Nielsen Thursday said it is delaying a plan to add duplicate viewing of TV shows to its national TV "currency" ratings two months until April 1. Nielsen said it would move forward with its original plan to add the duplicate viewing data to its "respondent-level data," which are the building blocks of its national TV ratings, as originally planned beginning Jan. 31, but said it needed additional time to make the adjustments necessary to the "currency" systems and reports that advertisers and agencies use to buy national TV time from networks. Nielsen did not explain why it needed more time, but said the changes are critical to its plans for developing its so-called "extended screen" ratings, which will also incorporate viewing of TV shows that watched online. Those extended screen ratings are still slated to launch in late April, according to Nielsen's update. "The change in this calculation and the change in the [households using television] calculation are being made to provide improved insight into how and when people are spending time with television programming in a television environment that includes multiple platforms and means of time-shifting viewing schedules," Nielsen stated in Thursday's announcement.
When people talk about the Sixties from a pop-cultural perspective, they generally point to such influences as the Beatles/Rolling Stones (which, for some reason, has become a rivalry akin to the Yankees/Red Sox), Twiggy and Andy Warhol. Or, in certain decidedly diametric quarters, explorers such as John Glenn or Timothy Leary. Personally, I was partial to Fred and Barney. It has been many years since I watch an episode of "The Flintstones" but I was reminded of the primetime animated show for kids last night by a jaw-dropping spot contained in "We'll Be Right Back ... 60 Years of Television Commercials," a new online exhibition curated by the Museum of Broadcast Communications. In it, Wilma and Betty, the ever-devoted, wiser and more resourceful wives, are nonetheless bearing the burden of the workload, as they always do. As Fred and Barney banter at a stone fence about how hard their better halves toil, Wilma trims the lawn with an alligator lawnmower and Betty beats a rug with the ardor that only a repressed house frau can summon. "They sure work hard, don't they Barney?" "Yeah, I hate to see them work so hard," replies Barney. "Let's go around back where we can't see 'em," Fred offers resourcefully. They do. Fred suggests taking a nap but Barney has a "better idea." "Hey, let's take a Winston break," he says, whipping out a pack of smokes from the inside vest pocket of his bearskin. "That's it," says Fred. "Winston is the one filtered cigarette that delivers flavor 20 times a pack," he informs us as he lights up Barney with a Zippo-like lighter. Barney expounds on the special blend of tobacco that goes into the product before the 60-second spot ends with a tagline that anyone who grew up in the era will recall: "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should." Oh, yes, Wilma and Betty, hands on hips and with playful scowls, reappear and slam down their tools for emphasis. I had never made this connection before but guess what brand of cigarette I started smoking at age 16 and loyally continued to inhale for about 20 years? Indeed, as the exhibit copy informs us, "among the more notable partnerships of the 1960s were General Foods and "The Andy Griffith Show," Chevrolet and "Bewitched," Quaker Oats and "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet," and believe it or not, Winston Cigarettes and "The Flintstones!" "Television programming and advertising are mirrors that reflect popular culture," says Bruce DuMont, president and founder of the Museum of Broadcast Communications, in a statement. "Preserving our television heritage is a way of preserving our past, and offers future generations the chance to experience that culture in a very real way." I focused on watching the spots in "The Groovy 60's" section of the site, that decade being my formative TV-viewing years, and did, indeed, make other new connections even as nostalgia crept in. Remember the majestic, orchestra-laden openings to shows, like the one to the Aunt-Jemima-sponsored "Bewitched?" Today, we often don't even get a commercial break as "The Office" blends into "30 Rock" for fear our minds will be off IMing or switching to the Rodeo-on-Demand channel. And what, exactly, does "Grand Theft Auto" have on "Rock'em, Sock'em Robots by Marx"? Speaking of toys, how about Slinky? I think every neighborhood had one Slinky Nerd who could make the infernal coils descend a stairway but for most of us, it registered about 20 minutes on the Frustration Meter. And then there's General Food's Tang, one of the greatest bits of marketing serendipity ever. It was going nowhere fast until it wound up accompanying our astronauts into orbit. (No, it was not invented for NASA, though I don't think GF denied those rumors too vehemently.) Other areas of the exhibitions include "The Cool 1950s," "The Far-Out 1970s," "Totally ... the 1980s," "The Rad 90's and Beyond," "The 2K's," "Super Bowl," "Chicago Classics" (the physical museum is housed there), "PSA's," "Product Placement," Political Advertising" and "Infomercials." Alas, there are no video examples of the latter category, only a few paragraphs of somewhat suspect text. Last I checked -- and truth is, I don't think I really have to -- "Ron Popeil of Ronco" is indeed "one of the industry's best-known pitchmen" and is "still a key spokesperson for products including the Vegomatic and Showtime Rotisserie" but any way you slice or dice it, he decidedly did not "[win] the Nobel Prize in 1993 for his home inventions." (Ah, the dangers of not reading Wikipedia closely enough. He did win an "Ig Nobel Prize" -- a parody given for unusual or trivial "achievements" in scientific research.) Of course, there were much more meaningful events taking place in the Sixties that we should not lose sight of. The civil rights movement was perhaps the most significant. I also listened to Dr. Martin Luther King's 17-minute "I Have a Dream" speech, which was delivered during the "March on Washington" on Aug. 28, 1963, last night. If you can't watch the entire speech, you owe it to yourself to review the last five minutes, beginning at 12:10, on this holiday celebrating Dr. King's birth.
Cox Media Group, the big TV station sales rep, is further expanding its digital sales efforts. Just after announcing the merger between digital sales group Adify and Cox Cross Media to create Cox Digital Solutions earlier this week, the new group has acquired Internet Broadcasting's sales group, IB Local Network. Terms were not disclosed. Cox Digital Solutions says the purchase will help deepen its relationships with digital publishers. Steve Shaw, president of Cox Digital Solutions, notes: "IB Local Network's publisher relationships and media sales power are a natural fit with Cox Digital Solutions." Roger Keating, interim CEO of Internet Broadcasting and senior vice president of digital media for Hearst Television, stated: "We can now concentrate on what has always been our core business -- helping our media publisher clients use their content and consumer relationships to build a powerful digital presence by providing them with the most contemporary publishing platform and services available in North America." Cox Media Group says it now has 40% of all national TV spot advertising revenues. It is a part of Cox Enterprises, which owns 15 television stations, one local cable channel, 86 radio stations, four metro newspapers, as well as direct marketer operator, Valpak.
