It seems most parents are OK with their kids seeing nipples. In a study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation called Parents, Media and Public Policy, only 17 percent of parents surveyed were "very concerned" about the baring of Janet Jackson's nipple at this year's Super Bowl. In fact, 53 percent were "not at all concerned." While nipples may be OK, 63 percent of parents were "very concerned" that their children see too much inappropriate content in entertainment and media. Until the media realize they don't have to shoot for the lowest common denominator just to get a rating point and that consumers might actually enjoy quality programming, there is sure to be a continuous supply of slutted up TV.
During this week's MediaPost Forecast 2005, Yankelovich Partners President J. Walker Smith and others on a panel at MediaPost's Forecast 2005 conference this week at the Marriott Marquis in New York said it may be time to pay consumers to watch commercials. While it's not a new idea, perhaps they read a previous Adrants article which proposed a radical new economic model for advertising. OK, radical for TV. Not so radical for online media.
Based on the inevitable shift from the measurement of programming to the measurement of the ads within those programs, all effort will be shifted from promoting programming to promoting ads within those programs. When all eyes are on the ad ratings versus program ratings, it will be incumbent upon networks to prove they have the highest "ad viewership" rating. Because of this driver, it will be the networks, not the advertisers, who will pay consumers to view. Oh, the advertisers will continue to pay much in the same way they do today but they'll be paying based on ad viewership ratings and not programming ratings. Conceivably, all the program promotion we now see from the networks will be replaced by promotions for upcoming commercials consumers "must see." Crazy? Sure. Likely? Very definitely. The money is in the consumer eyeball and marketers will be forced to do what is necessary to reach those eyeballs whether it's wild models such as this or more refined permission marketing-based models.
A study released yesterday by Dynamic Logic which analyzes how the three media work together found magazines, when combined with TV and online, more than doubled magazine reader's purchase intent. Ad size and high involvement were cited as reasons for the medium's high scores.
In Defense of Animals, a California-based anti-fur group, has launched a new ad campaign created by Peter Max. Max has painted five presidents, the Beatles, Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones. We assume he knows what he's doing although, looking at the ad, one wonders if Max just stepped out of middle school art class.
The campaign features images of puppies and kittens alongside foxes and beavers with tear-jerk copy that reads, "Make respect for all life your fashion statement. Beavers and foxes have as much right to live as cats and dogs. Please don't wear fur." Ads have appeared in local West Coast print and plans are in place for the campaign to appear nationally.
