PVR Audience Viewing Behaviour
New research released by Mediaedge:cia’s research division, MediaLab, has uncovered major insights into viewing behaviour in the personal video recorder (PVR) age. It identifies three main areas of importance to advertisers; audience viewing behaviour, advert avoidance and actual use of the technology.
MediaLab found that three types of viewers emerged from the study: Hardcore, Moderate and Selective. The Hardcore viewers were shown to completely immerse themselves in the multi-channel experience, with Moderates and Selectives relatively ambivalent about TV and less familiar with multi-channel, as were terrestrial and Freeview viewers.
The study revealed valuable findings for advertisers concerned about viewer ad avoidance, showing that in general, Freeview viewers tend to be less TV obsessed, using a PVR to avoid adverts deliberately.
However, sponsorship was found to cut through advert avoidance techniques, with viewers looking for heavily branded screen shots, break bumpers and programme trails as a signal to stop fast-forwarding.
Getting to grips with the technology was found to be easiest for the Hardcore viewers, whilst Moderates or Selectives reached a point where extra functions did not interest them. Sky+ was shown to be completely integrated into the viewing experience, with users claiming it is easier to navigate and encourages involvement in the multi-channel landscape.
Commenting on the research, David Fletcher, head of MediaLab UK, outlines the parallels with current TV behaviour. He said: “PVRs will be the next ‘no going back’ consumer technology, so understanding the new viewing dynamics is of paramount importance to advisors.”
Fletcher continued: “There seems to be a disproportionate drop-off in ad-viewing amongst heavier viewers. Whereas any viewing decline is ‘bad news’, the silver lining is that TV delivery in the future could be easier to balance between light and heavy viewers.”
He added: “Our findings suggest that whilst majority PVR adoption will not be a nail in the coffin of 30 second spot ads, there is also ‘no going back’ to strategies comprised solely of linear 30 second spots.”
Earlier, a new study revealed at the Oxford Media Conference by media buying agency PHD, forecasts that there will be an 8.7% decline in commercial impacts by the end of 2010. The PHD report argues that the 8.7% decline in commercial impacts would be greater if it were not for the fact that in multi-channel homes there is a 31% increase in the viewing of digital commercial channels, compared with the five traditional analogue stations (see PVRs Causing Increasing Threat To Advertisers).
Research from Starcom (see PVRs Penetration To Reach 30% By 2010), issued in November last year, indicates that, by 2010, a third of the UK population will have access to PVRs, providing viewers with the capacity to easily skip adverts.