DVR Ratings to Debut From Nielson
With the advent of DVR (digital video recorders) like TiVo and Brighthouse DVR and products of the like, advertising agencies are increasingly worried about ad dollars dropping to the floor. The new DVR systems allow viewers to skip right through commercials to continue their favorite show uninterrupted. I, for one, do exactly that. With the DVR system installed, I never see commercials anymore. It's great for me, but for the companies who paid hundreds of thousands or even millions for those spots, it's a catastrophic invention.
Ad agencies and their clients alike are scrambling to conjure up new ideas to circumvent the system. Some of the concepts include ad banners placed at the bottom of the television show throughout the broadcast and in-show branding. American Idol is a prime example of a show implementing both of these concepts. Notice the blatant mentioning of AT&T (I think they've now switched to Cingular) in addition to the logo placement when showing the 'Vote Now' phone number. In addition, the show Survivor is notorious for on-screen product placement with car give-aways and food challenges including "new, refreshing Mountain Dew Black."Neilson Media Research has scheduled to implement a DVR ratings system on December 26, 2005. The system will be the first of its kind to track viewer behavior with DVR systems and will offer information showing whether viewers skipped ads or not. According to Neilson, the ratings will be available for viewing on December 28, 2005 on their web site.
