Sponsor (May-Aug 1957)

SPONSOR ASKS How long should a tv commercial run M Dr. D. Morgan Neu, v. p. and director of television research, Daniel Starch & Staff, Mumaroneck, A . ) . Evidently, from the number of times this question has been asked, advertisers are still looking for an unqualified answer. Actually there is none. The reason is that there are a variety of factor that must take place before repetition becomes worthy of consideration. For one thing, what is the "when boredom seriously occurs" criterion used to evaluate repetition? Is it viewer like-dislike, ability to recall the commercial, brand preference, etc.? We believe that a commercial must be evaluated for its ability to obtain personal involvement with respect to the product as it is being presented and develop favorable attitudes with respect to its purchase and use. In other words, research must show what the contents of the commercial means to viewers and to what extent the presentation of the commercial got the desired meanings across. Here are three points to remember in evaluating repetition. What is the number of repeated viewings necessary to get the most out of your commercial? We have found that the answer to this question is different for each individual commercial. One well-known advertiser ran a commercial on a network program every other week for two seasons with excellent results. After the positive number of repetitions have been completed, there mayr be a point when fatigue or boredom seriously occur, producing a negative effect on viewers. In some cases, further repetition can be a detriment and detract from the good results alreadv accomplished. Insurance against a negative effect can be overcome by varied repetition. By variation, we mean change in the approach other than the basic idea or format of the commercial. Most commercials enjoying a long life today have used a varied approach. Leonard Kudisch, executive v.p., Schwerin Research Corp. To some extent this is a bit like asking "How deep is the ocean?" We have done a good deal of work in this area, and it is clear that there is no magic number that is just right for all commercials. To mention just one big consideration, it depends on the comhativeness of your product field. Competitive behavior affects what vou .do, sometimes by jumping on your bandwagon, sometimes by trying to slash its tires. One point to bear in mind is that somewhere between a third and a quarter of national advertisers' commercials are ineffective to begin with. How long should these be run? Not at all. Granted a commercial is effective, though, our experience shows that many advertisers underestimate the mileage thev can get from their com "advertisers underestimate the mileage" mercials (though there are glaring excesses in the other direction). Those who have put in months planning and executing a commercial are apt to weary of it long before it wears out on the air. Many times we have found that campaigns scheduled for the scrap-heap still have more vitality than those designed to replace them. Often you can get a good deal of extra mileage from a campaign through slight variations in the basic format. We have tested commercials varied in this way and found them still highly effective after more than two years of heavy air scheduling. \\ hen a commercial does wear out, however, it usually toboggans fast. This makes two steps vital: ill Enough check-ups to pinpoint the moment this happens. (2) Pretesting new campaigns early enough to have ready an effective entrv at the right time. Rollo Hunter, Director of tv and radio, Erwin, Wasey & Co., Inc., New York How long is a piece sponsor poses a tough one The life expectancy of a commercial hangs on such a plethora of considerations that a proper answer reason of string? agency people get sick of a commercial ably ranges from "one time only" to "years and years." Let's mull over some of those considerations : intensity of use, for instance. A commercial scheduled with the frequency of a saturation campaign can burn out its effectiveness in a hurry. Or consider length of the message. Totaling time by itself, an I.D. might survive a chain break which might survive a one-minute. Or give thought to technique. Animation is often hardier than live action. Or let's tackle style. Straight sell may outlive soft sell which may outlive hard sell. Except when irritation is intentional 54 SPONSOR 1 june 1957