If you have been watching the commercial networks lately it is interesting that Gerry Harvey from Harvey Norman has an advertising campaign for ThinkTV which is basically a voice for commercial and regional networks in Australia. Gerry tells us that TV is the best medium for advertising. One thing that interests me, is that I cannot remember a time where commercial TV networks have had to advertise their own products. Is it that they are struggling?
To my mind TV advertising in metropolitan Australia is now reserved for the big boys and no one else can play, that is unless you are advertising to lonely gullible teens late at night.
The only thing that can save TV long term is the ability to stream small local ads into local areas other than that long term they are finished as big money buckets alongside newspapers. Already you can download just about every decent TV show moments after they have aired without advertising. That is why they throw ads inside TV shows and across our screens.
Just another example of old models having to change, because the Internet gives consumers choices and most choose to not watch ads.
Gerry finishes off the ad by telling the screen that he would never tell TV execs that TV is the best medium for advertising. Maybe not even the TV execs watch commercial TV any more and they download their TV shows from torrent sites or maybe it was just a crummy one liner.
Maybe that Gerry got a bunch of free ads to appear in the commercials, we will never know, but I love seeing traditional players getting a little desperate.
It is also interesting to see that 82% of Media Buyers believe TV plays a vital role in their communications mix. Failed to note that is where they make the majority of their money also.