ABC's Ad-Skipping Plan Surprises Media Buyers
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Network Plans to Cancel First Ad Break in Debuts of Fall Shows in Order to Hook Viewers
by Brian Steinberg
Published: September 23, 2009NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- ABC's decision to reduce ad time in the debut episodes of the network's new fall programs has raised the eyebrows of several media buyers.
The Walt Disney network has opted to remove the first ad break from new programs including "Flash Forward," "Modern Family," "Eastwick" and others set to debut this week as part of the new 2009-2010 TV season, as first reported by the Los Angeles Times . Ad buyers are curious as to whether ABC is doing this as part of a bold experiment to keep viewers hooked deeper into each launch episode, or whether its decision to hold back ad inventory during the recent upfront has left it with some free space in the lineup.ABC'Modern Family' will be among the shows to have the first ad break removed.Indeed, several prominent ad buyers interviewed yesterday evening expressed surprise at the maneuver, and said they hadn't heard about it previously. ABC, the Los Angeles Times reported, didn't try to secure a single sponsorship for the idea, which will wind up with viewers seeing more program content and fewer commercials. Last season, rival Fox tried a similar strategy when it sold single sponsors into new shows "Fringe" and "Dollhouse." Fox later dropped that sales tactic in favor of a traditional prime-time sell for those shows this season.
For its part, ABC execs said the ad-reduction idea is part of a larger plan to get viewers hooked on new shows at a time when they have a dizzying array of entertainment choices.
Given "all of the new content that is out there, there is an incredible challenge," said Geri Wang, senior VP-prime-time sales, ABC Television Network. "We've got to break through and devise marketing, formatting and viewing presentations that drive towards making the most noise and getting the most attention we possibly can."
Ms. Wang declined to comment on whether ABC was losing any advertising revenue as a result of the effort, though presumably securing a more devoted viewership would benefit the program's ratings over the long haul, and drive sales in syndication, internationally and in DVDs.
"I don't think it's a gamble," Ms. Wang said. "We are being super-aggressive" in terms of marketing and selling programs.
One ad-buying executive said he believes the idea could have long-term value. "Could their objective be that they saw softness in the marketplace" and decided to use it to some advantage? asked Larry Novenstern, exec VP-director of national and local broadcast at Publicis Groupe's Optimedia. " I don't know, but trying it out, I think it's a good idea," he said. "While it's not in-your-face and I don't think it's really being told to the public in general, I'll be very curious to see if anything happens."
5 Comments
I don't think consumers would delve away from the content as much if the bank of commercials in between it weren't so lengthy, sometimes being as long as 5 minutes on some network channels.
I think its a great idea, nothing annoys you more if you are still trying to decide if you like a new show and you see more ads than the actual show.In Australia network 10 has played with various models such as "seriously short ad break" which is great but not used for all programs.
Traditional media needs to look to pay/cable TV who dont have to fit their ads into a 29min block and if they finish early they fill the gap with short promotional clips, cast/actor interviews or music videos.
Consumers don't want to see more ads, so why not show less ads, this means more value to advertisers and happier viewers. As more viewers have the option such as Hulu why continue to flood consumers with ads. Follow the lead of online and get smarter about your advertising and tailor more to your consumers not your advertisers as they are not the one's you are trying to attract....
I agree ads should be 2-5 secs in length and non intrusive (i.e. not shouting at you). The quality needs to go up and the time reduced. The days of 30-60sec TVC is coming to an end. Digital posters are doing some great non invasive work like the Persil campaign by BBH.
As video and TV become more interactive, I believe that the ad model will evolve into something that is more tolerable to the viewer.Short ads will still serve thier purpose for showcasing brands, but a content provider will also be able to monetize video/TV through interactive mechanisms such as contextual content in the video/TV.
You're watching a show and you see something you like in the program (i.e. clothing, furniture, etc.), a viewer will have the control to expose (and then hide), purchase or bookmark the item. This is something that is being done right now through companies such a ours
I agree with the fact we have so many choices it is best to hook someone quickly with a minimal amount of barriers. In the past cable networks were not producing original dramas, comedies, etc. Then HBO and Showtime got into it. Now most have their own content giving us about 20 choices during prime time for fresh content.
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Saw and Tweeted this morning - forgot to share on Posterous. More importantly, advertisers: RE. THINK. YOUR. MODELS.
