By Hank Cohen on July 26, 2016

Everything we once took for granted about commercial airtime is changing as viewing patterns are shaped by new technologies and habits. Some advertisers are deepening their investment in television while others are leaving it behind. A lack of authoritative information is part of the problem.

One of the most important things to realize is that there is still a place for television.

Why is that? Digital may be growing, but television outperforms digital in ad recall. This is crucial information for advertisers who are building a brand, as well as those who would like to see near-immediate action on the part of viewers.

In a recent study by Hub Entertainment Research:

• 62% of television viewers were able to recall half or more advertisers
• Only 47% of tablet and 46% of smartphone users recalled half or more
• Computer users fared worse, with 45% recalling half or more advertisers

What about the up-and-coming Millennials who have overtaken Baby Boomers as the largest generation and will soon be spending $1.4 trillion a year? Turns out they have great delayed recall of television ads despite being less responsive to them. Today, successful Brand Response advertisers need to know the 24 hour media consumption habits of their prospects and the optimal and most cost effective way to use both television and digital in reaching them.

But Wait – Brand Response Advertisers Aren’t Getting Quality Info About Television Time.

To meet their sales goals today, and beyond, Brand Response advertisers need high-quality, comprehensive information about how their advertising performs and, just as importantly, what changes can generate an immediate improvement. Unfortunately, when it comes time to plan out media buying, they’re often constrained by received wisdom meant for traditional brand advertising.

You’ve probably heard of these common ideas about television best practices:

• The first ad pod used to be prime real estate, but it actually has the highest tune away.
• To counteract DVR fast-forward, many advertisers focus on the last ad in a given pod.
• There’s a general consensus that premium broadcast time is the best…but is it really?

Here’s the problem; while some of these ideas can be good guideposts for big budget general advertisers, Brand Response advertising is different. Marketers usually have a lower budget, requiring strict accounting for every dollar spent. By following well-established best practices meant for brand advertising, you could end up losing a ton of money.

That’s especially true if you focus on competing for premium broadcast time!

How Can Brand Response Advertisers Make Smart Choices About More Responsive Pod Positions?

Here’s a fundamental question to think about; which pod is the most responsive?

You might think we just covered that question, but what if we asked it this way?

Which pod is the most responsive for your business?

Now, this is an interesting question. The answer will vary based on a range of factors: your target audience, the channels they watch, the shows they enjoy, their consumption habits, and much more. Demographic profile, as important as it is, is just one piece of the puzzle.

If you had all this information about your audience, you could consistently make effective, data-driven choices about the right pod for the job – that is, the pod that will provide enough revenue to justify any increase in cost.

Analytical Attribution

The truth is you can only answer these questions by utilizing a state of the art marketing attribution platform such as Accutrak^®. Brand Response advertisers who use these platforms when implementing multi-media campaigns benefit from real time insights permitting continual optimization which aids in reaching the goals of creating brand awareness and brand integrity while also meeting, or exceeding, return on investment goals. For more information on how to plan, buy and optimize your Brand Response advertising campaign, contact Hank Cohen WindStar Media/CEO at hcohen@windstarmedia.com.