So I was “reading” my geek book, perusing the chapter that is basically an historical account of the way television audiences have been counted over the years. My uneducated conclusion is that it is crap, everyone knows it’s crap but it’s the only crap anyone can come up with so the entire industry acts like it’s not crap.
What they need to do is find a way to show the effectiveness of advertising by an increase in sales. This could easily be accomplished by attaching my grocery store frequent shopper card to my favorite shows. Then they would know if their commercials were working.
I think that you're right Kay, it is crap, but we can all conclude that the audience is leaving by flocks, and not only for the soap opera industry, more and more people are getting their entertainment through their computers. I for one, stated often that I do not watch television as much as I use to, why? First of all, I think that there are way too much reality shows, it's a plague, the rest of the quality television have taken a serious drop...is it just me feeling that way? Not that I know of...
Dom
Dom Wrote:I think that you're right Kay, it is crap, but we can all conclude that the audience is leaving by flocks, and not only for the soap opera industry, more and more people are getting their entertainment through their computers. I for one, stated often that I do not watch television as much as I use to, why? First of all, I think that there are way too much reality shows, it's a plague, the rest of the quality television have taken a serious drop...is it just me feeling that way? Not that I know of...
Dom
But crappy television may well be more effective at selling products. At the moment they don't have a good way to measure that. They've based billions of ad dollars on an archaic system that measures only the number of people an ad reaches. Now I have to believe the ad companies have some way to evaluate how effective an ad is but if that is through focus groups and surveys then this whole thing is a house of cards. Where is the data connecting a show, it's commercials and a change in consumer behavior? We now have the technology to do that.
Potassium Wrote:Dom Wrote:I think that you're right Kay, it is crap, but we can all conclude that the audience is leaving by flocks, and not only for the soap opera industry, more and more people are getting their entertainment through their computers. I for one, stated often that I do not watch television as much as I use to, why? First of all, I think that there are way too much reality shows, it's a plague, the rest of the quality television have taken a serious drop...is it just me feeling that way? Not that I know of...
Dom
But crappy television may well be more effective at selling products. At the moment they don't have a good way to measure that. They've based billions of ad dollars on an archaic system that measures only the number of people an ad reaches. Now I have to believe the ad companies have some way to evaluate how effective an ad is but if that is through focus groups and surveys then this whole thing is a house of cards. Where is the data connecting a show, it's commercials and a change in consumer behavior? We now have the technology to do that.
It sounds to me as if you have been studying the whole thing and gave way more appropriate thinking than I ever did, so, I'll just have to add, that I think that you may have nailed it right!
I'm no scholar on any of it, I have to admit that I've stopped watching ads too, I hate ads...they take too many precious minutes away from my favourites shows, when I use to have some, in which case it hasn't been true for the last 5 years now.
Thanks Kay!
Dom
Quote:So I was “reading” my geek book, perusing the chapter that is basically an historical account of the way television audiences have been counted over the years.
What geek book would that be?
Quote:My uneducated conclusion is that it is crap, everyone knows it’s crap but it’s the only crap anyone can come up with so the entire industry acts like it’s not crap.
That about sums up many things in many industries.
Quote:What they need to do is find a way to show the effectiveness of advertising by an increase in sales. This could easily be accomplished by attaching my grocery store frequent shopper card to my favorite shows. Then they would know if their commercials were working.
So, are you saying that we would pick out our favorite shows, then the store would put the information in a computer attaching it to the card, and when they scan the card the data would go to the companies?
What about all those stores out there that don't use cards? Would that mean that my kids and husband would have different cards? Also, how would they know what is for the kids and what is for me?
Very interesting idea Kay. I think it would be a huge undertaking that would cost too much money for the companies to mess with.
Kim Wrote:Quote:So I was “reading” my geek book, perusing the chapter that is basically an historical account of the way television audiences have been counted over the years.
What geek book would that be?
Television will be Revolutionized by Amanda Lotz - You know, light summer reading, LOL.
Kim Wrote:Quote:My uneducated conclusion is that it is crap, everyone knows it’s crap but it’s the only crap anyone can come up with so the entire industry acts like it’s not crap.
