Today, we are going to do an experiment that those of you with a DVR (digital video recorder) can do at home. This experiment will prove my point. More on that in a minute…

The ad agency world is all abuzz about the death of television advertising. With the DVR, people can *gasp* fast forward through commercials. I recently had a meeting with a newspaper advertising sales rep who gleefully proclaimed that TV advertising was going downhill because of DVRs (yes, I did note the irony).

Well, folks, you heard it here first: The DVR is the best thing to happen to television advertising. Now for our little experiment. You’ll need a DVR and a friend.

Step 1: Watch “live” TV with your friend. Watch her during commercials. What is she looking at? Where is she going? In my tests, commercial break was for a quick trip to the bathroom, a little channel surfing, a quick look at the digital TV guide to choose the next program and maybe even a little conversation with me. Don’t get me wrong, the commercials were not ignored, but they just weren’t the center of attention either.

Step 2: Observe the same person watching a recorded program. Watch what happens when they fast forward through the commercials. THEY ARE LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE TELEVISION! THE COMMERCIAL IS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION! Yes, the ad is the star! Sure, they don’t hear the ad, but for good television advertising, something can be gained through the visuals alone. Need proof? Ask your friend who is on the Late Show. Ask about the specials that Sprint is running. Yes, advertisers, DVR viewers are getting the message.

Bonus research: When observing your friend watching recorded TV, see what she does when she needs to leave the room for a snack or to go to the bathroom. She does not leave the TV running. She pauses her recorded show. Yup, and when she returns, she fast-forwards through the commercial break. Those lost eyeballs have been found through the beauty of the DVR!

Ok, I admit, not every ad is effective when being viewed at 4x speed. What do we need to do? First, remember the first lesson of advertising school: TV ads have to be effective even with no sound. Try it out. Do your ads get any message to the audience when there is no sound? If not, you don’t have an effective “DVR” ad, and many would argue that you don’t have an effective ad during “normal” viewing – TV is a visual medium, right?

The other important component is repetition. For an ad to be effective, it has to run more than once. That’s true with any television advertising (and just about any media), but it’s even more important in the DVR age. When you do your media buying, make sure people see your brand multiple times. That makes any advertising more effective.

Another advertising must is often forgotten in media buying: Be sure to target your advertising. Make sure that your ads are running when your audience is watching. Don’t get excited about the “free” ads that run in the middle of the night. If your audience isn’t watching, that time and money is wasted regardless of how good your advertising is.

Lastly, make your television advertising good. It has become too easy to produce a :30 spot. Too many people are putting out bad advertising. Fortunately, the DVR will put the squeeze on them. By a show of hands, how many of you have actually stopped the fast forward to watch a television commercial that appeals to you? Yup, the “average” person does that too.

Author Bio: John T. Mims, APR, is a senior partner with Altyris, a full-service advertising and public relations agency located in High Point, NC.

Category: Marketing
Keywords: television advertising,effective advertising,commercial advertising,dvr recording,dvr commercials