In a land before our time
The traditional 30-second TV spot is dead - or at least doomed to die. That is Joseph Jaffe's diagnosis in his first book "Life After the 30-Second-Spot".
30-second TV spot is dead - or at least doomed to die. That is
Joseph Jaffe's diagnosis in his first book "Life After the
30-second spot." Large US companies are always giving
still spend significantly more money on television advertising than on any other
form of advertising, but their share is steadily declining. In 2001
the 50 largest clients invested 56 percent of their advertising budgets
in TV commercials, one percentage point less in 2004. Trend continues
declining. And this at a time when, according to TNS Media Intelligence, the
advertising expenditure increased in the USA.
Consumers, who are bombarded with up to 5000 advertising messages a day
are overwhelmed. The day after, they can
only remember two TV commercials. They are also much more critical
and are happy to look away during the commercial breaks. More and more often
technology supports them in this: although only 5 percent of all
US households own a DVD recorder, but two thirds of
Owners skip the television commercials when they watch one of their
View recordings.
Advertise more efficiently and effectively than with traditional commercials
That is why more and more companies in the USA are considering
more efficiently and effectively than with traditional advertising channels.
(and expensive) 30-second commercials. Yes, says marketing consultant Joseph
Jaffe, who once worked for TBWA/Chiat/Day and OMD USA and
clients such as Kmart, ABSOLUT Vodka and Samsonite. Today the
South African as the most prominent representative of New Marketing and is
one of the most sought-after speakers on this topic in the USA.
In his first book, Joseph Jaffe explains the 30-second spot, the
the supreme discipline of large US agencies, for dead. For him
media strategies, which have hardly changed for decades, do not
more: Today, a TV commercial can at best supplement a campaign,
nothing more. Jaffe relies above all on alternative, mostly interactive
media. That's why online marketing, e-mail marketing,
Mobile marketing and, if necessary, short or long spots in the marketing mix
the higher priority than traditional television commercials. He wants to
consumers in the right place at the right time in the right
form directly, without wastage.
Shorter or longer, but never 30 seconds
One example: one of the spots that was most talked about last year was the
was never shown on public television. The
Airline Virgin Atlantic advertised in a ten-minute commercial for
their first-class seats, which can be converted into comfortable beds.
The commercial, an Austin Powers parody, only ran in the
Pay-per-view television from hotels where business travelers in particular
stay overnight. In six months, 1.2 million people watched the
from the target group watch the commercial voluntarily: at the right time (when the
potential customers have time), in the right place (where the potential
customers watch TV) and in the right form (interactive).
Another example. When Pepsi-Cola relaunched its Pepsi One Diet Cola
it did away with 30-second commercials seven years earlier,
When it launched Pepsi One Diet Cola for the first time, it gave
they spent a staggering 100 million dollars on it. This time
Pepsi-Cola at events, online films that are distributed via the Internet
print ads and posters. The campaign was launched with a
show opened in a gallery in New York's trendy Soho district.
Today, six months later, a few 15-second TV spots accompany
this campaign. "We continue to work with commercials, but Internet,
Print ads and posters appeal to customers differently," explains one
Pepsi-Cola press spokesman on the change in strategy.
Evolution one to one: adapt or die
Joseph Jaffe's thesis is absolute, almost Darwinian. For
The clients and agencies that continue to rely on 30-second commercials are
dinosaurs that will die out. This stubbornness is the
the greatest weakness of his book, which is well worth reading. Jaffe writes
entertaining, understandable and backs up many of his theses with figures
and facts. Maybe he's just trying to get a little - or a little
more - provoke. He is likely to succeed.
Roger Hausmann