A Florida federal judge has found that Nielsen did not violate antitrust laws while operating its local ratings system in the Miami market. The ruling, which defeats Sunbeam TV's charges, saves Nielsen from a trial on the matter and maybe a huge financial penalty -- at least for now. Sunbeam Television, which has charged Nielsen with operating a monopoly by blocking competitors from entering the South Florida DMA, says it will appeal the ruling. The decision came down Thursday in Miami federal district court. Sunbeam will also continue to litigate two other claims in its 2009 suit -- which Judge Paul C. Huck declined to rule on. The two allegations are that Nielsen has engaged in breach of contract and deceptive and unfair trade practices under Florida law. Nielsen is moving toward an IPO, and any setback in court in the Sunbeam matter may deter initial investors. Sunbeam, which runs the Fox affiliate in South Florida, has alleged that Nielsen's local people meters undercount viewers, which has hurt its station's ratings and cost it $1 million a month in ad revenue. Sunbeam has also said in court papers that the value of its station, WSVN, has fallen by $100 million. The media company's claims that Nielsen runs a monopoly in South Florida involve charges that Nielsen took multiple actions to prevent other ratings services from moving in. Those include "imposing punitive pricing on customers who resist its practices." The monopoly allegedly has also led to the defective LPMs. Sunbeam charges that Nielsen launched the devices in 2008 in Miami even with "knowledge that certain demographic groups -- in particular, minorities -- do not use the technology properly, leading to inaccurate ratings," according to court papers. Nielsen responds that ratings collection has inherent issues, but LPMs were an improvement on the previous method used in South Florida. LPMs allowed for a "lack of reliance on paper diaries" and ability to provide "data reporting for individual viewers on a daily basis." Judge Huck ruled there is a lack of evidence to back Sunbeam's claims that LPMs are inferior to the previous system. In addition, he wrote that Sunbeam "cannot meet the initial burden of establishing that WSVN's current ratings are less accurate than they would be under a prospective competitor's methodology." Another reason the judge ruled in favor of Nielsen on the antitrust matter involved Arbitron having the potential to launch a local ratings service in Miami in 2006. It opted not to do so. Arbitron had developed passive people meter technology with potential use in TV and radio ratings. Sunbeam alleges that Nielsen prevented deployment of the technology by signing an agreement with Arbitron giving it an option to gain "exclusive" control of the technology. Nielsen, in turn, asserts that its deal with Arbitron was "non-exclusive" and Arbitron could have made similar deals with others. In the end, Nielsen declined to exercise the option in 2006. On another issue, Judge Huck determined that Nielsen was concerned about competition from a ratings service using the set-top-box data that cable operators own. Sunbeam charged that Nielsen sought to block a rival STB service by promising cable operators that its LPMs would inflate their ratings -- which they could use to garner more ad dollars. Judge Huck wrote: "The record reflects that Nielsen viewed the cable operators as a potential competitive threat. There is some ambiguous evidence suggesting that Nielsen implemented (LPMs) to stave off that threat." Sunbeam, owned by Ed Ansin, also has an NBC-CW duopoly in Boston.
On Sunday, Lexus debuts a new campaign, "The Hard Way," spotlighting how the luxury brand goes to great lengths to imbue its vehicles with inner strength. The idea is that in avoiding the easy route, the company engineers better vehicles. In the launch spot titled "Chain," a crane slowly suspends a Lexus LS in the air from the forward portion of the vehicle's chassis. Then a second, third, fourth and fifth Lexus vehicle is attached to that LS, using only cables and stretch bars and no support other than that car. At the end of the spot, when the combined weight dangling from that LS is around 17,000 pounds, a $375,000 Lexus LFA rolls onto the scene and parks right beneath the suspended chain of cars. Says the voiceover: "The hard way is how Lexus inspires absolute confidence. The hard way is the pursuit of perfection." The company says the spot eschews special effects or camera tricks. The campaign will include online, print, mobile and outdoor executions, with supporting video assets on Lexus' YouTube channel. The TV spot will air on network, cable prime and cable sports. It will also air during the NFL playoffs, and college basketball. There will be 14 online videos focusing on different aspects of engineering or manufacturing at Lexus, and on the making of the ad. "It isn't enough to just say that we pursue perfection; we want to demonstrate the great lengths we go to in our pursuit," said Dave Nordstrom, VP marketing for Lexus, in a prepared statement. "The new broadcast spot allows us to focus on the foundation of our vehicles, the chassis, and show its almost unbelievable strength." Todd Turner, president of the Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based auto consultancy, says Lexus doesn't have a quality or durability problem, but what it does have now is the perception among consumers that there's a problem because of the recalls this year around sticking accelerators. He says Lexus' situation is similar to that of Audi, which until recently battled a reputation problem that dates back to the mid-1980s. "Unfortunately, there is going to be question mark over the brand -- not necessarily negative, but a question mark," says Turner. "Their vehicles are safe; they are well-engineered, but they are in a hard spot. It's hard for them to say there's nothing wrong without making people wonder if something's wrong." He says it makes sense for the company to talk about what goes into a Lexus, and how hard the brand works at quality and safety, and it's a continuing theme they will have to keep pushing forward." Brad Smith, who heads up loyalty research at market research firm R.L. Polk, says Lexus enjoys very high loyalty rates, and that perception of quality plays a major role in that score. "Loyalty is the ultimate indicator of dependability. We have seen that they do very well, particularly among older consumers. We saw Lexus and Toyota loyalty rates bubble up in 2005 and 2006, but then fall through the recession," he says. He says parameters like vehicle safety and service come into play as a driver of purchase consideration, but don't really generate loyalty. In Polk's recent loyalty awards, Mercedes-Benz won for luxury brands and was No. 2 overall. "But this year, BMW and Lexus were second and third and very, very close to each other, with a 100th of a percentage point separating them," says Smith. Lexus took top honors for loyalty in the mid-sized luxury SUV segment for its RX nameplate.
The number of music competition shows keeps growing. But will the hits keep on coming? Bravo and sister network Oxygen are betting there is room for at least two more. Both nets are turning to established hits to give their new ventures credibility. On Bravo, former two-year "American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi will join singer Jewel in headlining "Platinum Hit" this summer. There, 12 songwriters face off in challenges "testing their creativity, patience and drive" with DioGuardi and Jewel as mentor types. DioGuardi had many fans during her "Idol" run, and Bravo is hoping to draft off that. Ratings for "Platinum Hit" can come in way below "Idol" and still be considered a hit for the cable network. On Oxygen this summer, the network will air the 10-episode "The Glee Project," inspired by the eponymous Fox musical drama, where contestants battle for a guest role on the series. Later this year, Bravo is also giving reality-show migrant (and chef) Rocco DiSpirito -- who's had shows on NBC and A&E -- another venture. "Rocco's Dinner Party" has chefs competing to toss a top-notch dinner party for DiSpirito and fellow celebs. Overall, Bravo said it would boost its amount of original programming by 20% as it moves into a fourth month of five nights of originals. Also coming to the network is "Million Dollar Decorators" in April, which delves into the lives of interior decorators in L.A. The same month, the network will debut "Pregnant in Heels," following "maternity concierge" Rosie Pope as she advises wealthy expectant moms in Manhattan. Oxygen is also giving some reality-show staples, Tori Spelling and Paris Hilton, new opportunities this spring. "Tori & Dean: sTORIbook Weddings" premieres in April, with Spelling and her husband making couples' dreams come true with spectacular weddings. In April comes "The World According to Paris," billed as "behind the Hollywood glamour, red carpets, photo shoots, and fabulous parties stands a strong (Hilton) who's determined to make a new life for herself."
Pasadena, Calif. -- CBS has had its way this past fall -- leading all networks in total viewers and key 18-49 viewers. But all that will probably change drastically starting in a few days, when the prime-time stars realign. Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment, acknowledged as much during the Television Critics Association meeting here -- citing the return of Fox's "American Idol," as well as that network's expected bonanza from its Super Bowl airing. While all this is typically expected this time of year, CBS has a bit more to be concerned about. This past year, it moved its big "Big Bang Theory" sitcom to Thursday night, which has resulted in the network virtually winning the night for the entire fall. But then Fox also decided to switch things up a bit -- extending the "American Idol" results show in its upcoming season to Thursday night, running directly opposite "Big Bang Theory." What does CBS expect? Tassler: "'Idol' is "Idol.' It's a force of nature. "Big Bang" has a very loyal audience. We don't know what is going to happen. We think we'll do OK. It's not us versus them; there is enough to go around." For next year, CBS expects to pick up the same number of pilots this year as it did a year ago -- although it probably doesn't have much room. Tassler says many of its rookie shows this year have done well. CBS has many shows that are viewed in DVR playback -- including big time-shifting numbers for "Hawaii Five-0." "The hope is that we will get compensated for all the people that are watching," she says. Right now, networks tout the live program ratings plus seven days of DVR playback, so-called L7. But networks are paid from advertisers in C3 -- commercial ratings plus three days of DVR playback. Tassler was also asked a few questions about Charlie Sheen of "Two and a Half Men," the highest-paid actor on network television. Sheen's travails are a worry to CBS. "Charlie is a professional. He comes to work, and does his job extremely well. We have that very good relationship with Warner Bros. On a personal level -- we are concerned... He certainly knows how we feel," she added.
