As the promp mentioned, Television as a whole is changing. DVRs, TiVo, Internet TV, illegal YouTube and LimeWire, and other television stations online broadcasting programming has ultimately forced networks to rethink their advertising strategies for commercials.
Ultimately, for my own sake, I find it utterly annoying to have [what seems] as much programming as commercials during my favorite time slot. CBS Monday Night is a familiar culprit of such atrocities: while watching Big Bang Theory, I find myself doing homework or channel surfing for onwards up to five minutes. For example, the majority of preparation of this blog was written during commercial breaks during CBS Monday Night programming.
Though I find product placement a cheap and [frankly] desperate way to get advertising across to a viewer, I am willing to bet that any viewer would rather see an increase in properly used product placement and less commercials between programs and program scenes than more "enriched" advertisements during a break. I think cheaper prices and going rates for advertisements will also help advertisers get products into script easier and find more effecient means of displaying those images.
Furthermore, I agree with the idea of telling a viewer ahead of time that the commercial break will only be x minutes long. To me, that seems to be like a mutual agreement between the advertiser, programmer, and myself that simply means that I am willing to watch the commercial and let it be absorbed (or whatever emotion I feel toward it) if the advertisement does not distract me from my sole purpose of viewing: watching my show. If an advertisement, such as those on Comcast's FanCast, a program viewing site, were to say something like "this will only be 90 seconds of your precious time...", I will acknowledge that that ad company is trying to make a profit/living yet respecting my values as a consumer. I think many viewers will be far more agreeable to terms and more likely to buy products from said companies if they were to switch to this method of advertising because as a consumer, I would feel more appreciated.
slush on decks.
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I agree with you Nick. I would definitely prefer product placement to interruptions of the show I am watching. This was a nicely written blog, especially since you were doing it during commercials. I always get distracted by commercials when I watch T.V. I think it's because I don't normally watch, so when I do, i have to watch EVERYTHING, which sucks because I honestly don't like commercials. Your point about the programs telling consumers the length of the commercials is well made and I like how you said it was their way of respecting our wishes. Nice Post! :)
ReplyDeleteI also agree Nick. Especially with the last idea. I always get super excited when a station says "back in 2 minutes," because then it's like a race to go and get things from the kitchen. Or in the least, it makes the time seem more tolerable rather than having you sit there for fifteen minutes when you could have changed the channel.
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