Over the past year, we have seen some pretty dramatic changes to television and TV advertising. These changes seem to signpost what may be in store for us in 2015. They also reflect the trends spotted over the development of TV over the past 20 years. But here are just five trends:
1. Ratings Were Grossly Inaccurate
Those in the media measurement business decided to glaze over mobile and tablet spaces, perhaps because these were harder to track. Cell phones and tablets are still difficult to track mainly because in-browser viewing isn’t the norm. Video apps, including TVNZ On demand, are harder to track with cookies because you’re not on a browser. Unlike Lightbox which runs off browsers.
The media buying industry is still struggling to measure new media. Because of this, they’re also struggling to work out advertising costs.
2. Reality TV Faced Reality
Reality TV begun to face reality: people are slowly tuning out. Major reality TV players on broadcast flopped. While there are still some reality TV shows doing okay, many are down in double digits.
Cable is doing way worse. Adweek claims,
“On cable it’s much, much worse. This summer, which is traditionally the time for cable programming to shine, the biggest and baddest of the reality networks were down by huge numbers: History was off 24 percent, A&E was down by 30 percent, Discovery was off by 15. The reality networks, with a few exceptions (Discovery’s all-murder-all-the-time network ID among the main ones), are underperforming.”
What does this mean for marketers? Integrated ads on reality TV, one of the best ways of reaching viewers, is plummeting. Fast.
3. Data Brokers Came Out of the Shadows
The big players in the direct marketing boom are still booming. Direct marketers have a wealth of information on you – and they squeeze every dollar out of it. Adweek claims this data is worth more than gold and arguably worth more than ratings.
4. Streaming Shows Face Premium Cable
The first crop of streaming shows have appeared arguably as good as premium cable. Netflix, Amazon and Yahoo Screen all were paid a wealth of views after streaming long anticipated shows online. Even Lightbox allows you to watch brand new and globally trending shows. This all means advertisers have a lot more to mull over. With reality on the rocks, it’s best to keep your eye on the gushing trend of streaming TV.
5. One Giant Leap for Programmatic
Earlier in the year it was impossible to refute the facts. Data was pointing out the prevalence of programmatic. Now it’s been suggested that in ten years liner cable will be unrecognisable. Adweek explained it saying, “TV subscriptions are getting sold differently as consumers express their displeasure with the ever-pricier cable subscription model. That means more and more inventory is delivered in apps and through browsers. And that means programmatic sales..”
This means that consumers are watching TV when they want, rather than when a TV program wants. This all means marketers need to buy better or be bought out.