In another bit of cable network rebranding, the remains of Discovery Health Channel and Discovery's FitTV will now merge into Discovery Fit & Health. The previous brand name Discovery Health has a new network in that slot: Oprah Winfrey Network or OWN. That change occurred on Jan. 1. Come February 1, Discovery will merge the real-life stories on Health with the fitness programming on FitTV. Some of the Health network shows include "DR. G: Medical Examiner," "I'm Pregnant and... ," "911: The Bronx" and "Untold Stories of the ER." FitTV shows include "Bodies in Motion with Gilad," "Namaste Yoga" and "Shimmy." Discovery says the network will now be available in some 50 million homes -- which is the current home of FitTV. Laura Michalchyshyn, president and general manager of Discovery Fit & Health, stated: "This network will speak to viewers in a way that is both credible and compelling, offering unforgettable stories, authentic experts and engrossing, high-stakes circumstances." OWN, a partnership between Discovery Communications and Harpo Studios, has approximately 85 million subscribers. Discovery has also revamped its Discovery Kids Network into a kids' network known as The Hub, launched last October, as a joint venture between Discovery and toymaker Hasbro. It has 60 million subscribers.
Fox Business Network and the Tennis Channel will continue a joint promotional initiative through 2011, involving the four leading pro tennis events. On weekdays during each tournament, the Tennis Channel will provide a one-minute recap of the previous day's action, the "Court Report," airing during FBN's "Imus in the Morning" program. In turn, each evening, FBN will offer a "Fox Business Network Update" on that day's movement in the stock market, as well as the latest business news, before the Tennis Channel begins its nightly coverage of the particular event. The arrangement begins this week with the Australian Open and will continue through the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in late summer. The partnership debuted last year as each network with mid-level distribution looks for a marketing jump. News Corp.'s FBN, in its fourth year, is in some 50 million homes. It had hoped to mount at least some challenge to CNBC, but distribution is in less than half of U.S. homes. According to the Tennis Channel's Web site, its distribution is 26 million, but increases to 55 million during its Grand Slam coverage. Viacom's top two executives, Philippe Dauman and Thomas Dooley, were early investors in the Tennis Channel through a private-equity firm they established in 2006.
Simulmedia, the "targeted advertising television company" founded by online behavioral targeting pioneer Dave Morgan, has named Jack Smith Chief Product Officer, reporting to Alison Lowery, Simulmedia's CTO. The company said Smith will help Simulmedia "scale its TV ad targeting platform, which combines traditional television audience research data with licensed anonymous viewing data from more than 15 million US set-top boxes." Smith was founder of Solariat, a San Francisco startup using artificial intelligence for social media media advertising. Before that, he was founder and general manager of WPP's The Media Innovation Group (MIG).
Although many prime-time TV shows may be losing steam, rating-wise, the NFL keeps chugging along -- up 7% in total viewers this season. Looking at all NFL networks -- Fox, NBC, CBS, ESPN and NFL Network -- the NFL pulled in 17.9 million viewers, up 1.3 million from a year ago and just under its all-time average of 18.0 million set in the 1989 season. The NFL also touts its big advantage over all prime-time programming -- some 144% higher on average in total viewers than other TV shows. ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC get 8.2 million on average. NFL games accounted for the 19 most-watched TV shows among all programming last fall, up from 11 games last year. All the NFL's TV partners showed ratings growth. NBC moved up to an average of 21.4 million viewers for its "Sunday Night Football" package, the highest ever for the series. Fox's Sunday afternoon game was the most-watched of all NFL games, with 25.9 million viewers. CBS had its best ratings in two decades, just behind Fox with an average of 25.0 million viewers. ESPN's "Monday Night Football" was again the most-watched series on cable with an average of 14.7 million viewers. NFL Network, completing its fifth season of "Thursday Night Football," had its best results, with an average of 5.7 million cable viewers. The Fox Thanksgiving game, New Orleans Saints-Dallas Cowboys, was the most-watched show of the fall broadcast season and most-watched Thanksgiving game in 12 years with 31.9 million viewers. NBC's Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys game on Dec. 12 was the most-watched Sunday Night Football game ever, with 25.73 million viewers. ESPN's New Orleans Saints-Atlanta Falcons, the last game of the year for the "Monday Night Football" series, pulled in an average of 19.1 million viewers.
Timberland's riches to rags to (maybe) riches story is about how the benighted outdoors brand let itself become defined by popular culture as a hip-hop shoe, then suffered when hip hop moved elsewhere. And the tale follows the brand out of the woods back to its original idea by engaging with people in new ways with traditional and social media. The company's chief brand officer for Timberland, Mike Harrison, delineated the hike back from the desert at the Argyle CMO Leadership Conference in New York on Thursday. The company, with over $1 billion in annual sales of its shoes and clothing in 81 countries, needed to find a way to talk about its social responsibility efforts and use of recycled materials and renewable energy -- but without preaching. Harrison says the idea to produce an Earth-friendly sub-brand, Earthkeepers, came from a Timberland effort in China to reforest an overgrazed part of the Mongolian Steppes by planting one million trees. "As a marketer, one of the most frustrating things [to me] about the brand was that nobody knew about it," he said. "We weren't getting credit. We were all walk and no talk when it came to environmental initiatives." Part of it, he said, was that the company didn't think people really cared much about its environmental efforts. "And we didn't have good vehicle to do it. Traditional media wasn't a way to do it, and we were doing fine without storytelling." So for 15 years Timberland had double-digit growth helped by youth culture turning the label into a fashion. "But then we started to run out of international markets to open up and urban kids stopped wearing baggy pants and boots. We lost three-quarters of market cap in three years." That prompted soul searching and management changes at the Stratham, N.H.-based company. "We had to admit we had been complacent, letting the brand stand for what people thought of us rather than what we knew we were," he said. The urgent need to focus back on the core promise and tell the story in a different way led to the Earthkeepers boot, which is made entirely with recycled materials. "It was hurry up and get it out by Christmas," said Harrison. "We were in crisis mode. It was our first green product." The company launched it at its own stores, with point-of-purchase displays of things like discarded auto tires from which the boot's soles are derived, and empty plastic bottles. It sold well, so the company followed with advertising -- first outdoor, then with TV -- "something we hadn't done in a while," he said. Far from sanctimonious, the ads poked fun at the virtues of being green. One showed two guys hiking, one in Earthkeepers boots, the other with competitive boots. The latter guy is blown off a mountain by a sudden wind, attacked by bees, tripped by a rock, and pushed into a river by a tree, with the message that if you don't wear Earthkeepers nature might attack you. Then the company created its first social media campaign on Facebook where people could plant virtual trees on their own pages and invite people to "water" them, thus making them grow. For each full-grown virtual tree, Timberland planted a real one. "It was a case of be careful what you wish for. We got a million trees in six months. We had to take the program down to catch up, and we got hit: we discovered we had built a community over this and they were pissed with us because we took it down. Our CEO was getting 60,000 emails over the weekend." The company continued the program with new tree-planting opportunities in Haiti and Nepal, and the CEO went online to chat with fans about it. "It was a huge breakthrough for us in terms of reaching consumers digitally." The company has also used Earthkeepers for advocacy, running a program with Nike and Levis to promote a "Walk the talk" program around the Copenhagen climate summit. Harrison said Timberland is now ahead of Nike and Patagonia in share of voice. And the company has started to turn around higher revenues and stronger share prices. What doesn't work? "TMI," said Harrison. "Too much information is not what most 'light green' consumers want. They understand fewer tires in a landfill, they like the idea of planting trees." And, he said, they don't really like earnest messages. They prefer humor and optimism. Another example of that is the company's "Nature Needs Heroes" tongue-in-cheek campaign that ran just before the holidays globally, in which a guy in Timberland boots goes to extreme lengths to capture a renegade plastic water bottle. In France, the company got a 'cease and desist' letter from plastic bottle manufacturers, and that led to a series of viral videos starring the guy in the ad doing the voice of a plastic bottle explaining how the life of a homeless bottle is a terrible thing, and how Timberland is offering a shelter for discarded bottles.
