• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, June 14, 2005

Procter & Gamble (P&G) says there is life beyond the 30-second commercial. But TV sellers wonder if that life after death experience includes real media budgets.

TV's biggest advertiser - taking its deepest bows -- will cut up to 25 percent of its media buying budgets on cable and another 5 percent on broadcast TV, according to the Wall Street Journal this week following up on a story by the Myers Report. Daytime syndication shows, much dependent on consumer products companies like P&G, will also be cut.

In the short term, the news is not welcomed at the cable networks. After consistent rate gains over the past several years, P&G is helping to pull the plug on cable this season, which has whiplash from a market that has suddenly lost steam. Cable networks in the wake, according to the Wall Street Journal article, include Lifetime, MTV, and Discovery.

Of course, product placement may be one strategy. But a more simple one is that P&G could be betting the scatter market for this upcoming season will repeat itself next year - that is, yield lower pricing than in the upfront.

P&G has strongly suggested its new activity will be in the branded entertainment arena. But before you branded entertainment executives start picking up the checks at Union Street Café, remember that much of product integration activity has yet to yield big dollars.

Remember P&G is looking to save money and the whole point of doing branded entertainment is that it's a less expensive way to get out messaging. Apart from its deal with "The Apprentice" this past season for Crest toothpaste, where reportedly advertisers paid up to $3 million per episode for a branded entertainment deal, there hasn't been much money exchanging hands for any TV show.

Some seasons ago, P&G broke new ground by getting about two dozen products on one CBS' "Survivor" episode. All this was offered up to a contestant who won a specific 'challenge.' But, according to executives, little money was improved upon by P&G on CBS.

Branded entertainment might not be sweeping up here. They may just be holding Swiffers.