24-Hour TV Advertising: Finding the Right Place and the Right Time for Your Campaign

For those of us who are old enough to remember end-of-broadcasting-day test patterns, today’s 24-hour TV may seem like overkill. But the new never-ending schedule poses both opportunity and dilemma.

Programming genres that were once coalesced into specific parts of the day (such as Saturday-morning cartoons) can now be viewed 24 hours a day, any day of the week. Primetime traditionally was the slot with the highest-quality programming because it garnered the most view and commanded the highest cost per impression (CPM). But now, high-quality programs can be viewed at any time and in any place.

Today’s viewing patterns are very often time-shifted. For advertisers interested in reaching a specific consumer, what was once a relatively clear choice of inventory has become a much more expansive, sophisticated, and complicated playing field. So how does 24-hour TV programming affect advertising schedules? And how can advertisers maximize budgets while still reaching the right consumers?

Avoid Clutter

Commercial pod length and the frequency of pods can reduce viewer engagement and attention. “I think everyone would agree that if you look at the amount of commercials that are inside most programs today, we have really overstuffed the bird,” admitted Michael Strober, EVP client strategy and ad innovation and co-head of Turner Ignite.

Advertising messages get lost in the clutter, savvy advertisers seek not only the right programming, but less cluttered programming, too. Even many TV networks realize the negative impact of clutter and are making efforts to reduce it. “Lighter commercial loads are the right balance,” Strober concluded.

Read the full article on the Videa blog.