ISBA Warns Against Increasing TV Adspend

ISBA is warning advertisers against increasing their TV adspend to meet impact targets, claiming that reported falls in viewing could be due to the recent changes in the BARB methodology (see MRG Evening Meeting: The New BARB Contracts).

The advertising body is concerned that increasing TV adspend could generate airtime cost inflation and is urging its members to carry out detailed discussions with their agencies before “over hastily” increasing spend to meet targets set under the old BARB system.

ISBA’s guidance states: “It is clear that the levels of viewing the new system is reporting are currently lower than under previous research, particularly for certain sub-groups and channels, and this is leading many advertisers and agencies to question their advertising weights and budget allocations.”

It continues: “Some media agencies are understood to be encouraging their clients to increase their TV budgets so as to maintain previous levels of achievement. Whilst this may be entirely well intentioned it has the effect of inflating budgets at a time of downturn. If adopted by a majority of advertisers, it would lead to a return of TV cost inflation.”

Changes to the BARB methodology took place earlier in the year (see BARB Presents New Research System) and the new system, which is not yet up to full strength (see BARB Controversy Continues), has come in for considerable criticism over the last few months, with broadcasters and advertisers claiming that large discrepancies exist between the old and the new TV viewing data (see BARB Defends New Ratings System).

BARB: 020 7529 5531 www.barb.co.uk ISBA: 020 7499 7502 www.isba.org.uk

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