It’s hard to ignore the words of a
television executive with years of experience with major broadcasting
companies. Ted Harbert, current chairman
of NBC, commented to advertisers regarding the use of DVRs to skip commercials,
“This is an insult to our joint investment in programming, and I’m against it.” As much as I avoid actively watching
commercials, his statement makes sense. A person who values the television programs
broadcast should be willing to, as payment, endure the advertisements of
companies who make the programming possible.
From Harbert’s quote, it sounds like he should be planning to stop consumers’
ability to skip commercials, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Why not?
DVRs are
not new. They’ve been around since the
late 90s. If DVRs were going to cut into
television advertising revenue, that bomb would have exploded long ago. VCRs made it possible to fast-forward through
advertisements decades earlier. While it
might be offensive for viewers to skip commercials, it’s not something that
broadcasting agencies seem terribly concerned about, because DVRs are less
popular today than its creators had hoped; streaming television online is a
fast-growing avenue and currently does not allow viewers to skip
advertisements.
People
still watch ads, even if they have the ability to record shows and fast-forward
through commercials. One major reason
is: we’re lazy and disorganized and can’t find the remote. Another is: advertisement agencies are good.
As technology advances and an increasing amount of data about viewers is
available, advertisements are more targeted for you, your family and
friends. That means: you’ll be
interested in the advertisement, you’ll like the advertisement, and you might
even buy into what it’s selling. It’s
effective marketing and you’re less likely to skip it even when the opportunity
is available.
Furthermore,
many advertisers can get their brand in your mind, even if you
fast-forward. A bold, iconic logo will
make an impression, even in a split-second frame. I know a Reese’s ad when I see one. And Target, Geico, or Victoria’s Secret, for
that matter. Marketing people know their
message has to be strong, clear, and memorable in order to be effective. The best ones can even be effective as you
“fast forward” past them. It’s not like
skipping a track on a CD that you don’t like.
You still see frames of the ads as they speed past.
I regularly
watch televisions shows online, as I please, without paying. I don’t even own a television set. I can’t fast forward through commercials, but
I don’t watch them very often either. I
get up and do things around the house for those 90-to 145-second breaks. Even though I rarely pay attention, I know
the Lowe’s commercial, the Disney commercial, the Mazda commercial, and the HEB
commercial (among others), without seeing them.
They’re relevant to me and I don’t mind them. As long as advertising continues to be more
and more custom tailored, it will go on, DVR or no DVR.
