is extending the usage of TV as a medium for advertisers as opposed to sending it into obsolete-ville.

http://www.marketingvox.com/archives/2007/01/25/digital-video-extending-not-eroding-tv-viewing-up-in-06/

There is one part of this article I find troubling: the mention of the ability of digital content creators to disable fast-forwarding through commercials by viewers. I have to tell you, any brand that ran a spot that FORCED me to watch it (I've had TiVo since 2000) would be off my list.

Don't force me to watch your spot. Engage me with really smart and creative ads and content so I don't want to fast-forward.

Tell Me Something I Don't Know

A Jupiter Research study has found that 53 percent of online digital video recorder (DVR) subscribers used their DVRs to skip some commercials. If these households were to skip all commercials, the cable and broadcast TV advertising revenue at risk in 2006 would be $8 billion.

http://www.marketingvox.com/archives/2006/05/04/jupiter_dvr_ad_skipping_threatens_8b_in_advertising/

If you've been paying attention for half a second (and if you are in the ad business you better be) then you know DVR's are changing the way consumers consume television...and ads. There are always going to be DVR owners that will skip EVERY ad. Nothing we can do about those folks.

But if we make advertising that is entertaining and engaging, then we'll actually have folks watching ads over and over again, rather than skipping them

Consumer Generated Media Is Part of What's Next

Those of you that are paying attention have been reading a lot lately about the Consumer Generated Media (CGM) craze. From Butler Shine's brilliant Converse Gallery http://www.conversegallery.com/, to the JibJab video of Bush and Kerry singing "This Land is Your Land" http://www.jibjab.com/Home.aspx, to all of the homemade videos on Vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/, short and long form video are becoming part of both the advertising and cultural landscape.

Now the networks are getting in on the deal. Both VH1 and Bravo have announce 30 minute shows dedicated to CGM. here's the details from AdAge (free registration).

http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=47562