Hello everyone! This blog post is dedicated to +Advertising Week's #AWChat from August 11th. This will be an expanded edition as I'm not bound to the 140 characters on Twitter.
Q1: Another 9 million US homes will drop pay TV in favor of web services by 2016. Has advertising sufficiently adapted? Why/Why not? #awchat
— Advertising Week (@advertisingweek) August 11, 2015
Has advertising sufficiently adapted? It's hard to tell since anything can happen between now and later. Should they adapt sufficiently, absolutely. Throughout the years, advertising has adapted from traditional media to digital. Now that 9 million US homes are dropping pay TV in favor of web, advertising can still thrive under these services as long as they know how to target their audience.
Q2: It’s been said we’re in the middle of a new Golden Age of TV–are we also in a new Golden Age of TV advertising? Why or why not? #awchat
— Advertising Week (@advertisingweek) August 11, 2015
If this is the Golden Age of TV, sure. 10 years ago, time shifting, and reality shows were the norm of that era. Now, we are beginning to enter a time where using the DVR is discouraged in favor of watching programs live due to live interaction on social media. Also, scripted shows are starting to step up their game thus a renaissance has happened. Unlike previous years, notable successful shows have ventured into outlets that are not traditional television such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black.
Q3: If so many TV watchers are using Netflix/Amazon/etc to binge-watch/avoid ads, how will the TV ads of the future reach consumers? #awchat
— Advertising Week (@advertisingweek) August 11, 2015
As I mentioned before during the #AWChat last week, advertisers can have ads air before and after the program. Someone on twitter said during the chat Korea follows the model where no ads air during the program but "air in-between the shows". This is a model similar to PBS. No advertising is done during the show (except for speical circumstances), and are kept to sponsors who sponsor the show. Not only should the new outlets follow the model, but also certain traditional tv outlets. Now if only some sports such as the NFL would do a thing where there is limited commercial interruption.
Q4: How can creative best adapt to new paradigms of television viewing? What are some examples you’ve seen? #awchat
— Advertising Week (@advertisingweek) August 11, 2015
One example I have seen is the "second screen experience". Historically, WWE Raw used second screen experience to air original live videos to show the matches during commercial breaks or have exclusive interviews air on their WWE App. Although the original videos during the show have discontinued, the app still remains useful since they can rely on public vote for select occassions (although the public vote is subject to debate).
Q5: Live sports and special events aside, what current TV programming (if any) still compels you to “tune in” every week? Why? #awchat
— Advertising Week (@advertisingweek) August 11, 2015
Even though the show's season finale is this Monday, I would have to say Tough Enough. Reason was to see which contestant would get eliminated and how they interacted with the judges. Other than that, the only thing I see live every week are games from my favorite teams and live WWE programming. Due to the DVR and VOD, there has been less urgency to watch shows such as The Big Bang Theory, Suits, or Family Guy. However, anything can change by September. If there is a show that is considered must see for me every week live, it has to be a compelling show to watch.