Archive for the ‘media’ Category

One Upside to the Down Economy: More Viewers

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

koeppel_headshotWhile everyone’s been focusing on the lousy unemployment rate, no one’s been taking much notice of some news that may be very good indeed for those who have jobs – in advertising, anyway.

Deloitte recently released a State of the Media Democracy survey that indicates the recession has actually caused an uptick in the number of TV viewers who are tuning in on any given day.

While the survey also revealed that attendance at movies, concerts, and sporting events has gone down significantly, it seems that many Americans are filling the void in their entertainment schedule by tuning in to new or favorite programs more frequently. Purchases of video games and DVDs are also down, which may be another indicator as to why viewers are returning to the good-old TV.

One of the most telling statistics cited by the survey is that 34% of respondents ranked TV watching as their favorite media activity. This is good news for advertisers because it’s not only a huge increase from 2008 – where only 27% of respondents said their favorite media activity was television – but because respondents are increasingly seeing TV as their ideal medium.

It is likely that many respondents cited TV as their media activity of choice because of the associated cost of partaking in this activity as compared to something else like, for example, concert-going. That said, the survey was set up so an answer like concert-going could be given; the fact that TV was still the most-mentioned speaks volumes about the universality of this activity.

Whether or not it’s the cheapest form of entertainment available, it seems to be official: Americans have rekindled their love affair with the TV.

Peter Koepell is the President of Koeppel Direct and has over 25 years of advertising, marketing and media experience.

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New Strategies Used in Spending this Holiday Season

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

koeppel_headshotThe economic downturn first hit just before the holidays last year and companies were by no means eager to continue to throw money into advertising when it was clear no one was buying.

Consumers and companies alike were panicking, and everyone stopped spending. This year, though, we may be seeing the economic boost the holidays have always promised – and we might be getting that present a little early.

A wide range of retailers put money into holiday campaigns, and they showed more enthusiasm for spending ad dollars than they have in previous years, especially in TV.

The Gap, for example, hasn’t bought television ads for two years, but returned to the tube this year with a new campaign. Wal-Mart, K-Mart and other bargain-priced stores pitched the savings tip hard this year, as consumers cautiously began to spend money again while sticking within their budget.

By positioning themselves as the places where consumers can get the most bang for their buck, both stores hope to see a good return on their ad investment.

Best Buy, J.C. Penney, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Sears, OfficeMax and many others jumped on the ad bandwagon. While strategies and ad mediums differed, the message was the same: Spend money this holiday season, but shop here and you’ll spend much less.

I think you will see an extension of this message following the holidays, to try and tap into a more cost conscious consumer mentality even as the recession recedes. Retailers and marketers who can effectively position their products and services as good values will have more success in today’s challenging marketplace.

Peter Koepell is the President of Koeppel Direct and has over 25 years of advertising, marketing and media experience.

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Posted in Advertising, Branding, media | 3 Comments »

The Future of Media

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

koeppel_headshotJeff Zucker, the president of NBC Universal recently gave an interview in which he made predictions about the future of media, ad buying and selling, and the role of consumers in media consumption.

A few of his predictions included:

  • • Media will trend more toward “a la carte” options so customers can pick and choose the features they most want in their media consumption.
    • Interactivity is going to play a huge role in future media advertising.
    • Targeted advertising will become more important, including using locations to find out where consumers are and what they’re buying.
    • Mobile technology will be a 24/7 commodity, with smart phones being a necessity for all consumers.
    • Television will continue to rely on great content to command the highest advertising dollars.
    • Consumers will have more control about how they choose to access media content.
    • Media will have to learn to keep up with the pace of changing technology; there’s no going backward when it comes to new innovations.
    • Methods of researching the best places to put television advertising dollars must be overhauled; the current process is outdated and it’s losing advertisers’ money.
    • Social networks and search will become even more integral to media consumption.
    • Prime-time television will trend more toward big events, news and information than entertainment.

I feel that Zucker has hit on many key issues related to the future of media; however I think that the convergence of TV and online media and the overall shift by consumers and advertisers to online media are key trends that need to be added to Mr. Zucker’s list.

Though most of his speculations wouldn’t be argued by the majority of the media industry, the things that constantly surprise Zucker are still the speed of media change. Keeping up with the future developments may be the most important challenge any advertiser needs to address, while execution seems to be less important in today’s fast changing media environment.

Peter Koepell is the President of Koeppel Direct and has over 25 years of advertising, marketing and media experience.

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