Media Sales Today

Here are some pointers on what is WORKING in ads for chain restaurants. Honestly, I don’t think there are any real surprises in the results of the Ace Metrix research. But I do think it’s affirmation that the basics work – and they are basics for that reason.

The future is not all digital, all the time. That’s the word from STRATA, a research concern that just published a new survey on ad agencies and their attention to media mix. Overall, STRATA analysts continue to say that 2012 will be a good year for advertising and while there’s a trend to purchase more digital, traditional is still an in-demand platform for marketers.

Marketers who target consumers with TV ads generally know who is watching which programs. But as demographics and content change, marketers are making adjustments. New data from Nielsen shows the changes marketers are making and points to some of the data media companies should be considering as they decide what to air.

We’ve all heard the reports about the death of traditional media. So what does it mean when a format like TV influences over half of consumers to make a purchase? New research shows that marketers have to be careful not to move all of their ad budgets into digital channels just yet.

As new media players such as Netflix and Hulu compete for TV viewers who are willing to view content through a variety of platforms, cable TV companies are fighting back. The TV Everywhere initiative was started last year by Time Warner with the goal of rolling out content to viewers who want to watch quality programming through their TVs, online or through mobile devices. Analysts like the idea and predict this initiative will bring more revenue, especially ad money, to the TV industry.

The peak time for toy sales remains the holiday season but consumers purchase these products at other times during the year. Not surprisingly, digital marketing is becoming increasingly important for parents as they research what their children ask for. And, new data indicates that marketers could boost results by shifting their ad strategies.

With more consumers owning HDTV sets and more stations offering programming in this rich format, advertisers should be rolling out more ads to make their products and commercials look their best. For a while, the costs and complexity to shift to HD were prohibitive. But that has changed and industry experts predict that more local and regional marketers will be making the move to the HD format.