PVR = Poor eValuation of Research?
We were somewhat amazed and bewildered by the spin put on the latest UK research into Personal Video Recorders by a large global media shop. We're not identifying the culprits here - although we suspect that our name surpression will be as ineffective as that offered to our errant sporting icons - but we live in hope that they've since seen the error of their ways.
So what has us so bemused? Try this for a headline: "PVRs Not Serious Threat to TV Ads Says Media Agency". In support of this glorious revelation? Again, we quote: "Although Sky+ viewers saw 30% fewer ads than digital consumers, the survey revealed only a 17% drop in ad awareness levels in Sky+ homes". [In case you wondered, Sky+ is the brand of PVR supplied by the UK's dominant Pay TV operator BSkyB]
The conclusion voiced by our media colleagues: "the fewer ads seen by consumers, the greater the impact as they are free from 'advertising clutter'."
Forgive us belabouring a few points, but:
We put rather more credence in a recent report on UK media from Ipsos Media: nine out of ten PVR users, and almost all of the critical 16-34 year old audience, 97 per cent, fast-forward through the ads 'always' or 'almost always', an increase of six per cent in the last six months. Coupled with the fact that nearly half, 45 per cent, claim to now watch more recorded than live TV, an increase of over ten per cent from six months ago; 27 per cent to watch the same proportion of each; and only a quarter to watch less recorded than live, this looks set to have what Ipsos Media calls "an interesting impact on advertising."
David Lucas, Senior Director at Ipsos Media, commented: "As far as advertisers are concerned, flicking the channel to avoid ad breaks is one thing, but the ability the PVR presents to fast forward through them raises a far greater challenge, and advertisers will need to think even more intelligently about the nature and placement of their campaigns. "
Unless, of course, like that legendary British Admiral Lord Nelson their telescopes are resolutely clutched to unseeing eyes.
Rugby Rivals Reunited
Are we the only ones who find faintly Orwellian undertones in the news that Sky and TVNZ are reported to be jointly tendering for the rights to broadcast the 2007 Rugby World Cup? Last time we looked, Sky and TV3 were the best of rugby mates and TVNZ were the louts in the cheap seats. On the other hand, those of us with unaltered memories can hark back to the days when Sky and TVNZ co-operated and TV3 -- oh, never mind.
What sets us wondering (and mischief-mongering) is the fact that the SANZAR free-to-air rights - i.e. the rights to delayed coverage of the Super 14, NPC, Tri-Nations et. - have yet to be announced. Will TVNZ regain its rugby crown? Will TV3 re-emerge triumphant? Will Sky convert one of its UHF frequencies to free-to-air and capitalise on its rights ownership? Or will Prime dig deep into its parent's pocket and score the winning try?We'd tell you, but then we'd have to send you off to the sin bin.
Spam-Not-A-Lot
The Unsolicited Electronic Messages Bill was last week tabled in Parliament, threatening maximum penalties of $500,000 for spamming organisations and $200,000 for individual spamsters operating from New Zealand. According to the lawmakers, about 10% of spam originates in NZ and this legislation is designed to combat such abuses.
Alas, the legislation will do nothing to dissuade the Russians, Nigerians and assorted other nationalities who have taken it upon themselves to solve our ethical, moral, financial and pharmaceutical problems with their helpful letters from offshore. Will the bill stop us winning lotteries we haven't entered, learning about the sad demise of long-lost relatives we never knew existed or being offered medicines for conditions we suffered without understanding?
Thankfully, no - our social lives will remain intact, our lives enriched by these strangers reaching out to us from foreign climes.Alas, the telemarketers survive unscathed, unaffected by these stern measures ...
TellyLearning
Earlier this week Sky Television announced the launch of its Sky In Schools package, offering New Zealand schools the opportunity to subscribe to Sky at a subsidised rate and providing access to information about selected Sky programming and classroom support material via the Sky In Schools website.
The Sky In Schools subscription includes: Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Animal Planet, The History Channel, SKY News Australia/New Zealand, CNN, BBC World, ESPN, SKY Sport 1, The Living Channel National Radio, Concert FM, Southland TV (including S.I.T's long-distance learning programme) Maori Television and nationwide free to air networks.
It's a good-corporate-citizen initiative and although we were personally disappointed that Sky1 was not included - the wrestling is so educational and some of those reality programmes could really make an impact in our universities - we applaud the move. Can't wait till Sky-watching becomes compulsory as part of the NCEA scholarship course.
Look Ma, No Ads
A commercial radio station with no ads? Yep - welcome to Core, brought to you by Orange (boy, did Apple miss an opportunity!).
A UK youth station, Core targets 16- to 24-year-olds across a mix of many music genres including R'n'B with pop, dance with drum and bass, and modern rock with techno. Mobile phone company Orange has signed up as the sole partner for the station and will sponsor three music and film programmes, including The Core Control Chart with Orange Music Player, a daily show that sees listeners text to vote for their favourite tracks. Orange is also planning to integrate its products and services into online branding, SMS activity and bespoke programme features to gain maximum exposure.
Orange gets access to an ad-free environment that is in tune with the young mobile audience and a platform for testing new forms of customer involvement ... not to mention bragging rights and street cred.
Time for a similar local initiative, please.
