Many assume, at a time of reduced budgets, that they should shift
those precious resources to the Web.
Maybe because they hear the same news repeatedly stream in via RSS from
their favorite "papers" and blogs. The print sky is falling. TV is
dying. Pretty soon,
the pundits say, you won't need to buy time on the old-fashioned telly,
because everyone and their sister will be tuning in on their computers
or phones.
The question
Is this the modern media reality?
While we're not going to predict the future just yet, there's a current
body of evidence that the world of screens is still ruled by TV—both in
terms of consumer exposure and effectiveness. That has ramifications
for healthcare systems in mid-sized markets, but it doesn't necessarily
mean you should just run out and schedule a spot buy.
The research
While there's a lot of varied opinion
floating around about where audiences are turning for their media,
research suggests one source still rules: television. More people are
watching more often, across all spectrums of ages,
than was commonly assumed. That's according to a recent Ball State
University study on behalf of the Nielsonfunded Council for Research
Excellence. Billed as the largest, most comprehensive research into
consumer media consumption across all platforms, its findings
contradict certain popular
assumptions—like the idea that Internet and mobile phone video is fast
overtaking traditional TV in the ratio of screen time.
According to the 2008 data:
- TV in the home still rules, even among those ages 18-24,
with "live TV" (as opposed to DVD, DVR or console games) dominating
other media across all age groups in daily reach (94%) and average
daily duration (5½ hours) for users
-
They see the ads. TV users were exposed to an average of 72 minutes per
day of TV ads and promos— evidence that channel surfing or ad avoidance
may not be as rampant as believed.
- The "other" media. The
study suggests computing has replaced radio as the No. 2 media
activity. Radio is now No. 3 and print media fourth.
- Not as much online video? Americans across all age groups are using computer video on average just two minutes a day (0.5%).
-
Habits are changing. People are using multiple media at the same time,
more often. But TV tended to be the sole medium 80 percent of the time.
-
Screens rule the middle years. Consumers in the 45-54 age group average
the most daily screen time, 9½ hours, while all other age groups are
exposed to roughly 8½ hours. It means that it's not kids and retirees
driving up the screen time averages, but rather the key age segment of
most healthcare audiences
So, if people are watching TV, are they paying attention to the ads?
Media researcher McPheters & Co. thinks so. Their study, in
cooperation with Condé Nast and CBS Vision, supports the idea that the
30-second spot's effectiveness is highest. They compared ad recall
across 30-second TV spots; full-page, four-color magazine ads; and
standard-sized Internet banner ads. Respondents were given a choice of
watching TV, reading a magazine or surfing the Internet for
30 minutes. They then filled out surveys about the ads they recalled.
(Researchers used eye-tracking softwareto determine if respondents saw
the Internet ads.) Among the major findings: Magazines delivered more
than twice as many ad impressions as TV and more than six times those
delivered online in the half-hour period; however, recall of TV ads was
almost twice that of magazine ads; and magazine ad recall was almost
three times that of Internet banner ads.
Making your move
So, what's a healthcare system to
do? As always, it depends on what you're trying to accomplish, who
you're trying to reach, and, yes, how much you can afford to spend. TV
holds the edge as an immersion experience. It fuses visual and audio
emotion at a time when viewers are open to messages. Consider that
healthcare, with its touching storylines and technological savvy, has
an immediate connection not only to the real world, but the screen
world. You can specifically target your demographic to some extent via
programming and timeslot in a way you can't with other traditional mass
media. And, in the end, it often translates to the online screen world
in cost-effective ways.
The barrier to TV, of course, can be the expense of the buy and
quality production, which is clearly essential to reinforcing your
image and brand as a healthcare provider.
TV also shouldn't be the only way you reach out to your audience. A
key to remember: you always need more than one medium to effectively
make an impression.
That may mean radio and outdoor. A Web strategy or even, yes, print.
Making it matter
In choosing
what's right for your market, get the right research and analysis to
make the most of your time and money. When you or your marketing team
puts personal preference (for a specific media, timeslot, etc.) ahead
of the facts, you're asking to get it wrong. In tight times, it's more
important than ever to get it right.
