Stop sticker on the TV?
Guest commentary Program-integrated television advertising will continue to grow, but will never completely displace the 30-second spot, writes Andreas Waldis.
Guest commentary Program-integrated television advertising will continue to grow, but will never completely displace the 30-second spot, writes Andreas Waldis.
There is no question that the demand for so-called special forms of advertising (SoWeFo), which still create contact with the consumer at all, is great. Classic sponsor integration with a billboard clip at the beginning and end of the show in conjunction with logo inserts is usually no longer enough. No wonder, since the brand awareness or image goal is rarely the only one in the SoWeFo briefing today. Not always, but increasingly often, a product is also to be shown and its sales promoted. 46 percent of the companies surveyed want to invest more in product placement, according to a US survey. A trend that is also clearly noticeable here in Germany. Especially since branded companies now consider this form to be more effective than the usual 30-second spots. New agencies like OMD's German offshoot 4CE are responding to this demand.
On the media side, the private broadcasters are once again playing the pioneering role. In Switzerland, the SRG broadcasters (including radio) are flooding the market with low-price offers. Unlike discounters in the retail trade, for example, this is done from a position of market dominance. This, in turn, brings Bakom onto the scene, which rightly has less understanding for creative forms of financing for providers financed by fees than for private "we try harder" competition.
But this is not the only reason why the promotion of brands and products on private stations is far more eye-catching, emotional and consequently more effective. Sheer necessity is the mother of invention, namely having to finance programs and at the same time - through creative integration of the paying partner - keep the viewer happy.
From the customer perspective, there are two ways of looking at things: That of the marketing controllers who are more fixated on seconds and GRPs and who are guided by quantitative considerations. And that of the communication strategists who are concerned with an intelligent, obvious and correspondingly credible fusion of program and advertising message and the resulting image transfer.
One of the most promising developments is AFP (Advertiser Funded Programming). AFP stands for the joint conception and realization of TV projects by broadcasters/producers and advertisers, while maintaining program sovereignty and legal requirements. Where will this lead - in addition to more or less subtle placements? In the TV market of the near future, the inclusion of the digital back channel will open up unimagined possibilities. Real interaction: orders can be placed directly during the broadcast. That's why the strategy now launched by Swisscom under the promising name of "Triple Play" makes so much sense: television as an emotional and broadly effective teaser channel. And the Internet for in-depth information, interaction and business processing.
SoWeFo, AFP, Triple Play & Co. are on the rise. The fear of the 30-second death and the persistence in old "below and above the line" patterns are misplaced. The digitalized TV world offers the whole holy industry trinity (clients, agencies, media) more opportunities than risks. Let's beat the stop glue.
> Andreas Waldis is Head of Marketing at Ringier-TV.
There is no question that the demand for so-called special forms of advertising (SoWeFo), which still create contact with the consumer at all, is great. Classic sponsor integration with a billboard clip at the beginning and end of the show in conjunction with logo inserts is usually no longer enough. No wonder, since the brand awareness or image goal is rarely the only one in the SoWeFo briefing today. Not always, but increasingly often, a product is also to be shown and its sales promoted. 46 percent of the companies surveyed want to invest more in product placement, according to a US survey. A trend that is also clearly noticeable here in Germany. Especially since branded companies now consider this form to be more effective than the usual 30-second spots. New agencies like OMD's German offshoot 4CE are responding to this demand.
On the media side, the private broadcasters are once again playing the pioneering role. In Switzerland, the SRG broadcasters (including radio) are flooding the market with low-price offers. Unlike discounters in the retail trade, for example, this is done from a position of market dominance. This, in turn, brings Bakom onto the scene, which rightly has less understanding for creative forms of financing for providers financed by fees than for private "we try harder" competition.
But this is not the only reason why the promotion of brands and products on private stations is far more eye-catching, emotional and consequently more effective. Sheer necessity is the mother of invention, namely having to finance programs and at the same time - through creative integration of the paying partner - keep the viewer happy.
From the customer perspective, there are two ways of looking at things: That of the marketing controllers who are more fixated on seconds and GRPs and who are guided by quantitative considerations. And that of the communication strategists who are concerned with an intelligent, obvious and correspondingly credible fusion of program and advertising message and the resulting image transfer.
One of the most promising developments is AFP (Advertiser Funded Programming). AFP stands for the joint conception and realization of TV projects by broadcasters/producers and advertisers, while maintaining program sovereignty and legal requirements. Where will this lead - in addition to more or less subtle placements? In the TV market of the near future, the inclusion of the digital back channel will open up unimagined possibilities. Real interaction: orders can be placed directly during the broadcast. That's why the strategy now launched by Swisscom under the promising name of "Triple Play" makes so much sense: television as an emotional and broadly effective teaser channel. And the Internet for in-depth information, interaction and business processing.
SoWeFo, AFP, Triple Play & Co. are on the rise. The fear of the 30-second death and the persistence in old "below and above the line" patterns are misplaced. The digitalized TV world offers the whole holy industry trinity (clients, agencies, media) more opportunities than risks. Let's beat the stop glue.
> Andreas Waldis is Head of Marketing at Ringier-TV.
