Thursday, January 26, 2012

Long running TV channel changes up its format

It’s very rare for anything in media to stay constant for too long. Adapting to the ever-changing landscape enables media platforms’ survival. According to MediaPost, the TV Guide Network is doing just that by steering away from the listings scroll of TV programming in favor of original content and acquisitions.

The channel is moving to full-screen content in more than 75% of its 80 million households. The goal was to have the transition completed by the end of 2011.

Ultimately, this change is to make the TV Guide Network a place for entertainment. Also, the thought is advertisers will invest more now that there is no longer competition with the listings scroll running during commercials.

While the channel lost its bid against Netflix to acquire the off-network rights to “Mad Men,” it shows that it is serious in re-positioning itself to the public by selecting programming with a strong following. It will be interesting to see how TV Guide Network develops once the transition to full-screen is complete.


Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Are consumers done with packaged video content?

As online media content, whether it be music, gaming or video, is becoming more mainstream, it does lead to question if it will overtake traditional packaged media. According to the consulting firm Strategy Analytics, there will be quite some time before that happens.

MediaPost reports that purchased online videos are currently about one-tenth of the sales compared to traditional video like Blu-Ray and DVDs. In fact, digital was estimated to bring in $3.5 billion by the end of 2011. Experts theorize that consumers find value in digital purchases; however, they put greater value on packaged media.

Packaged media brought in globally about $42 billion in 2010; however, it is projected to decline over the years. The research company Futuresource estimates that by 2014, the revenues will fall to $33 billion. Even at that point, digital sales are not expected to overpass it.

How is this applicable to advertisers? In a sense, it shows that traditional media is not dead. Consumers are making room for digital but still value traditional. Keeping tabs on how people consume media can help determine the most effective media mix possible for a campaign.



Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Are local newspapers still relevant for its community?

There is some big news for the small newspapers. According to MediaPost, a study completed by the Reynolds Journalism Institute’s Center for Advanced Social Research and the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism on behalf of the National Newspaper Association found that local newspapers draw a comparatively large and loyal audience.

The study concluded that 74% of the respondents, ages 18 and over, read local newspapers at least once a week, with 48% reading once a week and 11% reading them every day. This result is more notable because 86% of the newspapers in question are weeklies and are only distributed once per week.

Advertisers can take some valuable consumer insight from the study. The majority of respondents who read local newspapers skewed older, more educated, and lived within the community longer. The study surveyed 500 adults living in areas served by newspapers with less than a 15,000 circulation. In addition, 92% of readers paid for his/her paper (67% subscribe and 33% buying it by issue).

Respondents disclosed his/her motivations for reading the local newspapers: 83.2% do so primarily as a source for news; although, 69.2% agreed that the newspapers contain valuable local information for shopping and advertising. Time spent reading is an average of 39 minutes a week. As an advertiser, if your target audience matches older, educated, and long-time residents, you might want your ad to be part of those 39 minutes. Strategically, buying this type of media could be very beneficial.


Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Online radio now has live concert sponsors

The online radio station Pandora is branching out from online streaming to include live concert series in hopes of creating new streams of advertising revenue. According to MediaPost, one of the more recent sponsors has been Budweiser.

Budweiser sponsored a free concert by the California-based band Dawes on December 13th. The alcohol company will use the footage of the event in a microsite online. The microsite will include extras like behind-the-scenes content and news on upcoming live Pandora concerts.

What does this mean for advertisers? It’s another platform to reach an engaged audience. The trick now is to figure out how to utilize it to best meet your needs. Choosing a concert where the music genre best complements your target consumers is a good first step. For example, would a fine antiques store expect an uptick in business if they sponsored a live concert for a heavy metal band? Probably not…

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...