Television Advertising This Year

I was recently quoted in an article in AdWeek concerning the upcoming television media "upfront" buy this fall.  You can read it here:

http://www.adweekmedia.com/aw/content_display/mediaupfront/news/special-reports/e3i02ef9119498eccd6b19fe05ca8a76207?pn=6

The article was brief so I'd like to add a little more perspective.

I am not one of those people who thinks that television advertising is dead. Nor do I think that it is the "end all be all" that many once thought that it was --- and for the record I never thought it was all that either.

From my perspective, the question isn't "should I advertise on tv" and it isn't "how much television media should I buy".  

To me, the appropriate debate on any brand putting together a marketing plan should be around connecting with the consumer.

Is television one of those vehicles that will connect with my consumers? Will television find my consumer when I need to the most and when they are the most receptive?  

If television is a possible answer, then the next logical question is to determine the role that the brand needs television advertising to play in the marketing mix --- before you ever start to decide how much to spend in a media upfront buy.

Should the television advertising drive a specific kind of awareness against a specific target segment? Should the television advertising drive traffic to a website or provide a direct response mechanism?

Only when a brand knows that television advertising can intersect with their consumers' lives and only after a brand determines the role of television advertising in the marketing plan can a media buy be calculated.

So yes, the upfront buy this year is likely to be lower than in the past.  We all know that, in spades, for lots of reasons.  But that doesn't mean that television advertising is dead.  It still has a vital role in many a marketing mix for many a brand who is looking to become a part of their consumers' lives.

Hope this finds you well -- Jim.