Television viewership – is it really increasing?

Television viewership – is it really increasing? Studies looking at different variables conclude looking at different variables conclude differently. Pure numbers show increase by virtue of simple parametric growth. Now let us figure out who gains from the increasing figures. Advertisers, right? Is their viewer-ship getting affected? This small piece contains some of my thoughts regarding that. Btw, compulsory trivia – Bulova watches were the first ever television advertisers in1941 and predictably on US television.

Early on in the days of advertising the route taken by firms like Procter and Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and the like was to exclusively sponsor a serialised programme on radio. “The Mysterious Murder of the Mulberry Mongoose brought to you by Colgate –the Doctor’s choice”. These came to be called Soap Operas. Their transition into television was smooth. Usually the programme timings for these was the afternoon and late evening when the lady of the house is relaxing. That’s targeted advertising obviously. It had commensurate increases in sales revenue thereby justifying the glut of advertisers queuing up for ad space for any successful program.

Nowadays with the ever expanding choice of channels, nobody wants to see the “intrusive” ads right? Especially when a highly invigorating match is going on a pop star trying to sell you Pepsi Cola is to put it mildly, an interruption! Voila! In comes in an invention which doesn’t necessitate your physical displacement at all. Simply the thumb will do the trick. Remote control!!

The remote control has done wonders for the couch potatoes, chiropractors and dieticians worldwide. It has also been the bane of the advertising fraternity. With the remote in your hands you are free to flip channels at ease so that the irritating ads do not eat into your valuable TV viewing time.

OK, so what’s the scene today? 300+ channels, 24 hour programming, dedicated channels catering to individual tastes – in all this the cornucopia of consumer choice is overflowing. The entry of digital television in this has been revolutionary. TiVo, Sky+, TATA Sky, Dish TV lets you skip advertisements altogether. There are studies that tell us that this has been the nail in the coffin for advertisers. However some other studies tell us that it has in fact led to more viewership and the remote control effect hasn’t been strong enough to take way ad viewership as well. But fears still abound.

In this situation one must differentiate. Innovation is the key word in every marketing and strategy class – right? That is exactly what is needed and what is happening. Through an innovative medium like product placement to attention grabbing shock-vertising, the viewer is being targeted. TO be continued in the next piece.