| Today's Top Stories | | #1 | Study Finds 80% Of Super Bowl Commercials Don't Help Sales
| | | Research firm Communicus interviewed more than 1000 consumers before and after they were exposed to commercials during the 2012 and 2013 Super Bowl games and learned 60% of the ads didn't increase purchase intent and 80% didn't result in increased sales, according to Ad Age. Communicus CEO Jeri Smith said auto ads are less effective because they all run together in people's minds, and in most ads in other categories people remember the story line and forget the brand.
Why This Matters: Marketers who spend $4 million for a 30-second spot need to concentrate more on telling the viewer why they should buy the brand and less on being clever. Smith suggests brands run their Super Bowl spots in the weeks after the game to maintain a constant message.
A Take: Ad Age
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| | #2 | GroupM Creates New Advanced TV Ad Targeting Unit
| | | Modi Media will be led by Michael Bologna, director of emerging communications for the agency holding company, who was named president. The unit will cover four areas: digital content distribution, addressable TV, hyper-local TV and interactive TV.
Why This Matters: As data and technology drive change in the structure and economics of the television business, it is important for media agencies to help their clients navigate the new landscape.
Two Takes: MediaPost | B&C
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| | #3 | CNN Chief Under Media Buyer Microscope As He Alters Net's Lineup
| | | A year after taking the post as worldwide president of the cable news network, Jeff Zucker has made only a few changes aimed at turning around CNN's primetime woes. He tells Ad Age this will be the year he shakes things up, but some buyers are impatient. Dave Campanelli of Horizon Media says Zucker, "has dipped his toe in the water, but hasn't made enough changes." Jon Stimmel of UM warns if Zucker moves too much into lifestyle programming CNN could lose dollars from core financial category clients.
Why This Matters: CNN is still last among the big three cable news networks in primetime and it's going to take more than his one new success so far—Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain—to turn things around and draw more advertisers.
A Take: Ad Age
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#4 FTC's Top Regulator Says Native Ads Will Be Top Priority in 2014 (Adweek)
#5 Pandora Revs Up In-Car Ads; Launch Partners Are Ford, State Farm, Taco Bell (MediaPost)
#6 Activia Begins Marketing To Wider Audience (NYT)
#7 What Agencies Need To Know About The Proposed Ad Tax Reform (Ad Age)
#8 Shady Side Of Mobile Advertising—Redirecting Content Readers To App Stores (Digiday)
#9 Why Marketers And Their Agencies Are Flocking To CES (Ad Age)
#10 Tubular Labs Says It Has Better Audience Analytics For Web Shows (Adweek)
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|  | • $32.82
What advertisers will invest on social network advertising per social network user in North America in 2014, up from $26.05 in 2013, according to eMarketer estimates.
– Reported by eMarketer
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| | MBPT Spotlight | Tech Picture Brightens TV Business Outlook—Digital, once a threat, has opened up revenue opportunities
By Jon Lafayette
After years of feeling threatened by technology, executives in the TV business are seeing paths to profits from changes in the way viewers are consuming programming.
The threats have been clear: While Netflix and Amazon and other over-the-top streamers would steal viewers, Google, Yahoo and other online powerhouses are pushing to do upfront deals, grabbing TV ad dollars, and DVRs like Dish Network's Hopper and its auto-hop feature could make watching commercials a thing of the past. But for 2013 at least, traditional TV has stood its ground, and that should continue in 2014.
Ads and the Economy
On top of a slowly improving economy, ad spending will get a boost from the Sochi Olympics and midterm elections in 2014. And among media, TV seems to be standing up to the shift to digital better than other traditional forms. In a recent forecast, Interpublic Group's media-buying unit, Magna Global, said it expects 8.6% growth for TV spending in the U.S., with national TV up 4.3%. TV ad spending has been buttressed by new research techniques that come closer to pinpointing the return on investment advertisers get when they buy commercials—something marketers believe they get when they advertise online.
Cashing in on Delayed Viewing
Compared with the 2012-13 season, when viewership for the broadcast networks dropped sharply, ratings, especially commercial ratings, have been stable. And without falling ratings to worry about, networks have turned their attention to measuring and monetizing more of the delayed and on-demand viewing of their programming. CBS CEO Leslie Moonves continues to agitate for using C7 ratings—which would include commercials watched during DVR playback for seven days after air instead of the current three counted in C3 ratings. The change would benefit some programmers more than others. Broadcasters would cash in because network shows account for about two-thirds of DVR playback, while 39% of live viewing goes to cable. Sports networks, powerhouses in other departments, would see scant gains from a change in the ratings currency.
Will 2014 be the year that dynamic ad insertion hits critical mass? And what do some experts say will help shift coming retrans battles?
