| | Media Buyer & Planner Today | | | | | | | | | #1 Broadcast Ratings Declines Continue | | Live plus same day viewing on the Big Four broadcast networks continues to decline as time-shifted and digital streaming viewing continues to grow. Ad Age reports that for the fifth straight year, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox will fail to finish with an average rating of 3.0 or better in the adults 18-49 demo. Not only that, it is possible that all four may actually slip below a 2.0 before this season ends. There is still an occasional new hit – the season that being NBC freshman drama This is Us. But even traditional hits like CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, Fox drama Empire, NBC's The Voice and ABC's Modern Family have seen double-digit 18-49 demo declines this season. | | WHY THIS MATTERS: The broadcast networks continue to spin the ratings results to make it seem like things are not as bad as they seem, but the bottom line numbers tell the story. Broadcast television is still the place to be for marketers who want to target that immediate mass reach audience. But many brands today are choosing to target audiences in a more finite way. That's why the networks are changing the way they sell their ad time and the metrics they are using to measure their audiences. | A Take: Ad Age
| | | | #2 CBS Claims Boost From Nielsen Content Ratings | | The network said on Monday that viewing of its entertainment shows grew an average of 54% using Nielsen's new Total Content Ratings metric, compared to its live plus same day ratings data. Total Content Ratings includes delayed viewing over 35 days, and also counts people who watch on video on demand and DVRs, in addition to regular TV. The TCR ratings were rolled out March 1, but only in a limited way. And they do not include mobile viewership and viewing of shows on digital platforms such as Hulu. CBS is the first network to share its TCR ratings publicly and Dave Poltrack, chief research officer at CBS Corp., says while traditional ratings have been declining, more people are watching CBS programming than 15 years ago. | | WHY THIS MATTERS: The TCR impact is a positive one for CBS and will most likely be for all the networks since the measurement includes more methods of viewing. However what kind of impact it will have on marketer and agency media buying plans remains to be seen. David Cohen, president of Magna Global North America, sees TCR not so much as a buying currency but more as a planning tool. He told Adweek, "It's a step forward and any granular measurement beyond what we have now is useful." | Three Takes: B&C | Media Post | Adweek
| | | | #3 30 Influencers Hawk Axe on Instagram | | Unilever's male grooming products brand Axe is in the midst of a video-drive branding campaign on Instagram with some 30 style-conscious influencers starring in a series of "Instagroom" videos, Adweek reports. Leading the group is comedian, musician and social-media star Rudy Mancuso, a 25-year-old, who has an Instagram fan base of 4.2 million followers and counts Justin Bieber among his friends. Unilever Haircare VP Piyush Jain says, "This is the first time male influencers from all different walks of life are coming together to inspire guys to start styling." | | WHY THIS MATTERS: Guy-directed messaging is not new for Axe but the mass use of influencers on social media is aimed at younger potential users of the products. The results so far are mixed. One of the videos has garnered more than 200,000 views so far. And the target audience is broad. According to an Edelman Intelligence survey, 65% of guys don't style their hair regularly. | | A Take: Adweek | |
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| | 80 | | Percentage of North American and European marketers who say they are "familiar" with or "extremely familiar" with programmatic advertising, according to a survey by AdRoll. Some 66% of the marketers surveyed say that programmatic advertising has resulted in great return on investment versus traditional media buying. While 68% of marketers plan to increase their mobile retargeting budgets in 2017. | – Reported by Media Post
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| | 'Voice' Strong Enough to Win on NBC | by Michael Malone
NBC took the Monday title among broadcasters with a 2.2/8, as The Voice scored a 2.7, down 13% from last week, and Taken a 1.3, off 19% from its premiere.
Next was ABC at 2.0/7, as The Bachelor did a 2.2, down 8%, before the two-hour The Bachelor: The Women Tell All scored a 1.8.
CBS did a 1.1/4. After a few repeated comedies, a new Superior Donuts did a flat 1.2. CBS then went back to repeats.
Fox weighed in at 0.9/3, as 24: Legacy scored a 0.9, down 10%, and APB did a flat 0.8.
The CW tallied a 0.5/2, with Supergirl at a flat 0.7 and then a repeat.
Among Spanish-language players, Univision was good for a 0.7/3 while Telemundo did a 0.6/2. | |
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| • JULIE FLEISCHER was named VP of product marketing for marketing solutions at analytics company Neustar. She was most recently managing director at OMD Chicago. Prior to that she spent six years at Kraft Foods Group, rising to senior director of data, content and media. She also served as VP and group director at Digitas.
• SCOTT McDONALD was appointed CEO of the Advertising Research Foundation. He was previously president of Nomos Research. Prior to that was senior VP for research at Conde Nast Publications and has also held executive roles at Time Inc. and Time Warner.
• JOHN REGAN and TOR LEMHAG were named VPs and creative directors at FCB Chicago. The both join from Leo Burnett Chicago, where they also held creative executive roles. • TREVOR O'BRIEN is leaving his role at chief technology officer at Deutsch New York after the agency eliminated the position.
• DARIO SPINA was named chief marketing officer for Viacom Velocity, the unit which creates marketing programs and content for Viacom advertisers. Spina helped launched Velocity in 2014 and was most recently executive VP of the unit. Prior to that he was executive VP for marketing and branded entertainment for Viacom's music and entertainment group.
• DANIEL SODERSTEDT and JONNY LEICHT have joined the Los Angeles office of Sid Lee as design director and creative director, respectively, according to an Agency Spy report. Soderstedt was previously design director at Mother, while Leicht had been doing freelance work with the agency. • ALEX RODRIGUEZ has joined Fox Sports as a full-time MLB studio and game analyst. Last post-season he worked as a guest analyst. In addition to his studio analyst role this season, the 14-time All-Star will work as a game analyst for select MLB Saturday games on Fox and will also work as a feature reporter for Fox's MLB pregame coverage and as a FS1 studio show participant. | |
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