• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, May 11, 2011

Focus on the screen -- you know, the real big, old-school one sitting in your living room.

New research shows that traditional TV advertising has 38 times the emotional engagement of online rich media -- perhaps the best, certainly most costly, digital advertising message around. These results come from a new Innerscope Research study for Fox Television Network tracking viewers' heartbeat, perspiration, respiration and eyeball movement.

The timing of this study -- released right before the upfront advertising market - is meant to cement the idea that TV is still the big gun for marketing impact.

It seems that digital advertising and digital video -- while still growing -- need to be seen as complementary to established forms of advertising. TV, however, can still work on its own, if needed.

The "38 times" figure stands out. Perhaps others might assume television to be twice as good as the Internet. Or maybe five times or ten times. But research pointing to a nearly forty-fold number has us scratching our heads.

Perhaps it's that traditional TV advertising doesn't "share" a page/screen with its content; it takes over completely. Display, search and social ads can share their messages with video or static content. Only with digital video does the advertising message replicate -- pretty closely -- what is seen on TV.

But perhaps even digital video - whether on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone -- may have a lesser effect.

Does this mean the TV upfront will garner some "38 times" revenues, CPM increases, or some other multiplying metric?

Nah. It's a nice TV sales push, though, and media agency executives might dissect it into tiny pieces. For example: even though engagement is high, TV still might not be targeting the right consumers. (Hello, addressable advertising!)

Internet/digital sellers will still say their platform -- right now anyway -- can get to the right consumer. You just have to deal with possible low-impact, e-emotional effects. Is that enough for TV advertisers unwilling to pay big expected CPM prime hikes? The answers are coming -- some day.