Moving away from demographics metrics, A+E Networks says this
year's upfront deals with advertisers will shift to total audience guarantees as its primary mode of transaction.
Demographic viewing groups -- 18-49 viewers and 25-54 viewers, for example
-- will be offered as secondary guarantees.
This will apply for all its networks -- A&E, Lifetime and History -- for its upfront deal-making. A+E will hold a virtual upfront
presentation on March 3.
Peter Olsen, president of advertising sales for A+E, says the key piece of the puzzle will be to include all viewers in upfront deal-making, with a focus on those 55
years and older.
“By recognizing and engaging with all audiences, brands can finally plan media more holistically -- to leverage every audience across every platform and to tap into the
receptivity and buying power of the critically undervalued 55+ viewer,” he stated. “With Total Audience, we’re upending traditional demos for bigger impact.”
advertisement
advertisement
In May
2018, A+E was the first TV network group to make business-outcome guarantees for a select group of advertisers targeting specific criteria. The move attempted to shift from a decades-long emphasis on
making guarantees on commercial TV ratings, based on age and gender.
A+E says one in three adults in the U.S. are aged 55 and older and they account for $3.4 trillion in annual spending.
This group, it says, is twice as likely to recall brands and messages from television ads versus 18– to-34-year-olds.