A&E said its new documentary-like series about youthful offender programs set a record Thursday as the most-watched original series premiere in network history. "Beyond Scared Straight" drew 2.2 million adults 18 to 49 and 3.7 million total viewers. The 90-minute premiere saw audience growth each half-hour culminating with an average of 3.9 million total viewers in its 11 p.m. half-hour. Hour-long episodes will air Thursdays at 10 p.m. Bob DeBitetto, who oversees A&E, stated that the series is "groundbreaking" and the "audience response is extremely rewarding ... [it] exemplifies our unique brand of highly engaging programming with a focus on excellent storytelling and first-class auspices." On Jan. 12, A&E original "Storage Wars" posted its most-watched episode with 2.8 million total viewers in its first season. "Beyond Scared Straight" is based on an Academy Award-winning documentary "Scared Straight!" It explores programs that "put at-risk teens of all ethnicities into intensive one-day in-prison sessions." By showing them the unfiltered realities of life behind bars, the show hopes to keep them out of prison. Separately, as A&E sister network History pulled a scripted miniseries about the Kennedys, it will return to its documentary roots and air "Reagan" as a two-hour special Feb. 9. The show examines the trajectory of Reagan's 93 years -- from his nomadic youth in the Midwest, his Hollywood career, and his election as Governor of California and president to the end of his life.
Showing it has the knowledge to handle people's complex financial issues, Sovereign Bank uses a puzzle metaphor in a new television commercial. The ad, developed by the bank's in-house advertising agency 601, and produced in association with Shooters, Inc. (and its DIVE visual effects division), depicts a wall made entirely of puzzle pieces. Throughout the commercial, actors push, pull, raise and change the size of missing puzzle pieces, illustrating how the company can help customize personal banking needs. "There was a carefully concerted effort to bring all the elements together in preproduction and production," says Cris Andrei, Shooters executive producer, in a prepared statement touting the commercial. "A full day of rehearsals was used to ensure the correct timing of the prescribed sequence of actions which determined the story line." Sovereign was founded in 1902 as an entity with a mission to help Pennsylvania's textile workers buy homes. The bank expanded into New York and New England in the early 2000s. In January 2009, it was acquired by Spain's Santander Group. The new commercial highlights this affiliation, using visual effects to show the Sovereign and Santander logos dropping in as the final two pieces of the puzzle.
Bacardi Limited's 42Below vodka is the exclusive sponsor of the latest Web series on VBS.TV, the online television network of Vice, a media company that includes Vice Magazine and other properties. The seven-webisode series, "League of Two," profiles innovative "dynamic duos" working in the fields of music, film, food, fashion and design, capturing the "agonies and ecstasies" of working in collaboration. 42Below has prominent logo adjacencies on the new series' Web area (vbs.tv/leagueoftwo), and each webisode begins with "42Below presents...". In addition, its "vodka professors" have created a special drink to be promoted in conjunction with the series sponsorship, called "The Duo" (42Below, Martini Bianco and a lemon twist). "As a brand that celebrates independent spirit, creativity and being a bit different from the rest, 42Below vodka saw an opportunity to showcase thriving creative duos with 'League of Two,' so we jumped at it," sums up the vodka's brand director, Joe Metevier. The first duo profiled in the series is Andy Spade and Anthony Sperduti, founders/principals in the innovative hybrid design agency Partners & Spade, located in Manhattan's NoHo district. Other duos profiled include the principals in electro-pop lifestyle band YACHT, the menswear line Duckie Brown; architecture/designed space firm Roman & Williams; "culinary architecture" firm Bompas & Parr; and the electrofunk band Chromeo. 42Below, a premium vodka manufactured in New Zealand, was launched in 1998 and acquired by Bacardi Limited in 2006. Now distributed in more than 25 countries, its name refers to both its alcohol content and the 42nd latitudinal parallel that falls near its manufacturing site.
"The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards" continued to deliver strong award season TV viewership to NBC. But a big NFL playoff game gave a mid-January Sunday win to CBS. The NBC show was down a bit, but still earned an impressive Nielsen preliminary 5.2 rating/12 share among 18-49 viewers -- which is the network's highest non-sports 18-49 rating in the time period since last year's "Globes" at a 5.5. The show's total viewers were also up a bit from a year ago (16.998 million from 16.984 million.) All this helps NBC continue from its just-completed strong "Sunday Night Football" package of NFL games. NBC posted a healthy 18-49 average on the night with a 3.8/10. Although "Globes" was easily the top-rated entertainment show, CBS was the champ for this night with a full two-rating point win over NBC with a Nielsen 5.8/15. This came from an major early-evening windfall from the closely battled NFL AFC Divisional playoff game between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots, which took in an expected eye-popping 13.6 rating/35 share among those key 18-49 viewers and 40 million viewers in the 7 p.m. hour. All this helped float some other CBS boats going into the rest of the night -- "60 Minutes," which ran at 8 p.m., got a big lift with a 3.8/10; "'Undercover Boss' earned a 3.1/8; and "CSI: Miami" took a 2.3/6. Fox pulled in respectable viewing data for its comedies -- even without its own typically big NFL lead-in. It came in third for the night with a 2.5/6. The best Fox comedy was "Family Guy" at 9 p.m., at 3.7/9, down from a 4.7 the week before -- all due to a big lead-in on the night from a major NFL playoff game. At 8 p.m., "The Simpsons" were at a 3.1/8 from its nearly doubled 5.7 number of the previous week. The second airing of "Bob Burgers" at 8:30 p.m. slipped almost two full ratings points to a 2.6/6 from a 4.5 rating the week before. "The Cleveland Show" fared a bit better, dropping nine-tenths of a rating point to a 2.7/6. ABC brought up the rear -- only a 2.1/5 average for the night. Also against some tough competition, Univision found it rough going at a 0.6/1.
In a move that may position him as the successor to long-time CEO David Barrett, Hearst Television has tapped the head of WBAL in Baltimore for a top corporate post. Jordan Wertlieb becomes the only executive vice president for the station group. His role will include oversight of some of Hearst's 29 stations and assisting Barrett in other duties at company headquarters in New York. Since 2005, Wertlieb has been the chief of Hearst-owned WBAL, the NBC affiliate in the country's 26th-largest market. The 46-year-old has been with the Hearst group for 17 years, first in Boston and then Baltimore. In his early 60s, Barrett has been CEO for 10 years and sits on the 13-member board that oversees Hearst Corp., which includes the large magazine operations. He also served as head of WBAL several decades ago. "(Wertlieb) has great passion, energy and enthusiasm for our company and our industry," Barrett stated. "And his business acumen and smart strategic insights -- applied more broadly across our company -- will help us address future challenges and the exciting next generation opportunities." Wertlieb began at Hearst in 1993 at WCVB in Boston, where he rose to local sales manager. He moved to WBAL as general sales manager before rising to become its general manager. During his tenure as station head, he worked with Hearst's two Baltimore radio stations to craft partnerships with the Baltimore Ravens, Maryland Lottery and Maryland Special Olympics. Hearst operates 29 stations that reach about 18% of U.S. homes. It is the largest ABC affiliate group and second largest for NBC. At times, Barrett was an outspoken critic of network performance when Hearst Television was a stand-alone public company and he held earnings calls. Several years ago, it became a division of the privately held Hearst Corp.
