Sky Research Aims To Maximise Brand Exposure

Over the past three years, Sky has conducted various research to analyse the effect Sky+ has had on television viewing, following the doom merchants claiming that PVRs would cause the death of the 30-second spot.Lucy Bristow, Sky Media, presented a whistle stop tour through this research at the Media Research Group conference in Vienna today.

Using methodologies such as claimed behaviour, BARB ratings, diary surveys and cognitive neuroscience studies, Sky’s research not only aims to dispel this myth, but also allows insight into how advertisers should use the technology to ensure that it has a positive effect on their campaigns.

Bristowe presented findings from Duckfoot Research, who has conducted eyetracking research to investigate how a viewer watches the advert breaks when fast-forwarding at x30.

The findings showed that the viewer focuses on the centre on the screen for the duration of the break, to ensure that they do not overrun into the start of the programme.

As such, it was suggested that advertisers should ensure that their logos should be prominent in the centre of the screen to maximise exposure effect.

In addition, the traffic department at Sky is increasingly seeing adverts which have the brand’s logo on screen for the duration of the advert, so if it is fast-forwarded, the logo remains on screen for the longest time possible.

Dramas are the programme genre that are most likely to be recorded and played back at a later time, with 30% of all dramas, including soap operas, being recorded. News is understandably the genre least likely to be recorded.

Recommendations from the research suggested that agencies should aim to put adverts at the start of the campaign in television programmes and genres that are least likely to be recorded, to maximise the possibility of seeing the advert in full at least once.

As the campaign progresses, Bristowe stated that appearing in genres that are fast-forwarded more often, such as dramas and soaps, can be beneficial to the campaign, due to the nature of the emotional memory that the viewer subconsciously recalls.

The one-second exposure to the ad on fast forward produces a subconscious recall of the emotion felt when seeing the ad for the first time. Viewers also have a stronger emotional connection to the programming they choose to time-shift.

Bristowe gave a glimpse at the future, which takes interactive red-button technology to the next level. When watching an advert, viewers will have the opportunity to press green and automatically download a long-form advert or branded content into their Sky+ planner to watch at a later date.

Advertisers are already showing great interest in this new technology, which gives further opportunity for brands to convey their message to an engaged and interested viewer.

Sky: 08702 40 40 40 www.sky.com Media Research Group: 01980 862 248 www.mrg.org.uk