Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Got 30 Seconds?

Ironically enough, I think the web is actually breathing new life into what I think is a dying form of media – the 30-second TV spot.

When you watch TV, the ads are so easy to ignore these days, but for at least one form of online media, I’ll bet they’re far more effective than on TV.

As the internet grows to be a more reliable source of news, it’s also a lot more convenient. Indeed, sitting down to watch an entire TV newscast just seems archaic.

I realized this last year when I was channel surfing and saw a profile of Joe Rosenthal’s life. He was a famous photographer who had died that day. You might remember him as the guy who took that famous World War II photograph of soldiers raising the flag on Iwo Jima.

Then it dawned on me. Why should I have to watch this now? Yes, I’d be very interested in learning more about Joe Rosenthal, but not right this minute. On the web, of course, I could simply bookmark the piece for later and watch something else.

These days, most TV news organizations offer video reports online, which is great because I can watch specific news stories on my schedule.

So during the recent fires in San Diego, I chose to learn more about the developing story via videos on the web – both from local stations in southern California and national outlets such as CNN and MSNBC.

Of course nothing comes free. These clips usually start with a 30-second spot that you can’t skip. I don’t really mind. It seems fair considering the value I receive – the news I want, when I want.

I probably sat through two dozen of these spots during the week that the fires were big news. And you know what? I remember the advertisers and the content far more than if I had seen the spots on TV.

Think about it. Even if you’re really interested in what you’re watching on a TV newscast, commercials represent a break. They’re a mental cue to focus on something else while you’re waiting for the newscast to return.

But when I click on a specific video clip on a web site, I’m far more attentive. I’m focused on the ad because I know the content I want is going to begin in just 30 seconds. So I sit there and watch. I’m certainly not going to take a bathroom break or get a snack.

I remember Duracell, American Express, and Netflix as advertisers on some of these clips from last week. That’s known as “unaided recall,” and that’s like gold to an advertiser.

Broadcast TV? I can barely even remember the shows I watched last week, let alone any of the commercials.

I don’t know what these news video spots cost. I’ll bet they’re a bargain – at least for now. But when advertisers discover how much power they pack to position their brand to an attentive audience, I’ll bet the cost per impression soars.

And all because someone figured out that relevant content delivered at the right time could be worth a fortune. Go figure.

Posted by Richard Bloch

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