Although it comes courtesy of the highly touted producer of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice," ABC's "Off The Map" did not enjoy an auspicious start. At 10 p.m., the new Shonda Rhimes-produced medical show, set in a South American jungle, earned a modest Nielsen 2.3 rating/6 share among 18-49 viewers. It ended up in second place to NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" which pulled in a 2.5/7. A big asterisk, however, will be plunked down on the night. Right in the middle of prime time -- 8:39 p.m. to 9:20 p.m. -- President Obama's Tucson memorial speech took place, which disrupted/shifted many network shows a bit, upsetting viewers' usual habits on the night. As a result, ABC scheduled "Off the Map" to get another shot the next night, Thursday, with an encore performance, after "Grey's Anatomy." "Private Practice" took the night off. Because of the speech, many networks shifted to reruns -- especially earlier in the evening. Later in the night, CBS ran originals of Paula Abdul's "Live to Dance" and its drama/comedy "The Defenders." The 10 p.m. hour for those two shows averaged a 1.5/4. NBC ran originals of "Minutes to Win It", getting a 1.6/5. ABC still owned the night. "The Middle," with little competition against it, took a big win with a 3.1/9, the highest ever for the series. After the president's speech, "Modern Family" came back on to earn a 3.7/10 -- well off its 4-plus rating average, and down from its 4.8 rating the week before. When the dust settled on Wednesday night, ABC topped all comers on the night with a 2.9/8 among 18-49 viewers. NBC was more than a full rating point behind, with a 1.8/5; CBS was next at a 1.4/4. Univision had the same result, with a 1.4/4; Fox was well behind at a 0.8/2; and CW was at a 0.6/2.
Bacardi Limited's 42Below vodka is the exclusive sponsor of the latest Web series on VBS.TV, the online television network of Vice, a media company that includes Vice Magazine and other properties. The seven-webisode series, "League of Two," profiles innovative "dynamic duos" working in the fields of music, film, food, fashion and design, capturing the "agonies and ecstasies" of working in collaboration. 42Below has prominent logo adjacencies on the new series' Web area (vbs.tv/leagueoftwo), and each webisode begins with "42Below presents...". In addition, its "vodka professors" have created a special drink to be promoted in conjunction with the series sponsorship, called "The Duo" (42Below, Martini Bianco and a lemon twist). "As a brand that celebrates independent spirit, creativity and being a bit different from the rest, 42Below vodka saw an opportunity to showcase thriving creative duos with 'League of Two,' so we jumped at it," sums up the vodka's brand director, Joe Metevier. The first duo profiled in the series is Andy Spade and Anthony Sperduti, founders/principals in the innovative hybrid design agency Partners & Spade, located in Manhattan's NoHo district. Other duos profiled include the principals in electro-pop lifestyle band YACHT, the menswear line Duckie Brown; architecture/designed space firm Roman & Williams; "culinary architecture" firm Bompas & Parr; and the electrofunk band Chromeo. 42Below, a premium vodka manufactured in New Zealand, was launched in 1998 and acquired by Bacardi Limited in 2006. Now distributed in more than 25 countries, its name refers to both its alcohol content and the 42nd latitudinal parallel that falls near its manufacturing site.
The creative force behind "Battlestar Galactica" and "Stargate: Atlantis" has been named president, original programming, Syfy. Mark Stern, currently EVP at the network, also serves as co-head, original content, Universal Cable Productions. Stern will add creative oversight for Syfy Films, a joint venture with Universal Pictures, to his roster. Stern, who joined Syfy in 2002, has championed many shows, including "Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth" and the mini-series "Sanctuary." Promoted to his UCP role in 2008 alongside Jeff Wachtel, he produces content for both SyFy and USA. Their first two projects, "Warehouse 13" and "Royal Pains" on USA, were hits. Expanding its lineup, this season Syfy launched a Thursday night reality block, featuring "Fact or Faked," in addition to a new scripted series "Being Human" and the upcoming "Hollywood Treasure." Beginning in 2012, Syfy Films plans to release two pictures annually. Stern joined Syfy after a 15-year tenure at Trilogy Entertainment Group. Among the 300 hours of television production he has been involved in, Stern executive produced the award-winning series "The Outer Limits," two seasons of "The Magnificent Seven" for CBS and the ABC miniseries Peter Benchley's "Creature."
ESPN, one of television's most powerful brands, has everything it takes to be an interactive powerhouse -- from engaged fans tethered to their mobile devices and videogame consoles to live events that are a magnate for consumers and marketers. Still, there are big questions about how aggressively ESPN can and should mine rapidly expanding digital media. It is exceptionally positioned to forge a lucrative path through paid premium content, interactive marketing and social marketing. But the Disney-owned sports giant is treading more lightly into these fields than many expected. To date, ESPN has taken to heart the well-publicized instances of media players who have incurred the wrath of its affinity members when they tried to mess with their marketing, advertising, content and social relationships. Still, it is more imperative than ever for companies to explore and experiment prospects for addressable advertising and premium pay content. There is an economic bonanza in there somewhere. ESPN has every reason to move cautiously. ESPN contributes $9.4 billion of Disney's total cable network revenues of $12.4 billion, and $3.6 billion of Disney's total cable network earnings of $4.6 billion in fiscal 2011, according to Morgan Stanley. It remains the single most valuable asset Disney inherited with its 1996 acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC. As Comcast prepares to take 51% control of NBC Universal later this month, bidding for the 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020 Olympic games U.S. televised rights will likely become the first, most raucous scrimmage for digital content. It could pay handsome dividends in new digital revenues to offset a suggested $4 billion price tag for domestic telecast rights of the four Olympics Games, sources say. For many years, NBC molded its Olympics telecasts into a profitable and prestigious proposition by boldly raising the bar from broadcast to cable to streaming online video and mobile, where there remains plenty of fertile ground to explore. The intense universality makes the Olympics a special test case in new digital business models to counter increasing over-the-top TV and cord-cutting even at the country's largest cable systems operator. Comcast could ambitiously puts its Canoe Ventures, TV Everywhere, Xfinity on steroids and other new features to work. Maybe Comcast will be able to take dual ownership of content and distribution to places Time Warner wouldn't go. For years, Comcast has been intent on becoming more of a sports force to be reckoned with on regional and national levels. Because ESPN is uniquely positioned to attempt digital sports nirvana, Comcast may have to commit billions to maintain NBC's Olympics edge. While the MSO clearly is buying NBCU for its cable network booty, entertainment and news content generally are not yet commanding lucrative subscription and marketing strategies to support healthy new revenues stream. Sports programming rights and values will only become more complex. Live sports is in the sweet spot of the nearly $29 billion advertisers are expected to spend online this year, although video's portion remands less than 10%, according to eMarketer. Sports encompasses all forms of digital content and functionality beyond live play -- from fantasy teams and video games and replays, to streaming data and news, smart phone apps, and specialized products. Rapid changes in the advertising and media landscape are creating customer acquisition challenges that content such as sports can penetrate, according to JP Morgan's voluminous "Nothing Bu Net" report. It's the one form of content that adapts to all media devices and platforms, in any language. The largest and most important revenues stream in the b-to-b marketplace are the fees paid by cable and satellite owners for the right to use their sports rights and other content. In the coming years, these affiliate fees will be a critical driver of sector revenue and a continuing source of antagonism between content owners and distributors. But the advent of new devices and access options will yield new forms of "affiliates." Because ESPN's monthly affiliates fee is such a massive outlier -- ESPN claims 20% of the affiliate fee pot with only 5% of the viewing audience. Other outliers include regional sports networks like YES are also at the upper