That about sums up many things in many industries.
Too true!!!
Kim Wrote:Quote:What they need to do is find a way to show the effectiveness of advertising by an increase in sales. This could easily be accomplished by attaching my grocery store frequent shopper card to my favorite shows. Then they would know if their commercials were working.
So, are you saying that we would pick out our favorite shows, then the store would put the information in a computer attaching it to the card, and when they scan the card the data would go to the companies?
I was envisioning attaching my card number to a show, kind of a come to our website and input your shoppers card number type of thing.
Kim Wrote:What about all those stores out there that don't use cards?
Then you wouldn't get counted, much like most of America is not actually counted in the Nielsens.
Kim Wrote:Would that mean that my kids and husband would have different cards? Also, how would they know what is for the kids and what is for me?
I suppose they could, if the plan was expanded.
Kim Wrote:Very interesting idea Kay. I think it would be a huge undertaking that would cost too much money for the companies to mess with.
The data is already there. The grocery stores already have it, they know what you buy, how much you buy and how often you shop. All it would take is some software to pull out the data they wanted. It would certainly be easier and more meaningful then this whole Nielsen disaster.
Dom Wrote:It sounds to me as if you have been studying the whole thing and gave way more appropriate thinking than I ever did, so, I'll just have to add, that I think that you may have nailed it right!
I'm no scholar on any of it, I have to admit that I've stopped watching ads too, I hate ads...they take too many precious minutes away from my favourites shows, when I use to have some, in which case it hasn't been true for the last 5 years now.
Thanks Kay!
Dom
So let me ask you this...
Would you be more apt to purchase a product if you knew there was a direct correlation between your product choices and the future of the show?
I have to wonder if the effectiveness of advertising for those boomers was related to the directness of the process. Does my mother buy a specific laundry detergent because it's great or because Ed Sullivan told her too? Does that entire generations' brand loyalty stem from their fandom?
Quote:Would you be more apt to purchase a product if you knew there was a direct correlation between your product choices and the future of the show?
To be blunt, no! Never bought any product for the sake of one television show, whether it was beer or anything else, when I buy any product at all it's for my own pure and egocentric enjoyment.
Quote:I have to wonder if the effectiveness of advertising for those boomers was related to the directness of the process. Does my mother buy a specific laundry detergent because it's great or because Ed Sullivan told her too? Does that entire generations' brand loyalty stem from their fandom?
I think that you're right on this one too, I think that the generations that preceeded us bought their products because of the many "stars" that were selling them, cigarettes were sold that way, too funny to see the kind of ads that aired in those days, ever saw an ad while the Liberace Show? or the Steve Allen Show?? too funny...even Edward R. Murrow had his own cigarette brand ad, the great journalist Edward R. Murrow who was the first journalist to walk in the concentration camps after WWII was selling his cigarette brand.
However, as far as I'm concerned that type of selling never worked, I really don't care if Britney Spears or Paris Hilton, or Donald Trump (I don't even care about either one of those "stars") is drinking the same kind of beer that I do,in essence what I'm saying is that it won't change my mind on what kind of product that I want for my enjoyment. Adding to the fact that I've never been one to follow....
But television was new in those days, we were born with it, nothing new to us. Saddly so, most of the services and products industries that made TV what it was then, can't renew their ways. I think that it would be time, but will they do it...not sure! The Father's Knows Best Era is long gone!
Ta! Later alligator!
Dom
I'll sample my last thought by adding that no matter which "star" sells any product or service at all, doesn't have any bearing on the kind of product that I buy. Whether it's Georgous and Suave George Clooney or the new hockey player with a big paycheck.
When I buy a product it is because I decide to do so.
Dom
Yeah, I would agree for the most part. I know for sure I wouldn't buy anything because a show simply said to go out and buy it. However, if George Reeves is telling me that he eats Kellogg's Corn Flakes every morning, chances are I might want to do the same. Or to make it more relevant here, I went to Outback more often knowing Tristan was doing the voice-over. I think it depends on how much you admire and trust the person telling you how great something is. I'm speaking for me of course and not making a general statement. I'm sure there are some who could care less.