So what has us so bemused? Try this for a headline: "PVRs Not Serious Threat to TV Ads Says Media Agency". In support of this glorious revelation? Again, we quote: "Although Sky+ viewers saw 30% fewer ads than digital consumers, the survey revealed only a 17% drop in ad awareness levels in Sky+ homes". [In case you wondered, Sky+ is the brand of PVR supplied by the UK's dominant Pay TV operator BSkyB]
The conclusion voiced by our media colleagues: "the fewer ads seen by consumers, the greater the impact as they are free from 'advertising clutter'."
Forgive us belabouring a few points, but:
- under what circumstances might "viewers seeing 30% fewer ads" not be considered "a serious threat"?
- in what ivory tower does "a 17% drop in ad awareness levels"justify the modifier "only"
- how nice that those ads which survived the PVR killing fields are "free from advertising clutter" - because their ranks have been decimated by technology.
We put rather more credence in a recent report on UK media from Ipsos Media: nine out of ten PVR users, and almost all of the critical 16-34 year old audience, 97 per cent, fast-forward through the ads 'always' or 'almost always', an increase of six per cent in the last six months. Coupled with the fact that nearly half, 45 per cent, claim to now watch more recorded than live TV, an increase of over ten per cent from six months ago; 27 per cent to watch the same proportion of each; and only a quarter to watch less recorded than live, this looks set to have what Ipsos Media calls "an interesting impact on advertising."
David Lucas, Senior Director at Ipsos Media, commented: "As far as advertisers are concerned, flicking the channel to avoid ad breaks is one thing, but the ability the PVR presents to fast forward through them raises a far greater challenge, and advertisers will need to think even more intelligently about the nature and placement of their campaigns. "
Unless, of course, like that legendary British Admiral Lord Nelson their telescopes are resolutely clutched to unseeing eyes.
Rugby Rivals Reunited
Are we the only ones who find faintly Orwellian undertones in the news that Sky and TVNZ are reported to be jointly tendering for the rights to broadcast the 2007 Rugby World Cup? Last time we looked, Sky and TV3 were the best of rugby mates and TVNZ were the louts in the cheap seats. On the other hand, those of us with unaltered memories can hark back to the days when Sky and TVNZ co-operated and TV3 -- oh, never mind.
What sets us wondering (and mischief-mongering) is the fact that the SANZAR free-to-air rights - i.e. the rights to delayed coverage of the Super 14, NPC, Tri-Nations et. - have yet to be announced. Will TVNZ regain its rugby crown? Will TV3 re-emerge triumphant? Will Sky convert one of its UHF frequencies to free-to-air and capitalise on its rights ownership? Or will Prime dig deep into its parent's pocket and score the winning try?We'd tell you, but then we'd have to send you off to the sin bin.
Spam-Not-A-Lot
The Unsolicited Electronic Messages Bill was last week tabled in Parliament, threatening maximum penalties of $500,000 for spamming organisations and $200,000 for individual spamsters operating from New Zealand. According to the lawmakers, about 10% of spam originates in NZ and this legislation is designed to combat such abuses.
Alas, the legislation will do nothing to dissuade the Russians, Nigerians and assorted other nationalities who have taken it upon themselves to solve our ethical, moral, financial and pharmaceutical problems with their helpful letters from offshore. Will the bill stop us winning lotteries we haven't entered, learning about the sad demise of long-lost relatives we never knew existed or being offered medicines for conditions we suffered without understanding?
Thankfully, no - our social lives will remain intact, our lives enriched by these strangers reaching out to us from foreign climes.Alas, the telemarketers survive unscathed, unaffected by these stern measures ...
TellyLearning
Earlier this week Sky Television announced the launch of its Sky In Schools package, offering New Zealand schools the opportunity to subscribe to Sky at a subsidised rate and providing access to information about selected Sky programming and classroom support material via the Sky In Schools website.
The Sky In Schools subscription includes: Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Animal Planet, The History Channel, SKY News Australia/New Zealand, CNN, BBC World, ESPN, SKY Sport 1, The Living Channel National Radio, Concert FM, Southland TV (including S.I.T's long-distance learning programme) Maori Television and nationwide free to air networks.
It's a good-corporate-citizen initiative and although we were personally disappointed that Sky1 was not included - the wrestling is so educational and some of those reality programmes could really make an impact in our universities - we applaud the move. Can't wait till Sky-watching becomes compulsory as part of the NCEA scholarship course.
Look Ma, No Ads
A commercial radio station with no ads? Yep - welcome to Core, brought to you by Orange (boy, did Apple miss an opportunity!).
A UK youth station, Core targets 16- to 24-year-olds across a mix of many music genres including R'n'B with pop, dance with drum and bass, and modern rock with techno. Mobile phone company Orange has signed up as the sole partner for the station and will sponsor three music and film programmes, including The Core Control Chart with Orange Music Player, a daily show that sees listeners text to vote for their favourite tracks. Orange is also planning to integrate its products and services into online branding, SMS activity and bespoke programme features to gain maximum exposure.
Orange gets access to an ad-free environment that is in tune with the young mobile audience and a platform for testing new forms of customer involvement ... not to mention bragging rights and street cred.
Time for a similar local initiative, please.
posted by MediaCom New Zealand at 10:06 AM
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