end of monthly affiliate fees, according to a recent report by Nomura Securities analyst Michael Nathanson. Time Warner's TNT has bolstered its overall value with an NBA contract for regular season games, All-StarWeekend and playoffs. ESPN is adding more 3D offerings and digital interactive features and service that can only attract consumers and advertisers. ESPN's domestic sports costs are expected to increase by high single digits in 2011, which is higher than in recent years with its NFL, NBA, NASCAR and NCAA contracts locked in through fiscal 2013. The only "notable growth exception" could be US rights to the 2014 and 2016 Olympic Games, Nathanson said. According to MAGNA, the NFL has more than 25% of all time spent viewing sports with its rights fees, representing nearly half of all total national television dollars spent on sports, or more than $5 billion. Every media outline in broadcast and cable, online and in mobile, in print and on radio is under pressure to devise ways to generate lots new revenues to collectively better offset those costs. ESPN has been negotiating a five-year, 5% cost increase renewal for the rights to Monday Night Football. ESPN's cable affiliates will generate an estimated $6.4 billion and advertising revenues of $2.8 billion in 2011 compared to nearly $300 million in online and mobile income for a total of $9.4 billion in fiscal 2011 revenues and $3.6 billion in earnings, according to Morgan Stanley. ESPN will barely muster $325 million in online and mobile revenues by 2015. That's pathetic, given the attachment sports aficionados have to exploring their favorite teams, players and sports in every interactive way possible. If Comcast or any other cross-platform media giant can pull off a digital interactive sports coup, they could chip away at ESPN's overall $60 billion asset value, comprising half of all Walt Disney Co. As conventional media continues to yield to and intertwine with the so-called new digital media, even ESPN's TV cornerstone will require shoring from new revenue sources and new affiliates that won't be local TV stations, national TV networks and cable MSOs.
Nielsen is gearing up to IPO, and I am on the edge of my seat. The media-measurement category is red hot. Arbitron (radio ratings) is trading at a three-year high; so is comScore (Internet ratings). The upstart Rentrak (video store and VOD ratings) is at a five-year high, and the creation of the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) invites forward-looking innovation. Nielsen is a critically important company in the media world: the bellwether for the industry and as close as you get to a one-stop shop for TV's $70 billion in media planning, buying and validation. And if Facebook is worth $50 billion and Groupon is planning to go public at $15 billion, then Nielsen would appear to be worth the targeted $14.5 billion in enterprise value and then some. But with the IPO roadshow having just begun and private-equity investors Blackstone, KKR, Carlisle, and TH Lee expecting a 20% IRR since the 2006 LBO (assuming a $21 IPO share price when they go out on January 25), management can expect some tough comments. Let's explore a few of the more predictable ones. Nielsen is an analog media company in the fast-paced digital world. It has perfected a very imperfect system. Nielsen uses a device called a "peoplemeter" to record television viewership in 20,000 U.S. households, but it has historically had a tough time getting viewers to log in on the peoplemeter. And in 154 of the local markets (out of 210 markets) where panelists fill out diaries (yes, people still really do this), Nielsen recently lost its Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation. What's one of these rare Nielsen households worth? A little back-of-the-envelope exercise on Nielsen's projected $14.5 billion enterprise value after the IPO, suggests that each Nielsen panelist in the US "TV Watch" division - estimated to be 25% of revenues -- is worth about $200,000. If the Nielsen homes only knew... But are small panels and diaries statistically actionable in today's world? Those 20,000 U.S. households (200 to 800 in each local market) are meant to represent an audience of more than 116 million households. Yet today, people watch television in countless ways -- broadcast, cable, syndicated, DVR, online, on demand, and, soon via Smart TV apps. What's more, there are hundreds of channels, tens of thousands of programs, and countless brands that advertise on linear television alone. The reaction of the advertiser? TV dollars are flat. Internet is on the rise. Digital media is sexier, because it lets advertisers target and reach the right audience of interested consumers. The Nielsen response? Use the same age/sex demo (e.g., the old "women 18-49") that has been used for the past 50 years. Of course, Nielsen remains a formidable company. It does a lot, and has been known to gradually innovate when customers demand. Some of these efforts include: the Project Apollo joint venture with Arbitron to match viewership to purchase data (this project was scuttled three years ago); an IMMI joint venture to monitor cross-media (this project was pulled a year ago); its two-year foray into radio ratings (recently shut down); and the Catalina joint venture to try yet again to match viewership and purchase data. (Nielsen's CEO pegged this last model as the future of media-buying for CPG companies. Clearly, some of Nielsen's efforts have opened the field for a handful of tech-focused and forward-looking young companies to pick up the slack, including: · TiVo's measurement division, which offers a deep dive into DVR to make sense of time-shifting audiences; · Rentrak, testing set-top data to shed light on the market for local ratings; · Simulmedia, breaking new ground using set-top box data for audience promotion; · My company, TRA, which matches tuning data from set-top boxes with consumer-purchasing data to deliver accountability and ROI to advertisers. Yes, innovation will sprout elsewhere when a market leader has 50 years of legacy business to protect. Now the IPO is looming and change is in the air. But if all of the $1.7 billion in IPO proceeds are to be used to retire a portion the company's $8.6 billion in debt, how much can be invested in innovation? This all begs the question, is today's Nielsen like a railroad colossus of the past? Or is it a fast-moving innovator agile enough to embrace new technologies and business models? Only time will tell. In the meantime, enjoy the (road)show.
Sounds like a great TV story -- one that encompasses a TV producer, kickbacks, and advertising dollars. A longtime former publicity executive of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association -- the group that owns the rights to the Golden Globes Awards -- now claims in a lawsuit that the head of the group, Philip Berk, demanded "commission" from a TV advertising buy NBC got from Chrysler. This was reported in TheWrap.com. The suit says Chrysler made a $2 million advertising buy on NBC in one specific airing of the awards show. Additionally, the suit claims merchandise and other favors were exchanged for Globe nominations. We don't know the validity of these accusations. But we do know that TV producers, strong and weak, are now looking for extra revenue these days -- more so that ever, due to the pressure to reduce license fees by the networks. That could mean merchandising, or more recently, product placement/branded entertainment opportunities. Much of this targets TV marketers' coffers. While you would think much of this pressure might be working for mediocre shows looking to keep themselves afloat, it's actually prevalent for stronger TV franchises. The Golden Globes is one of these, a TV franchise that has grown in statue, viewership, and, yes, advertising sales. The latter is what NBC controls -- advertising revenues. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association gets, as virtually all TV producers do, a license fee for producing the Globes. Rare are the TV producers of award shows that yield big influence on their TV sponsors. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences is perhaps the only TV producer to have final approval of the TV advertisers that appear on its long-running Oscar Award show on ABC. In recent years, AMPAS, looking to fend off other awards' efforts, has broadened this list to include, with a bunch of restrictions, movie studio advertising. Other award shows take a different tack. For years media buyers have noted MTV's own high-demand trophy shows, the Video Music Awards and MTV Movie Awards, have been used to drive bigger, broad-reaching, year-long, upfront-like deals. It's a new world, and TV producers -- especially those not connected to a specific network -- are now thinking about digital video and other platforms, and the revenue rights they can secure. Near term, TV producers will still a need the mechanism of a network to ultimately get their wares shown. The question is, what will these new digital-age financial deals look like?
