Commercial-Skipping? Slow It Down With Engaging Content

by Wayne Friedman , July 23, 2013

TV commercial-skipping? That can be slowed down with the right creative content

A new study from digital video/audio technology company Avid says that 66% will “sit through a commercial, despite DVR technology" -- if consumers get engaging creative.

Viewers find it easiest to recall ads with humor (47% of viewers); compelling story lines (32%); well-developed characters (31%); music (25%); and celebrities (12%).

Avid found that 65% of viewers say "image and audio quality is the strongest driver of TV audience engagement" regardless of TV device -- television set, tablet, phone or otherwise.

The study also found that the average consumer is willing to pay $3.62 for a movie for digital video access; $2.37 for on-demand sporting events; $1.41 for sitcoms and reality shows; $1.32 for a TV drama episode; and $1.23 for a TV news program -- and that 37% of consumers would be willing to pay for old episodes of TV shows.

When it comes to current TV discovery, the study says that 39% of viewers learned about new TV shows via trailers on TV; 20% through channel surfing; 17% from friends' recommendations; 6% through social media, and less than 4% from news/video Web sites.

Smartphones and tablets also contribute to TV marketing efforts, with 14% of consumers "testing" new shows via these devices. Avid also says 30% of consumers return to “appointment-based viewing” once becoming fans of those shows.

content, digital content, engagement, tv, video

2 comments about "Commercial-Skipping? Slow It Down With Engaging Content".

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Douglas Ferguson from College of Charleston, July 23, 2013 at 9:38 a.m.
This would be useful advice if commercials ran solo, but they don't. They run in pods. It only takes one non-creative apple to spoil that whole bunch. Skippers skip because most pods are littered with non-relevant ads. One creative ad gets lost in the muck. So the potential for one engaging ad to break the habits of ad skippers seems futile. And yet get-creative stories, bathed in research, pop up in the trade press each season like dandelions. The myth that people will unlearn (or soften) their widespread distaste for product advertising merely because creativity makes the ads too compelling is a very tiresome myth. I suppose promos and trailers are an exception because they fit better with the entertainment people seek when they watch TV, but ordinary advertisers still battle being the engaging ad that is stuck behind an annoying ad, long after the skip button is triggered.
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James Smith from J. R. Smith Group, July 23, 2013 at 9:58 p.m.

Some good points Doug. Another issue is pod position. First position is obviously critical and that's where compelling content has the most impact. The second most valued slot is last pod position. Viewers have a built-in "clock" and will flip back near the end of the pod in most cases. For years TV sales types have avoided premium pricing these slots for fear of devaluing the middle positions. Why not just admit it? You pay extra for valet parking!