Decreases in the attention span leads to new ad strategy

The example below concerns the reduction of the length of a radio ad.
from knowledge@wharton

On its website, Clear Channel discusses how it has cut down on the number of ad minutes per hour and on the number of ads in each commercial pod in an attempt to create a better experience for commercial-weary listeners and a better advertising environment. "When the music stops, the listening shouldn't," says the website, adding: "With fewer commercial breaks, shorter pods and shorter, more creative copy, spots get more share of voice and higher recall."

According to Wharton marketing professor Patricia Williams, "there is an increasing recognition that consumers just tune out ads. So the likelihood that you're going to keep consumers engaged for a 60-second or 30-second ad is minimal, especially on radio and TV when people will channel-flip as soon as the ads appear. There's also recognition that a good amount of the time advertisers are buying in a traditional 30- or 60-second ad might be a waste anyway because consumers aren't paying attention."

Joseph Turow, a professor and associate dean for graduate studies at Annenberg, agrees. "So many people are using iPods and going on the web to get music," he says. "And radio stations are seeing that a lot of people are leaving because they can't stand the number of ad minutes. So Clear Channel is trying to cut down [on ad minutes] to get more [listeners]."

...
"When advertisers went from 60-second to 30-second commercials and from 30-second to 15-second commercials, they said, 'Wow, I can reach twice as may people with shorter spots,'" says Reibstein. "But that ignored the question of whether a shorter ad has the impact of a longer ad. Clearly that's not the case. However, if all you want to do is get your name out there, shorter is fine. But if you have to explain something, or visually show something more complex and with more content, you can't do it with a little blip."
...

What is the best way for an advertiser to take advantage of super-short ads on either radio or TV? The Wharton marketers say five- or two-second ads may work well in reinforcing an existing brand with a high level of consumer awareness or announcing an upcoming event at an established retailer or a new product by a well-known manufacturer.

"Ads that remind people to 'Do something now' and basic brand-awareness ads work great on billboards," Schmittlein says, and probably they will on radio, too. Here are some examples: A computer company is introducing a new desktop model and uses a short ad to direct consumers to its website, where they can learn all about the model's functionality. A supermarket chain informs viewers that their stores will be open all day on an upcoming holiday. A TV network urges listeners to tune in tonight to the season premiere of last year's top-rated crime drama. A chain of convenience stores tells consumers during a July heat wave that its popular iced drink is available at a reduced price.

Say It with a Song

Several of those interviewed say adlets or blinks that use melodies, sound effects or well-known taglines -- or a combination of the three -- can be especially effective in keeping a brand or product top-of-mind. Examples of notable audio signatures include the Southwest Airlines 'ding', the "Intel Inside" tinkling audio tag, Fox's thumping theme music for National Football League games, or Coca-Cola's famous jingle, "It's the Real Thing."

...

One thing to avoid in scheduling super-short ads on radio or TV is clutter. According to Schmittlein, airing too many brief ads back to back would be a disservice to all the advertisers because their individual messages could get lost in the jumble. "It's just like billboards: if you have 10 billboards lined up next to one another, that's a problem," he says.

Another risk with five- and two-second ads -- but particularly the two-second spots -- is that listeners and viewers may miss them altogether. "If it's easy for consumers to avoid a 30-second message by changing the station, it's really easy to tune out a two-second message," suggests Williams.

At the same time, though, Williams says a two-second ad may work well, not in spite of its brevity, but because of it. When an ad comes on the air, it takes most people a couple of seconds to change the radio station or TV channel, and even TiVo recordings jump back a bit when programs are replayed. So viewers may see a couple seconds of commercial content they did not necessarily wish to view.