NewsLine Column: The Power Of TV
With the recent TV United conference still provoking discussion amongst media planners and buyers, Simon Summerscales, strategist at Naked Communications, argues that its time to seriously consider the future of the advertising spot.
The recent TV United conference boasted a fabulous line up of speakers, and I must admit to being excited by my trip to Bath – even if it was to pour with rain all day. An opportunity to ‘raise the level of debate’, representatives from every major broadcaster and a discussion format intended to cover aspects of content, advertising creativity and planning. So much potential!
It wasn’t wholesale disappointment. The feel of the day was positive, with intelligent comment and some excellent high powered banter to really keep you awake.
But it was the way that the day finished which I think really crystallised for me the problem that I think faces television and its advertising partners in the not too distant future. An opportunity to quiz the sales directors of all the major commercial television companies was met with sometime silence, only filled by the ghost of TV conference past; a stilted debate on television buying currencies and a lack of any clear mandate for the future.
Successful reinvention offers the only real scope in progression. It is not good enough to reinvigorate or even to innovate in the current format. We have to seriously consider the future of the advertising spot.
Far too much discussion time was devoted to old (and possibly soon to be redundant) issues. We can argue for ever and a day as to the most effective way to purchase a 30 second spot – and whether that spot is bought within an agency deal or a client specific deal. We could spend a week discussing the relative merits of sponsorship (or not). Furthermore, I think we all know that it is a powerful medium – yes more powerful than an aural or visual only medium! And I think we all now know about the media multiplier – please, not again!
On the issue of marketing and promotion of television, much support seemed to be given to the notion of a television equivalent to the Radio Advertising Bureau. The RAB is much loved and it is an unqualified success. It is a success because it places radio on the map. It encourages planners, creatives and advertisers to act positively in utilising the medium. Television doesn’t need to be placed on the map, nor for that matter, do we need to encourage creatives to make TV commercials – it is the fundamental measure in their career progression.
I could not help feeling that this was too good a cast for a tired old drama. If, as Louise Jones from PHD put it, we have fallen out of love with television, then we need some serious fireworks to put the passion back!
In the USA they are not discussing buying arrangements for their airtime. At a recent conference Steven J Heyer, the COO of Coca Cola, stood to make a landmark speech on his company’s commitment to the future of ‘Madison and Vine’ – a phrase given to the convergence between Hollywood’s Vine St (i.e. the content providers) and advertising’s Madison Avenue. He spoke with passion about the owners of the brand, his customers, who have a deep, emotive and committed personal relationship with the icon to which he is entrusted. He believes that this relationship is far too good to sit between the programmes – it is a relationship strong enough to lead cultural production. This he described his position as transformational, not evolutionary.
In the UK, I am aware of a number of major advertisers who are exploring the possibilities in programme production – far bigger ideas than advertising, product placement or sponsorship. But this will only work if the content is what consumers want, and success will only become uniform with the advice and expertise of the major broadcasters.
It is about time that we in the UK start this trinity debate on a major platform; the convergence of content, media and marketing. It would be a shame for us to fall behind in the global communication agenda.
That would be my idea for a ‘Power of TV’ conference
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