Nielsen tells us that some 60% of television viewers watch the tube and surf the Internet simultaneously at least once a month. To some observers, this suggests nothing more than a restless consumer brain and a divided attention span. But sophisticated marketers recognize that multitasking is enabling -- even requiring -- a powerful variation on direct response television (DRTV) called "brand response" advertising. There isn't widespread industry understanding of the utility of brand response, and the reason is simple: not all brand agencies comprehend direct response, and not all direct shops comprehend branding. In the not-too-distant past, advertisers ran TV commercials containing unique URLs like www.Reebok.com/espn1. They created special landing pages to correspond to the unique URLs so they could track Web responses generated by specific commercials. While this made it possible to gauge return on investment and optimize TV schedules, the technique was inelegant: the various URLs were hard for consumers to remember and they cheapened the brand names. Moreover, there was less multitasking even five years ago. If consumers couldn't recall the specific URL they had seen in a TV commercial, many would plug the brand name into a search engine, and search-as opposed to TV-would be credited for any subsequent Web commerce. But it was the best the industry had. Advances in technology, the availability of new data and the more effective use of existing data by agency people with the right skill sets have yielded huge advances in tying online results to offline advertising. It is now possible to track the Web commerce prompted by TV commercials running in hundreds of markets, each spot containing the same "vanity" URL response mechanism (think Orbitz.com). With media multitasking, more TV viewers are responding quickly to the URL's in the commercials, so the necessity for accurately correlating spots and hits has never been more acute. One consumer segment in which brand response advertising is becoming increasingly common is massively multiplayer online gaming, in which hundreds or thousands of people compete simultaneously. Whether it's auto racing, baseball, golf, poker or good old-fashioned "hack-and-slash" war games, the industry is highly dependent upon the maintenance of liquidity, or the constant availability of players. While liquidity enhances entertainment value, it is especially crucial for sports games in which live sessions are impossible without the constant availability of opponents. Liquidity is not only essential to a positive player experience, it is the main contributor to the bottom line. Whether the revenue stream is commissions on player activity, micro transactions or advertising impressions, high liquidity is a must. For online gaming, the most obvious low-hanging liquidity fruit can be found on the Internet-after all, that's where the games are played. Thus World Golf Tour can derive benefit from advertising on the golf sections of ESPN.com. These targeted placements deliver aggressive conversion rates but not the high volume necessary for category dominating liquidity. This is where the value of TV advertising comes in. Understandably, most online advertisers prefer the accountability of online media, because tracking and optimizing are turnkey and a plan to reach positive ROI can be clearly defined. Also, TV can be expensive. Without delving into the intricacies of brand response, here are some general parameters. When people view a TV commercial and then register on a Web site, those registrations are time-stamped. By using additional qualifiers within a specialized planning and buying system like network audience size, historical ratings performance and what are called "attribution windows," overlapping Web responses to TV ads can be teased apart and correlated to their appropriate network/program sources. Thus advertisers that use vanity tracking can gauge relative network, program and daypart productivity, so that media can be optimized to reach performance goals while maintaining brand integrity (the unique URL). Adoption of a brand response strategy not only offers branding and tracking benefits but considerable cost savings. In order to track online response, an advertiser must include a vanity URL in the commercial. This qualifies the advertiser as direct response and allows its agency to purchase remnant inventory. Remnant inventory can cost as much as 50% less than fixed-position inventory, in which a guaranteed audience is purchased. Although the advertiser is not guaranteed a cost per thousand and audience level, more effective brand engagement and direct sales metrics make up the difference. Additionally, the deep discount minimizes risk and allows advertisers to safely test TV.
Last week, I wrote a "review" of all the magical things that "happened" in 2011 in the media world. It was an exercise in satirical absurdism. Chances are, "Celebrity Pottery Wheel" will not be the tipping point for 3D TV. The actual changes for 2011 are likely to be much more ludicrous. At this point last year we had to speculate about the "major game-changing" announcement Steve Jobs was going to drop on consumers. Think about it - at the beginning of January 2010, the Apple tablet computer was just a rumor. In April, the iPad hit the market, and by July Apple had sold 3.3 million of them. When 2006 began, tweeting was still done exclusively by birds. So, no, I won't be predicting what the next game-changer in media will be by the end of the year. Any real guesses I'd make would be wildly inaccurate and pointless. Let the CES attendees do that sort of speculation. I shouldn't waste my time on what's next, when we don't know enough about what we already have. You might think it's antithetical for a fella who works for an agency with the corporate motto "Leading New Thinking" to make such a statement. Well, a key component to thinking is understanding. "New Thinking" builds upon knowledge -- something we seem to struggle with in our industry. As someone in research, I'm constantly asked for audience information on things that have a lot of buzz but little usable metrics: HDTV, 3D, VOD, etc. Having these products available to the consumer and as a research community is not the issue. It's what we can do with them and how we understand them -- that's where we've become myopic and impatient. So yes, we have 3D, but we can't measure it yet. We have HD, ditto. Time-shifting? We have C3, a deeply flawed metric that satisfies no one completely. Just ask any local affiliate what C3 ratings mean to them. But least we have something - which took eight years, a new land speed record for an industry that typically moves at a glacial pace on changes to any currency. It's not that the industry is sitting on its hands. The CRE, CIMM, Ball State's Center for Media Design, among many others -- they're all doing brilliant work in what's a very fast-moving time for our industry. I like to think that the efforts of MPG's own Collaborative Alliance are very public demonstrations of our commitment to leading new thinking. The MRC does an outstanding job of validation. But the process is arduous and expensive. It's also singular -- that's why you won't see "set-top-box research" accredited. You might see Kantar apply for accreditation of its set-top-box research methodology, but you won't see a blanket "here's how the industry should approach the set-top box conundrum" with an MRC stamp of approval. These organizations give very practical demonstrations of just how difficult it is to measure these new media toys that are in their infancy. Which is all the more reason why it's so important to get what is at a point of critical mass right. As advances in media continue to evolve, unless we get the metrics around them locked up, we'll end up relying upon outdated methods out of necessity and legacy. Does Nielsen use paper diaries in 30% of the country because it's the best technology available? Hardly. But the current system "works," so the motivation for a full-scale change isn't really an investment that makes sense right now -- or maybe ever. Research always takes time. Buzzy new media revolutions don't. So when you wonder why there are no currency-level audience metrics for something like 3D TV, remember that getting things as important as currency right takes time. And there's no app for that on your iPad.
