29 Jul 2004 | The Media Leader Staff

Advertisers Are Adapting To PVRs And Interactive Media

Advertisers are rapidly adapting to the next generation of personal video recorders and are coming to see new interactive media, such as computer games, as an important marketing channel, according to new research from OMD Snapshots.

The research, entitled The Living Room Of The Future, questioned marketing directors on their attitude towards new technology and the changing ways in which consumers react to the various products which are brought into the home.

Of the 128 people questioned, a massive 93% were aware of the latest PVR technology, such as Sky Plus or TiVo, while an impressive 74% of that number understood their purpose. What is more, 46% of those aware of the technology said that it would create a ‘radical change in the television market’.

Among the changes thought to be likely due to the increasing proliferation of personal recording equipment were better targeting and tailored messages, both of which scored highly amongst respondents with 60% and 46% respectively.

On the contentious topic of next generation media devices, only 31% had heard of the latest mediacentre PCs, while 67% of that number believed that the PC would eventually make its way into the living room, rather than reside in the study or spare room.

Computer games were also seen as an important addition to the marketing mix, with 64% of respondents believing they had potential as a significant advertising medium. However, despite the apparent willingness to accept new technology, a staggering 24% were oblivious to the term convergence, not knowing that it meant devices being melded together to create all-in-one hybrids.

The study is the first of a number of wide-ranging initiatives to be undertaken by Manning Gottlieb OMD to map the future of advertising and the challenges or opportunities that will present themselves to marketers over the coming years .

The advent of PVR technology has been seen by some as a major threat to the traditional television advertising model, with expectations that it would kill off scheduling and distort the effectiveness of carefully placed commercials. However, OMD’s research appears to show that advertisers are adapting to the new medium and looking forward to creating new strategies to ensure their message gets across see Convergence And PVRs To Kill Off Traditional Schedules).

OMD: 020 7908 3400 www.omd.com

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