Is Today's Prime Time Audience Worth the Dollars?

According to an AdWeek article which examines a recent study from Simulmedia, the big bucks that advertisers payout for every prime time block of 30-seconds may not be worth it for the actual impressions it makes on today’s audience.

The article sites “In the two-week period measured, more than half of TV ad dollars (54 percent, or about $91 million) were spent on the four-hour block between 8 p.m. and midnight, and yet only 34 percent of all measurable impressions were logged during that time.”

Now that’s not to say those are good results for today’s fragmented audience that watches TV while cooking, working on the laptop or iPhone… its still significantly higher than daytime ratings. However viewers can’t always be counted on with DVRs, Netflix and Hulu to interrupt traditional viewing habits.

“By the end of 2012, there will be an estimated 78 million TVs in the U.S. connected to the Web,” wrote the authors of the study. “With penetration expected to grow to 147 million sets over the next five years, advertisers need to accept that linear TV is no longer the sole platform viewers use when they lean back on the couch to watch.” (ADWeek article)

So what does it all  really mean to the advertiser considering where to put those valuable marketing dollars?

Work closely with your marketing department to develop the best strategy and value for your marketing goals and budget. Does a mix of daytime and prime time fit into your budget? On network or cable?

The truth is that your local TV Ad Sales reps are willing to work with you to maximize any client budget – whether its $5,000 or $500,000.

The final key is to Negotiate. Get the results you need from your budget.

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