Pasadena, Calif. -- Let out a good "boo." TV critics do it all the time -- sometimes in their writing, other times in a big room when asking TV performers questions. This just happened to Kara DioGuardi during the Television Critics Association winter meeting here. Seems DioGuardi, now a judge on Bravo's new songwriting show, "Platinum Hit," didn't want to talk about her "American Idol" exit. (Was she pushed? Was it voluntary?) This isn't new. TV critics have grumbled and booed and hissed at many presentations through the years -- from network executives who won't answer obvious questions about why they failed, to high-profile, nervous TV talent who don't want to answer some low-rent obligatory questions on the order of: "How is your personal life similar to your character?" You can't blame people for not wanting to talk. Then again, this is TV. This isn't war, where military soldier's lives are on the line. You fail? Too bad; we all fail. Face the music and then move on. In this digital world, it has become rarer to hear real boos -- especially as TV has become more personal and solitary with new devices. You go see your favorite professional/college football team that gets crushed 72-0. That could be a piece of entertainment that might deserve some booing. Some might say TV executives may not hear the groans of families sitting at home in dimly lit living rooms or bedrooms, but they see the stark effects of minuscule viewership numbers -- a more efficient boo. You might wonder if more live TV shows should allow more negative verbal complaints to filter through -- live reality competition shows and "live-to-tape" late-night talk shows, for example. This isn't always the desired behavior TV networks would like to encourage, however. Shows can be seen as too rough and perhaps out of control. The Oscars? The Emmys? The MTV Video Music Awards? All places where studio audiences boo with some regularity. TV networks claim they want more social media connections and interactions for their shows. A good "boo" gets to the point faster than any thumbs-down on Facebook.
For several weeks in my house we have been a bit flumoxed about what to call the Logitech Revue controller we have to pass around the living room. "Here's the rem..." my partner usually begins, only to stop herself in mid-sentence as she realizes this QWERTY slab surely can't qualify as a "remote." Seems like a small thing, but relying on a keyboard to go anywhere on your TV does prove cumbersome over time. As she passes it, her finger will hit some control button and send us into a Google TV zone we haven't seen before. The Revue keyboard is not as versatile a universal as the Harmony remote technology it is based on, so there remains a line of remotes on the table to handle the fine tuning and mode switching. And frankly, I am pretty tired of having to type in The Daily show each evening at 11. I know I can bookmark the network on GTV, but truth is that three weeks into this and the Google TV overlay has not really integrated seamlessly into our experience beyond the Search bar. That other piece of the interface, where bookmarks and apps dwell, takes some effort to recall. And actually there is some worthwhile material over in the main GTV Home page. The interface makes the confusing distinction between Applications and Spotlight, with the former being standalone apps and the latter being bookmarks to branded media Web pages that have been optimized for the Google TV interface. Some of these bookmarked providers actually do a better job than I have seen before in scaling the Web video experience for the bigger screen. I am impressed with the CNET and New York Times video channels especially. Both publishers have a good selection of polished video worth perusing at full screen. Turner's offerings, especially TBS, Cartoon Network and CNN are good examples of what not to do on Web TV. Cartoon Network has badly pixelated short samples of popular cartoons. The titles may be on demand, but the experiences are so short one wonders why a user would bother. And several Turner properties also do what some other Spotlight members do, keep the video in a small window. CNN's interface for drilling into recent videos pretty much demands that you resort to the touchpad, and they even present the navigation in topic tree not unlike a Windows Explorer. Ugh! The last thing I want on my TV is feeling as if I am back on the PC desktop I just left after twelve hours of work. This I don't get. Why would a Web video provider feed content onto a TV screen and then maintain a less immersive Web video player experience? A number of providers do this and it seems somehow tone deaf. Lurking beneath this design decision is the weird conviction on the part of some publishers that people are craving a Web experience on their TVs. Three weeks into TV according to Google, I for one can tell you this is dead wrong. If you want to live on my TV, then act as if you belong there.
They say that nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come. In TV advertising and media research circles, that idea is the use of set-top box data. STB data is being developed and standardized for use as a research tool and also as the foundation for advanced advertising. But if an idea cannot be communicated, how can it be accepted and embraced? This is why the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) developed a single-source Set-Top Box Data Lexicon, a reference guide that creates a common language of terms and definitions for participants in the set-top box data space. The lexicon is an important step in expanding the understanding and ultimate adoption of Set-Top Box data as an accepted industry measurement. To help in the rollout of a common language, MediaPost has offered CIMM the opportunity to highlight a set-top box term and definition every week. What better way to launch this column than to define the term Set-Top Box -- the very basis of Set-Top Box Data? But the definition is not as simple as it sounds. There are many different types of Set-Top Boxes, along with different terms for a range of similar versions of these boxes. Analog boxes only push a content signal out to the box, while Digital boxes offer two-way signals that both push out content and pull back usage information. Each type of box is also known by different terms. Analog boxes are also called Thin boxes and Broadcast Set-Top boxes, for example. Digital Set-Top Boxes are also called Thick boxes, Advanced boxes, Smart boxes and All-In-One. But we have to start somewhere -- and what better place to start than with the basic unit of the data source: Set-Top BoxSee also: Advanced Digital Set-Top Boxes, Advanced Set-Top Box, All-In-One Set-Top Box, Analog Set-Top Box, Broadcast Set-Top Box, Converter Box, Digital Set-Top Box, Enhanced Set-Top Box, Integrated Set-Top Box, Media Center, Smart TV Set-Top Box, Thick Set-Top Box, Thin Set-Top Box, Video Access Device CIMM DEFINITION: A device that can be an actual box attached to the television externally, or it can reside within the television. The Set-Top Box can be analog or digital, based on the quality, the signal and the technological capabilities of the box software. Analog Set-Top Box See also: Broadcast Set-Top Box, Thin Boxes CIMM DEFINITION: A Set-Top Box that only delivers data signals to the home and does not have the capability to receive data back from the home (no backchannel or return path), although this box might have some interface ports, memory and processing power. Digital Set-Top BoxSee also: Advanced Digital Set-Top Boxes, Advanced Set-Top Box, All-In-One Set-Top Box, Enhanced Set-Top Box, Integrated Set-Top Box, Media Center, Smart TV Set-Top Box, Thick Set-Top Box CIMM DEFINITION: Taking advantage of digital compression, the Digital Set-Top Box offers a higher quality signal, many more viewing choices and networks, a two-way communication (back channel) with the operator or headend, and often a range of other advanced capabilities (depending on the type of digital box) such as voting and polling, T-commerce, DVR and VOD, for example. Please refer to the CIMM Lexicon online at http://www.cimm-us.org/lexicon.htm for secondary-sourced definitions of these terms.
By Wayne Friedman "There's like a pirate ship feeling to this show." Conan O'Brien says his TBS show isn't at all "The Tonight Show" -- but more like a program on the high seas, looking for treasure. Maybe that's what more TV shows should feel like. That makes sense. Who really wanted to play it safe? What you don't want is for critics to end up saying stuff like: "Well, your sci-fi adventure show seems somewhat like 'Lost.'" Despite most of what the media has reported, TBS pretty much had estimated that "Conan" would be doing about his current numbers -- around a million and a half for 18-49-year-old viewers; about a million for the 18-34 audience. TBS executives say at this rate the network can easily continue to do the show for as long as O'Brien wants. But a million and a half 18-49 viewers isn't exactly a hijacking of the late night broadcast network audience, throwing them in the brig. Not much like pirates; more like salespeople pulling people off sidewalks to push them to buy luggage and electronics they don't want. Still, I'm all for pirate-feeling TV (not pirated TV). The best TV should feel like it rebels against something -- a three-camera traditional sitcom, a less-than-original crime procedural show, a wannabe reality talent competition show. O'Brien, of course, seems to be talking more about how the crew probably has been responding -- in addition to those still-happy, rebellious in-studio fans who are chanting: "Conan! Conan!" On a pirate ship, there is loyalty -- something, no doubt, TBS is using to sell to advertisers. Any loyalty quotient when it comes to content and on-air personalities is always looked at as being transferable to marketers who sponsor television. TBS notes that "Conan" has a very high DVR rate -- all this in keeping with its prized young-skewing audience. So playing it back, stealing away time from other safe TV programming, looks valuable. Still, all this makes for a small pirate ship.