We think it’s amazing that you need to actually hire a company to do this research. A couple of phone calls to TiVo users would have probably worked but….

New data from TiVo seems to indicate two approaches that keep viewers’ fingers off the fast forward button are at opposite ends of the spectrum: either a bare-bones, direct-response model or the entertaining, high-production-value approach of movie ads.

TiVo’s StopWatch data, available since February, analyzes second-by-second viewership patterns by an anonymous, aggregated and random sample of 20,000 TiVo units.

TiVo says that some of the least fast-forwarded ad campaigns were direct-response commercials.
Direct-response ads for sporting goods, exercise equipment and Air Hogs toys, for example, were among the four least-fast-forwarded campaigns in April. Meanwhile, in May, among ads airing in prime time on broadcast networks, three of the top 10 ads were for movies, which usually consist of the most entertaining and eye-catching scenes from a coming release.

The increasing availability of such data illustrates the intense scrutiny being placed on the venerable 30-second commercial. What this means is that ads will be put under the microscope as never before — and as TiVo’s new data point out, some long-held assumptions about which ads stand out may be put to the test.

Here is another thing that does not not surprise us. Even ads placed in the most popular prime-time programs can’t stop someone from pushing the fast-forward button.
TiVo’s data shows that in April and May, some of the highest-rated commercials appeared in programs that were not among the top 10 most viewed for either month (to be fair, most of these ads still ran in hit shows such as “House,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “American Idol”).

Placing ads across various TV channels, as is often done, means advertising has become more and more of a guessing game, with marketers hoping to connect to that small subset of individuals who are watching a particular show but are in the market for, or interested in a specific advertisement or product.

This kind of data is leading to several different reactions within the industry. Some media buyers are calling for longer commercials, while others expect a complete breakdown of the ways in which ads are placed and sold, so that advertisers can request specific placement of ads at particular moments — and who may pay a premium to do so.
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Others expect ad agencies to start to move in one of two directions: working to generate enough buzz so that consumers are eager to find out more about particular ads and products, or dampening the hype and offering more bare-bones information, much like paid-search ads online.

Here is some more good info on TiVo Stats

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