- 29% of the time, there is no one in the room when TV ads air.
- 31% of digital ads are non-viewable.
- Health brands are doing a better job with targeting than CPG.
- Primetime has the highest viewability.
- Source: IPG Media Lab
More than $59 billion will be spent on TV ads this year but 29% of those dollars are wasted because the ads are not being viewed. That’s over $17 billion that is wasted on TV ads that nobody will ever see.
IPG Media Lab does a good job of using PR to spread some statistics but these numbers raise more questions than they answer. For example, how many people, even if they are in the room when the spots air, really are paying attention versus multitasking?
Short Attention Spans
With iPads, smartphones, and laptops the attention span of consumers is at an all-time low. According to a study by Microsoft, the average human being now has an attention span of eight seconds. That’s high.
Facebook users spend an average of 1.7 seconds with any piece of mobile content on the platform, compared to 2.5 seconds on desktop. Those interactions become even briefer with younger audiences, and they are growing shorter all the time.
TV spots today have to capture the attention of consumers and that can only be done by ensuring that spots are fresh. Increased reach & frequency is not going to lead to more sales just a feeling that your spots “are annoying”.
Capturing short consumer attention spans
1ne: Keep it short and simple – The research from IPG Media Labs shows no correlation between longer spots.
2wo: Measure the awareness of your audience when it comes to spots. Don’t recycle old spots for increased frequency.
3hree: On the web, attention spans are even shorter so you need to be creative to capture attention.
TV is still great for generating awareness but running the same spots over and over is just a waste of money.