For more, click HERE (sub required)
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| | Fates & Fortunes | • LYNDA KING was named chief operating officer for the broadcasting division of Tribune. She reports to Larry Wert, Tribune's president, broadcast media, and will assist him in overseeing the company's portfolio of 42 owned or operated television stations. She was previously senior VP of operations for Local TV Holdings, which was acquired by Tribune last year. She has also held positions at Raycom Media and other station groups.
• ROB REILLY was named global creative chairman of McCann Worldgroup. At the same time, LINUS KARLSSON was named creative chairman of Commonwealth, the McCann agency dedicated to the Chevrolet account, and ANDREAS DAHLQVIST was named chief creative officer of Commonwealth and president of McCann Creative Leadership Council. Reilly was most recently partner and worldwide chief creative officer at Crispin Porter + Bogusky before departing several weeks ago. In his new role, Reilly will be responsible for creative oversight of the McCann brand globally as well as developing multiplatform approaches by leveraging McCann Worldgroup's capabilities to help clients meet their creative challenges. Karlsson was most recently chief creative officer of global brands, McCann Erickson, while Dahlqvist had been deputy chief creative officer.
• LISA VALENTINO was named to the newly created position of chief revenue officer of Condé Nast Entertainment. In this new role, Valentino will be responsible for revenue generation, including advertising and marketing solutions across CNE digital video network. The network includes channels for Condé Nast magazines Glamour, GQ, Teen Vogue, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Wired and Style. Valentino was most recently senior VP, multimedia sales, at ESPN. Prior to that she held video sales positions at Yahoo and before that was a media buyer at Televest, where she worked on the P&G account.
• CHARLES "CHIP" SCHENCK was named to the newly created position of VP programmatic sales at Meredith Corporation. He will be responsible for organizing and leveraging data and insights across Meredith's Digital Network. Schenck, who will report to Carolyn Bekkedahl, senior VP, digital sales, was most recently VP, publisher development, at PubMatic. He has also held posts at Krux Digital, American Express Publishing, In Touch and at Hearst-Stratosfera.
• KATIE BURKE is joining Nielsen as executive VP of global marketing and communications, effective Jan. 27. She will have global responsibility for Nielsen's internal and external communications, content development, digital marketing, industry relations and events and will be based in Wilton, Conn. She was most recently global chair of public affairs at PR agency Edelman. Prior to that, she was director of television news at the White House, and also served as communications director for Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign and for Arnold Schwarzenegger's successful re-election campaign as governor of California.
• CONOR BRADY and CHRIS HAYES have joined Omnicom digital agency Critical Mass as chief operating officer and chief marketing officer, respectively. Both roles are new for the agency, which is merging its London-based operations with Agency Republic. Brady was previously chief creative officer at digital agency Huge, while Hayes was chief marketing officer. Both departed Huge in mid-December. They will be based in New York. Once the merger between Critical Mass and Agency Republic is completed in London, Agency Republic's MATT KWIECINSKI will become managing director of Critical Mass and ALISTAIR CAMPBELL will become executive creative director. SUSANNE JONES, previously managing director of Critical Mass London, will take on a new role as senior VP and global lead of the Citi account.
• SEAN FINNEGAN was named chief strategy officer at True[X] Media, as True[X] acquires C4, Finnegan's consulting company. The news comes according to a MediaPost report. Prior to starting C4, Finnegan was CEO of Geomentum, a now-defunct unit of Mediabrands. Before that he was chief digital officer at Starcom MediaVest Group and also served as head of OMD's digital operations.
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| | What They're Watching | BROADCAST RATINGS
NFL Playoff Overrun Lifts Fox's Animation Domination Lineup
Overrun of the NFL playoff game between the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers during the 7 p.m. hour lifted Fox's Animation Domination in its first night in 2014. Fox easily won Sunday night. The Simpsons—which started at 8:07 p.m., sliding the rest of the night by 7 minutes—spiked 49% from its last original, while Bob's Burgers rose 33%. At 9 p.m., Family Guy was even with its last episode and American Dad upticked 4%. NBC was in a distant second. Dateline's two-hour premiere was down 13% from last year. ABC was right behind in third. Revenge returned up 20% from its last episode, while Betrayal's 2014 debut was even with its last 2013 episode. CBS rounded out the evening. Following a repeat of Elementary at 8 p.m., The Good Wife sank 13% from its last episode and The Mentalist declined 17%.
For more, click HERE
CABLE RATINGS
Sugar Bowl Tackles Thursday Night
ESPN's airing of the Sugar Bowl, which saw Oklahoma beat Alabama 45-31, topped Thursday night's cable lineup. The matchup easily won with a 5.2 adults 18-49 demo rating and 16.3 million viewers. The net's postgame and pregame coverage rounded out the top three, earning a 3.8 and 2.6 in the demo and 10.2 and 8.3 million viewers, respectively.
