Selecciones - Webs

Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
V. Developing the
Integrated Marketing
Communications Program
gets that are willing to spend millions for a 30-second
spot. Moreover, National Football League marketing
executives have also been making some defensive
moves to broaden the game’s appeal and to allow more
companies to participate in the hoopla surrounding
the game. To attract younger viewers, the Super Bowl’s
half-time show has featured popular rock groups such
as U2, whose music has been included in the NFL’s promotional
ads. The league is also creating new opportunities
for advertisers that choose not to pay
television’s highest commercial prices, such as those
for Friday or Saturday televised events, including con-
11. Evaluation of Broadcast
Media
expensive TV program of all, the Super Bowl, and how its high cost is causing some
advertisers to look for alternatives to advertising on the big game.
Lack of Selectivity Some selectivity is available in television through variations
in programs and cable TV. But advertisers who are seeking a very specific, often
small, target audience find the coverage of TV often extends beyond their market,
reducing its cost effectiveness (as discussed in Chapter 10). Geographic selectivity can
be a problem for local advertisers such as retailers, since a station bases its rates on the
total market area it reaches. For example, stations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reach
viewers in western and central Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia,
and even parts of Maryland. The small company whose market is limited to the immediate
Pittsburgh area may find TV an inefficient media buy, since the stations cover a
larger geographic area than the merchant’s trade area.
Audience selectivity is improving as advertisers target certain groups of consumers
through the type of program or day and/or time when they choose to advertise. However,
TV still does not offer as much audience selectivity as radio, magazines, newspapers,
or direct mail for reaching precise segments of the market.
Fleeting Message TV commercials usually last only 30 seconds or less and
leave nothing tangible for the viewer to examine or consider. Commercials have
become shorter and shorter as the demand for a limited amount of broadcast time has
intensified and advertisers try to get more impressions from their media budgets.
Thirty-second commercials became the norm in the mid-1970s, and in September
1986, the three major networks began accepting 15-second spots across their full
schedules (except during children’s viewing time). Since 1987, these shorter spots
have been accounting for about a third of all network commercials and 9 percent of
nonnetwork commercial activity. Thirty-second spots remain the dominant commercial
length, accounting for nearly 60 percent of network spots and over 80 percent of
nonnetwork ads. 7
An important factor in the decline in commercial length has been the spiraling inflation
in media costs over the past decade. With the average cost of a prime-time spot
reaching over $100,000, many advertisers see shorter commercials as the only way to
keep their media costs in line. A 15-second spot typically sells for half the price of a
30-second spot. By using 15- or even 10-second commercials, advertisers think they
can run additional spots to reinforce the message or reach a larger audience. Many
advertisers believe shorter commercials can deliver a message just as effectively as
longer spots for much less money.
Several years ago, many advertising people predicted 15-second spots would
become the dominant commercial unit. However, the growth in the use of 15-second
commercials peaked at 38 percent in 1989 and has recently declined to around 32 percent.
The decline may be due to several factors, including creative considerations,
lower prices for network time, and a desire by the networks to restrict clutter. 8
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
certs and pregame shows. The networks have also produced
special shows that air on Super Bowl weekend.
For example, in 2002 CBS created a special program,
which aired the night before the big game, to provide
advertisers with an opportunity to be part of the Super
Bowl hype. You guessed it: The show was a special look
back at the best Super Bowl ads of all time.
Sources: Vanessa O’Connell, “Super Bowl Gets Competition,” The
Wall Street Journal, Jan. 28, 2002, pp. B1, 3; Suzanne Varanica, “Ad
Time for Academy Awards Is Sold Out,” The Wall Street Journal,
Mar. 7, 2002, p. B8.
355
Chapter Eleven Evaluation of Broadcast Media