• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, October 24, 2011

Despite the onslaught of digital media, TV remains the top media platform for advertisers, though most big marketers believe it faces stiff competition for its future, according to results of an online survey of 135 client-side marketers released this morning by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA). The study found that while TV remains their No. 1 choice, 60% of the respondents question its long-term dominance due to a variety of factors, including:

• Fractured attention, due to surfing the Internet and/or texting while watching television (57 percent)
• Commercial avoidance due to the use of DVRs (56 percent)  

Despite those challenges, and a volatile economic environment, nearly half the respondents (47%) said they’ve increased their TV advertising budgets since 2009. Thirty percent said their TV ad budgets have remained the same, while 23% said they’ve decreased.

The study also found that 83% of respondents are interested in receiving individual commercial ratings, something the ANA has been pushing for.

“There was much chatter in the past about the television medium and 30-second spot being dead, but this survey has shown that TV advertising is very much alive – perhaps even more so than in the past,” stated Bill Duggan, group executive vice president at the ANA.  “Even with the risk of competition from other media platforms and the use of DVRs, there are still many opportunities for marketers to optimize TV into their marketing mix.”