NewsLine Column: Thinking Beyond The 30-Second Spot
Recent figures released by the Branded Content Marketing Association show the number of branded television programmes in the UK is set to double this year as advertisers search for more cost effective ways to promote their products. Simon Wells, commercial director of enteraction tv, explains what all the fuss is about…
When the marketing chief of one of the world’s largest FMCG companies says you should be thinking beyond the 30 second ad, it’s worth taking notice.
Recently Jim Stengal from Procter and Gamble told a US media conference that advertisers should be looking at direct programming. P&G spends millions of pounds a year on spot advertising and it’s interesting they’re taking such a big step sideways. But they are just one of the growing number of brands who have recognised that consumers no longer respond to TV ads the way they once used to.
Given the massive developments in digital media and multichannel TV that have fragmented audiences and reduced ad value, more brands are considering ways in which they can develop personalised relationships with consumers while hammering home those ever important brand messages.
Enter branded TV content or as many of you may know it – Advertiser Funded Programming. It’s a concept that has been around for years but is only now getting a proper look in and has already extended way beyond sponsored programming.
Branded TV content ranges from straight sponsorship to internationally bartered shows where specific carriage deals are negotiated between advertisers and the platforms. Examples include Gillette’s World Sport Special or Toyota’s World Wildlife series.
There are also more convoluted deals where advertisers buy incremental airtime on a channel and then a series or show gets commissioned or sponsored by them. And the most recent incarnation – the branded TV channel – is already proving successful for travel operator Thomas Cook, who has its own channel on Sky Digital and ntl. Other brands will no doubt follow.
Recent figures released by the Branded Content Marketing Association show the number of branded TV projects in the UK is set to double this year. The BCMA research also found that advertisers invested around £5 million in this type of programming last year but expected to see this rise to £22 million in 2004. These might not be huge figures but are a good indication of the direction the sector is going.
However the regulation which covers branded content is a thorn in the side of its development. Brands are finding it difficult to get projects off the ground because the regulations are extremely restrictive and don’t provide enough opportunity for sensible promotion.
What started out as a reasonable way of protecting viewer rights has had the opposite effect of nannying viewers and stymieing commercial growth in this sector. There’s nothing wrong with consumer protection but it’s pretty obvious the sophisticated, media savvy consumer of the 21st Century is very different to the consumer of the early 1990s who lived in a four channel TV world.
With the regulations due for a much needed review, there are many groups working hard to lobby Ofcom and the Government to ensure that brands have a fighting chance in the changing media environment. But regardless of current legislative hurdles, you can expect to see more brands moving away from advertising as we know it.
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