Stuck In Neutral: Who Is Responsible For Bad Ads?

This year's TV upfront will operate much like it did a year ago--even in the new growing digital age. Change is coming, but more slowly than media observers want.

"You can't blame networks--networks, cable, and syndication--for being fairly comfortable and fairly confident in being business as usual," says Jack Myers, president of Myers Publishing LLC, during a TV panel at MediaPost's 2007 Outfront conference. He says this is especially true "when the traditional models are continuing to work."

What stuns Meyers is that the nets not "more radically alter the models of supply and demand and commodization that are clearly moving forward." Myers doesn't think networks are analyzing issues, such as electronic media buying and selling.

As for the coming of commercial ratings, panelists complained that networks have it wrong. Marketers want to pay for how their commercials perform, which could mean a lesser charge than for program ratings. Critics counter that unlike TV programs, creative decisions about commercials come from the marketers themselves, so they should be held accountable.

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"The burden is being placed on the messenger, rather than the creator of the message," says Lydia Loizides, vice president of new media for Paradigm, a entertainment talent agency. Myers adds: "I don't quite understand why the networks are being penalized for commercials sucking."

Mike Bloxham, director of research and insight, Center Media Design for Ball State University, says the media should be more sharing with their advertising research to improve creative execution. "The one thing worse than an ad that sucks," said Bloxham, is "an ad that sucks that I see four times in the same hour. They don't have responsibility to their own advertisers, but they have responsibility for their own business."

A frequently heard charge: TV sales executives seem to be stuck in the same old issues, like Nielsen measurement. The focus should be on measuring specific consumer results. "What they are doing is creating more micro-data that further complicates the equation, rather than clarifying it," says Myers. "It's a dangerous trend for the networks to be paying more attention to Nielsen for micro-data and not having the research and the funds to do more on effectiveness and accountability."

The panelists also believe the Internet's adaptation of a TV model--using 15 seconds and 20-second commercials--is taking a step back. The Internet should be developing its own unique ad model that can better target consumers.

"The problem is we are still working with traditional people who are holding onto their jobs and want to until they retire," says Mitch Oscar, executive vice president of Carat Digital. "The younger people, who have a lot of intelligence but not enough business savvy, are trying to understand how everyone can work together."

There are some areas of hope for change.

Television's marketers are slowly moving toward better creative, as well as better interactivity, when it comes to addressable set-top boxes in some cable systems--boxes that can target advertising to specific consumers. Carat's Oscar said Chase credit card, his client, is doing a second-quarter test on Charter Communications and Time Warner cable systems. "We are going to protect the consumer identity in doing some sort of blind matching for certain demographics. We'll do that with some banner ads on TV, as well as micro-sizing long-form video."

With all new digital platforms growing, there is some confusion among creative and media executives, who tend to work in silos when dealing with traditional media. New, improved communication is vital. "It's got to be an economy of scope and understanding," says Oscar. "The possibilities of what we can do." Media agencies need to take the lead in some digital deals, provided "the creative people figure out what we can do."

View a full video of this panel here.

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