Seven to reduce advertising content and break lengths from June
Seven has announced it will reduce advertising content and break lengths across its broadcast and digital channels from June, promising an ‘enhanced viewing experience’ for consumers.
Seven’s chief revenue officer Kurt Burnette said research conducted by the broadcaster has shown reduced ad loads can deliver higher brand awareness response.
Seven’s new ad formats will launch alongside Big Brother in June
“As viewing habits evolve and choice increases, we believe there is no better time than now to enhance the free-to-air television experience for viewers and advertisers across broadcast and BVOD. Research has proven reduced ad loads can deliver more than 25% increased brand recall. We’re acting on that powerful insight after months of planning and analysis,” said Burnette.
The launch will coincide with the premiere of Big Brother in June, expanding to drama and movie programming and joining the reduced ad load already implemented during live sport, 7NEWS and other public affairs programming.
Seven Network programming director Angus Ross said: “We’ve already seen the benefit in areas we have tested, like news and other areas. We’re very much looking forward to accelerating the enhanced experience across our existing and exciting new and fresh content line-up. All helping build engagement and grow audience across all platforms.”
EAVE (Enhanced Advertiser and Viewer Experience) is what Seven plans to roll out going forward, supported by research from Neuro-Insight.
Peter Pynta, Neuro-Insight APAC CEO, said: “There’s rock-solid evidence in the fact that break length and number of ads in breaks significantly influence ad effectiveness. The shorter the breaks and the fewer impressions within a break, the better the payback for advertisers.
“We’d implore the market to take this ad/program ecosystem seriously….and ideally see them as working in harmony.”
Burnette concluded: “We’ll work together with our customers to continually evaluate the benefits of reduced ad load, to ensure that when brands advertise with Seven, their message will be more effective and engaging, growing audiences and delivering a better viewing experience.”
Seven’s decision coincides with a huge downturn in advertising revenue across the media industry, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first half of FY20, Think TV reports total TV advertising fell 5.9% and the numbers are expected to continue declining in the coming months. Seven has also been forced to make hard choices across its business, cutting staff and reducing hours.
The network has promised other advertising initiatives to follow shortly.
Wow – who would of thought that less ads would deliver higher brand awareness?? Groundbreaking – turning back the clock. When Nova 969 launched in Sydney – its mantra was – “no more than two ads in a row”. Of course the advertiser paid a premium – which I assume 7 will do.. but eventually companies get greedy and want more ads…. and people just love tv ads……. 🙂
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When Bruce Gyngell ran TCN 9 and the network in the early days one of the secrets to Nine’s success at that time was to limit commercial content to 3 paid elements per break. This avoided both advertising clutter and improved the viewer experience resulting in higher ratings. If both 9 and 7 and later 10 had equally good Sunday night movies 9, would always win the slot and it was put down to a better viewer experience due to the less cluttered ad breaks and the thus higher ratings. By the way, advertisers were happy to pay a premium on 9 for their advertising.
One hopes that someone at Foxtel also takes note, their promotional clutter just drivers viewers away. Try and watch a doco channel such as the history channel and see how ling you can stand the experience.
Peter Menton
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I’m sure that this was partly due to them showing 6 or more ads in a row every ad break on their streaming app. Not sure why they would invest money into research to find out what many others have before.
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“the broadcaster has shown reduced ad loads can deliver higher brand awareness response.”
This is challenging.
So stuffing films with so many ads to make them unwatchable for the last decade was wasting advertisers time and money?
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Thank goodness for that. I like watching the streaming service, but have recently switched off due to the ads – which are numerous – and don’t change at all during a program. A turn off and defeats the purpose of ads. At least put in the effort to make the ads differ during one program…
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Well well well, didn’t take them long to realize one of the oldest and best-held truths of theatre, an understanding that has been in existence for hundreds (perhaps thousands) of years, “Never inflict pain on an audience”
Seven leads the industry in taking a giant step back to an old and valued understanding that fewer ads are better for brand awareness, better for audience appreciation, and better for programming and television broadcast excellence.
I have always loathed the expression “Moving Forward” used by so many corporate commentators to indicate the hope for a future. Here we see a rare example by Seven of “Moving Backwards” or at least bringing the past forwards to the present day and calling it innovation.
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What an incredible coincidence that they came to this conclusion at the same time there’s a massive reduction in demand!
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Who else is fed up with the irritating Budget Direct ad / and the annoying re-used NRMA / Westpac ads? I disagree with anyone who says that if you remember an ad – it must work. It does, but in the wrong way, I will never consider using any of their products.
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Following the model in the UK set by ITV and Ch4. Great call Seven. Less is more.
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Sevens BVOD experience was frankly unwatchable. 6 ads per break, 4 or more breaks per 30mins was then compounded by the technological issues that mean the same ads served over and over. Really hope this about face lasts and is mimicked by the others, especially SBS who used to have a good offering but at the moment is as bad as Sevens.
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Reducing supply to match reducing demand.
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If it comes to fruition it’s eons too late The saturated advertising often repetitive in the breaks completely obliterates the selected program and we end up switched off the advertising has no mental impact in brand or product awareness If they into addressing the advertising issue how about they do something about the increased volume during adverts as well. And on volume subjects do something about the overwhelming music during the Q&A on The Chase it’s near impossible to hear either, the crescendo in volume drowns it all out.
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Well, this is ground breaking!
“Enhanced viewer experience!”
What a load of b*llsh*t.
On average, in an hour, there’s 20 minutes of advertising and 40 minutes of programming. In other words there’s a four minute advert every 6 minutes. I emphasise on average, try it for yourself with a stopwatch for a week, during the programs you like to watch.
No wonder I never watched Seven
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