Ad-Free TV?

Part of the necessity for marketing divisions like branded entertainment is that 30 second commercial spots are becoming easier to ignore. With things like Tivo and even channel surfing, the impressions a commercial has have decreased. Additionally, unless you are an advertising enthusiast, you are not engaged during commercials-- the impressions, as noted by Lily Yuan in her presentation today, are not of the same value.

Thus I found it extremely interesting that ABC has chosen to completely cut out their first ad break and decrease overall ad time (Media News: ABC's Ad-Skipping Plan Surprises Media Buyers, AdAge 9/23/09). According to the Disney-owned network, the reasoning behind the move was to increase engagement.

Given "all of the new content that is out there, there is an incredible challenge," said Geri Wang, senior VP-prime-time sales, ABC Television Network. "We've got to break through and devise marketing, formatting and viewing presentations that drive towards making the most noise and getting the most attention we possibly can."

This confirms the growing power of branded entertainment (vs commercial spots). And as much as I like ads, I certainly cannot complain about less commercial time during my favorite shows.