For more, click HERE
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| Overnight Ratings: Sunday, January 5
| | 8 PM | | NET | SHOW | A18-49
Rating | TOTAL VIEWERS
(MILLIONS) | FOX
| THE SIMPSONS (8:00)
BOB'S BURGERS (8:30)
| 5.2
3.2
| 12.0
6.3
| ABC
| THE BACHELOR
| 1.8
| 6.3
| NBC
| DATELINE
| 1.5
| 7.1
| CBS
| ELEMENTARY (R)
| 1.0
| 6.7
| UNIVISION
| LO QUE MÁS QUIERES
| 0.5
| 1.7
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| | 9 PM | | NET | SHOW | A18-49
Rating | TOTAL VIEWERS
(MILLIONS) | FOX
| FAMILY GUY (9:00)
AMERICAN DAD (9:30)
| 3.0
2.5
| 5.7
5.0
| NBC
| BEST OF LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON
| 1.9
| 5.7
| ABC
| REVENGE
| 1.8
| 6.7
| CBS
| THE GOOD WIFE
| 1.4
| 9.2
| UNVISION
| LO QUE MÁS QUIERES
| 0.6
| 2.0
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| | 10 PM | | NET | SHOW | A18-49
Rating | TOTAL VIEWERS
(MILLIONS) | NBC
| BEST OF LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON
| 2.1
| 5.7
| CBS
| THE MENTALIST
| 1.5
| 9.9
| ABC
| BETRAYAL
| 0.8
| 3.4
| UNIVISION
| SAL Y PIMIENTA (R)
| 0.6
| 1.8
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| | TOMORROW'S BIG RATINGS STORIES TODAY | • BCS Title Game Eyes Record Viewership
Undefeated Florida State (13-0), averaging 53 points per game and ranked No. 1 in the BCS ratings, will meet second-ranked Auburn (12-1) in the national championship game on ESPN on Monday at 8:30 p.m. Title sponsor of the game, to be played in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, is Vizio, which also sponsored the actual Rose Bowl game on Jan. 1. With ACC champion Florida State having dominated all of its opponents this season so far, Auburn, which won the SEC championship, is a 9 point underdog, although Auburn has beaten several top teams to get here. Florida State is led by this year's Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Jameis Winston. Also, Florida State has only allowed an average of 10.7 points per game this year. Auburn has averaged 40.2 points per game, but has allowed 24 points per game. The upshot: Last year's national championship game in which Alabama defeated Notre Dame drew 26.4 million viewers and was the second largest audience ever to watch a game on cable. With the first four BCS bowl games on ESPN in the past week up more than 20% in viewership, that record could be challenged.
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| • 'Hostages' Concludes On CBS With Whimper More Than Bang
The short-run serialized freshman suspense drama Hostages airs its finale on Monday night with a two-hour episode beginning at 9. CBS had high hopes for this critically acclaimed Jerry Bruckheimer series which stars Toni Collette as a surgeon whose family is taken hostage by a rogue FBI agent (Dylan McDermott) who orders her to kill the President when she operates on him. However, it stumbled out of the gate back in September and never recovered, being dwarfed in viewers and the 18-49 demo rating race by NBC's freshman drama The Blacklist (which averaged 11.1 million viewers and a 3.1 demo rating). Hostages premiered with 7.4 million viewers and a 1.8 demo rating but season to date is averaging only 5.1 million viewers and a 1.2 18-49 demo number among live-plus-same-day viewers—23rd among all broadcast primetime dramas. The upshot: Trying to get a big audience to view the finale, CBS Corp.-owned cable network TVGN ran a Hostages marathon on Sunday, airing all 13 previous episodes from 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. The series will need all the help it can get. It averaged only 4.8 million viewers and a 1.1 18-49 rating for its December episodes.
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| • 'Almost Human,' 'Sleepy Hollow' Return But 'Human' Gets Headless Treatment
After a short hiatus, Fox's Monday night dramas Almost Human and Sleepy Hollow return with fresh episodes at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., respectively. In terms of season-to-date ratings, the two sci-fi dramas seem to be compatible and doing well. Almost Human is averaging 6.8 million viewers and a 2.2 18-49 demo rating, while Sleepy Hollow is averaging 6.6 million viewers and a 2.3 demo rating. However, Almost Human in the last episode before it went on hiatus in mid-December drew a series low 5.3 million viewers and a 1.6 18-49 demo rating. That's 42% fewer viewers and a 48% lower demo rating than its mid-November premiere a month earlier. Take away the premiere episode and Sleepy Hollow has consistently drawn more viewers and a higher demo rating. The upshot: Fox is not doing Almost Human any favors. The series will air on Monday nights Jan. 6 and 13, before being pulled on Jan. 20 for Sleepy Hollow's two-hour season finale. On Jan. 27 it will be replaced by an encore episode of The Following, and will finally return on Feb. 3.
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| Media Buyer & Planner Today
Editorial Team
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Phone: 201-314-0424 | Send Email
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Phone: 917-281-4708 | Send Email
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