• by October 24, 2008

I am humored by the sudden revelation that consumers are skipping commercials. Seems to me that the phenomenon was first identified in the 1950s, when water pressure dramatically dropped in St. Louis during commercial breaks in "I Love Lucy."

When I first got involved in media planning and purchase, I remember research from Foote, Cone & Belding showing something in the neighborhood of a 50% attention rate.

It's a problem that has been around for as long as the industry -- only now it is being framed differently. The best solution is what it always has been: a media plan that understands the product and places advertising in the right position for the brand, and great creative. If advertisers concentrated on those things, we might, might just give viewers pause to stay tuned and watch our humble messages.