Archive for November 3rd, 2008

Measurement is a blessing and a curse on the Internet. It’s wonderful to have so many facts at our fingertips, but vexing when we don’t know which ones are the most accurate.  The Internet is perhaps the most accountable ad medium there is. But the downside is there are often too many numbers to wade through - total spend estimate, return on investment, number of online views, unique visitors, ad growth and so on. Separating the wheat from the chaff can be tough. How does a media buyer, advertising executive or venture capitalist decide which reports to use? More specifically, how do they choose which projections to lean on for the online video ad market?

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By iTVX Staff

For two weeks running, Disney’s “High School Musical 3″ is tops at the box office. While kids and tweens enjoy the music, dancing, and good looks of the cast, we marvel at its product placements. Well, what did you expect from us? In any event, we spotted Champion and Nike right off the bat as well as Converse. Dasani seems to be the h20 of choice for the students. Other product placements we spotted were Diesel, Ford, and Honda. Did you spot any? Let us know below.

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By iTVX Staff

Two Heroes producers (Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb) have been canned. The two, who had been with the show since its inception, were cut loose reportedly because NBC wasn’t happy with the direction of the show. The series’ ratings this season are down from last year, and has been attacked by critics for its storylines. While it remains a hit thanks to DVR, the show is clearly in creative trouble.

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Starbucks launched a major TV effort during the weekend in hopes of driving much-needed customers to its coffee shops on Election Day. A 60-second TV spot says the chain will give away a 12-oz. cup of coffee on Nov. 4 to those who vote.
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The November sweeps traditionally marks the time when the broadcast networks assess the strengths and weaknesses of their prime-time schedules. But to some extent, those assessments already have begun, what with Fox cancelling sitcom Do Not Disturb, ABC axing reality entrant Opportunity Knocks, and CBS pulling its drama The Ex List. But most advertisers believe plenty of tougher choices need to be made—and the sooner the better.

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Rebuilding a network is never easy, particularly when one of its most-watched franchises has relocated elsewhere. So there was every reason to believe that The CW without Friday Night Smackdown! would open this season at a disadvantage: fewer total viewers (from 2.9 million to 2.6 million season-to-date, according to Nielsen Media Research) and a smaller male audience. But by shifting its strategy to serialized dramas like Gossip Girl and recent entry 90210, The CW has found its niche: young female viewers.

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By iTVX Staff

The Bachelor producer Mike Fleiss and CBS have reached a deal for seven episodes of a new reality competition series focusing on families competing for a big cash prize.  TVWeek reports Fleiss will executive produce the series.

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With DVR penetration knocking on 30%, much of America now views the ability to skip ads on TV as something approaching a birthright.

While they haven’t had much choice in the matter, the broadcast networks say they’re OK with this, that DVR users watch more TV and disproportionately more shows from ABC, NBC, Fox and CBS, which can’t be bad, right?

But the networks haven’t given up on the dream of a world of must-see advertising and are quietly attempting to take back that right — let’s call it a privilege — on the next generation of digital platforms. Already, the networks have effectively eliminated ad-skipping on broadband and have made that a prerequisite in deals with online distributors such as Hulu, Joost and Veoh, as well as ABC.com’s full-episode player.

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Mobile ad awareness has accelerated. A record four in 10 Americans, or 104 million people, recalled seeing an ad on their mobile device between July and September, according to the Limbo-GfK Technology Advertising report.

“Brands are doing more with mobile, spending more,” said Rob Lawson, founder of Limbo, a mobile social networking community. “Only two years ago they didn’t see it as a channel where they would see ads. Now they are increasingly aware.”

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It’s questionable whether Procter & Gamble intended for preroll ads for its Tide, Cover Girl and Herbal Essences brands to run just prior to a recent video clip showing Playboy playmate Kendra Wilkinson flashing a breast at onlookers on TMZ.com. It also is highly doubtful that both HSBC and American Express deliberately ran banner ads within clicking distance of nude photos of High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens on the snarky celebrity-gossip blog What Would Tyler Durden Do? (WWTDD.com).

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