Bad TV advertising is damaging the entire ad industry by making a large
section of the population switch off, according to research from Lowe
Howard-Spink.
Lowes believes it has identified - using a specially created computer
system - a third of the population who actively avoid ads. Dubbed Chase,
it uses Barb data to highlight consumers who watch less than half as
many commercials as non-avoiders.
These so-called ‘ad avoid-ers’ span all demographic groups, but Jerry
Judge, Lowes’ chief executive, says they are vital to advertisers. ‘In
every consumer category we’ve looked at, they believe in the power of
the brand. They demonstrate intelligence and discernment,’ he claimed.
Judge blamed advertisers who rely on heavy-handed ‘persuasion’
techniques for turning viewers off - ‘those who purchase ads with an
anachronistic rule book,’ he explained.
‘Treating the consumer like a moron diminishes the power of advertising.
Do we really want pay-for-view TV, without advertising, to become an
attractive proposition?’
He continued: ‘There are agencies who do great TV advertising, such as
Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, BMP DDB Needham and Bartle Bogle Hegarty, but
I am worried that unless people understand this phenomenon the power of
ads will diminish.’
Lowes’ research reveals that when ad avoiders are shown ‘good’ ads they
enjoy them. And Lowes believes it has found ways to reach them with
tightly-targeted media placements. However, Ivor Hussein, Lowes’ media
research director, who developed the research, said: ‘To reach ad
avoiders you have to understand who they are and what programmes they
watch. It’s not as simple as being first in the break.’
Judge insisted the study proved that increasing ad minutage on UK TV
will cause more and more viewers to ignore ads.
