TV ad breaks under threat from personal video recorder technology

by Joe Lepper, Brand Republic 04-Apr-05, 12:30

LONDON - Traditional television advertising breaks could become a thing of the past, the latest study into the use of personal video recorders has suggested.

Of the 20 households placed with Sky+ or Freeview-enabled PVR and monitored, all fast-forwarded advertising while watching recorded programming.

Some in the study, carried out by Mediaedge:cia's research division MediaLab, even went as far as to pause live programming to fast-forward ads. MediaLab has labelled this group "hardcore viewers", who have adapted quicker to the technology and consider TV "a religion".

It was also found that often a "bad ad" would act as a prompt to fast-forward.

But while traditional television advertising spots could be under threat, the study suggests that sponsorship could increasingly become a more effective way to engage with viewers because it cuts through advertising avoidance.

It was found that viewers look for heavily branded screen shots or break bumpers as a signal to stop fast-forwarding. One viewer told MediaLab: "I'm looking for a sign to stop fast-forwarding [the ads]."

David Fletcher, head of MediaLab UK, said: "There is no going back to strategies comprised solely of linear 30-second spots."

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