“This is the true story… of one person…addicted to TV programming…forced to live in a house with no cable…find out what happens…when I give up my cable boxes…and start to stream…”

Let me preface – I live for TV.  I am one of THOSE people who set reminder timers on my phone so I know what’s on when.  Every night I have a schedule of at least three or four shows I HAVE to watch.  Although the DVR has allowed me to have a life once again (okay, who am I kidding, it’s allowed me to watch MORE shows by recording and watching multiple shows at the same time), I would still rather watch shows the night they air. But, my luxurious cable habit also meant a steep cable bill!  A challenge was born.  Get rid of cable, and watch everything online.  I had no idea how long it would last but it was worth a shot.

The Good…

“Online video usage in the U.S. is up considerably from the same time last year, as time spent viewing video on PC/MAC/laptops from home and work locations increased by 45%.” ~Nielsen Wire, January 2011

From the beginning, I was well aware that September was “fall premiere” month – the network’s version of the “debutante ball” for TV programs.   September meant the debut of hot new shows, and the return of favorites. I needed to make sure I didn’t miss a beat.  I chose Hulu as my primary viewing source.

The time leading up to September 19th (fall premiere week) was rough. Most of the time I watched old shows on Hulu, and when I was completely bored – I splurged on one of the awesome dollar DVD’s at Redbox.  It wasn’t quite like reverting to the old days of sitting around a radio or playing board games, (although I did manage to pass all levels of Angry Birds and Angry Birds Rio, but that’s neither here nor there).

Premiere week FINALLY came and Hulu delivered for the most part. Nowadays, streaming technology is so flawless.  Gone are the days of buffering and stuttering.

While I would normally fast forward through commercials when watching on the DVR (okay not ALL the time, I do work in advertising and need to do my research), I was FORCED to watch the ads online.  Although there were only 30 seconds worth of commercials (either a 30 or two 15′s) they got annoying REAL fast.  It’s the repetition, the same ad over and over, that kills ya. But I DID find myself commenting and critiquing – some I loved, some I hated, and some were just plain creepy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03UkvGCKGK0

I counted.  I literally viewed this Toyota ad at least 12 times one night while watching various shows on Hulu. Is it weird or is it just me?  I guess it did it’s job and got my attention.

The Bad…

            “We are continually looking at opportunities to provide our pay distributers with content and products that enhance the value of pay television to subscribers.”

~ Michael Hopkins, President, Affiliate Sales and Marketing, Fox Networks.

Let me back up.  My little experiment was going great for the most part.  ABC and NBC had their fall premieres a bit earlier than the other networks, and their shows posted to Hulu the day after they aired.  Not bad. As difficult as it was for me, I could wait a day if it meant watching high quality video.

Then, Fox premiere week rolled around, and I couldn’t wait for the return of shows like “Fringe.”  I booted up the computer, went to Hulu, and was greeted with a note: “The episodes will be available to everyone 8 days after airing.”  It turns out not everyone looks at streaming video as the secret to success.

“Our new authentication service will continue to provide next-day access to FOX broadcast shows for viewers who subscribe to participating pay television providers,” saysHopkins.  Their “participating pay television provider” of choice – DISH Network.  Long story short – as a reward for subscribing to DISH Network, you get to watch FOX TV shows the next day, as opposed to having to wait the 8 days.  Ironically, when an MLB Playoff game went into extra innings, and fans of the new show “Terra Nova” were unable to watch the entire episode, Fox decided to post it online early so they wouldn’t have to wait.  New shows can use all the help they can get – and online viewing options offer even more exposure.

I was pleasantly surprised that CBS posted most of their shows the day after air, but they are adamant you visit their site.  According to CBS Interactive President Jim Lazone, “The notion of joining up and subjugating your brand to theirs (Hulu) just doesn’t make sense for CBS.”  He noted the decreased traffic to ABC.com after they joined Hulu as an example.  The more traffic to the site, the more advertising you can sell, at a higher dollar.  In a recent article on adage.com, CBS.com broke it’s prior records with 1.8 million video viewers and 600,000 referrals from social networks as a result of the premiere of “Two and a Half Men.”

The one thing that worried me about viewing shows on websites other than Hulu or Netflix was the quality of their streaming.  In the past, the edge that Hulu and Netflix had over others was their ability to offer seamless streaming technology that no one else could come close to.  This has all changed and I found CBS’ video player to be just as good as Hulu. Sure, they did have quite a few more commercial breaks (allowing them to sell a ton more advertising) but the instant gratification of being able to watch a new show right away outweighed the negative.  Minus the Fox setback, I was proud that I had made it a month and had not gone running back to my cable company.

The Ugly

            Four words:  “Syfy” and “Doctor Who.”  These four little words almost made my online experiment go down the drain.  On Syfy, I was mortified to find out I’d have to wait almost a month for a new episode to post, and BBC America programming wasn’t even available to stream.  It was a dark, disturbing discovery, and it forced me to sink to all new lows.  With the help of my husband, I tried out websites like megavideo.com that offered almost any full episode you could think of but only allowed you to view them for a certain amount of time before pausing and making you wait 45 minutes to start again (or of course, you could sign up for a paid membership and watch unlimited).  There were also the illegal sites where people posted their recorded shows, soon to be discovered and taken down for infringement.  The quality of the video was way worse than the now dreaded standard def, all the while you felt like your computer would contract a virus just by clicking on the link.  It felt dangerous…and dirty.

But when reviewing the numbers, Syfy seems to be doing just fine.  Some of my favorite Syfy shows “Eureka,” “Alphas,” “Warehouse 13,” and “Haven” all broke the 2.5 million mark in total viewers (courtesy of Variety.com).  I’ve always said Syfy’s the place to be. Even on a Friday night, you’ll find a demographic that doesn’t mind staying at home if it means watching a new episode of their favorite show.  The dedication is like no other (trust me I know, I am one of these people).  On the other end of the globe, the season finale of “Doctor Who” drew in over 6 million viewers on BBC 1.  Who knows if their lack of online streaming is helping by forcing people to watch shows on an actual TV.

The Future…

“We had this very traditional model where you bought 30-second timeslots and that’s what paid for all these television programs.  With people having the ability to watch something from Netflix or watch something from the web, it’s really changed the advertising model for television.”  ~ Kelli Burns, mass communications professor, University of South Florida.

Sample of Ad Swap On Hulu, where you choose the ad you want to see.

I hit my two month anniversary of being cable free, and if I could do it, I’m pretty sure anyone could.  With online viewing becoming ever more popular, companies are finding ways to make things more convenient.  Published on usatoday.com, networks such as HBO, Bravo, and Syfy will be providing programming to Xbox 360 owners later this year.  And if you have an Xbox 360, you can actually stream Netflix and Hulu directly, making it easier than having to connect your computer to your TV everytime you want to watch something on a bigger screen.  Hulu has just launched “Ad Swap,” allowing you to choose which ad you want to watch.  So if you have to watch commercials, at least you get to choose which ones.

Even with setbacks, I’d say that ditching my cable was worth all the money I saved. You can basically watch anything you want online, all you need is a computer.  Now if they can only figure out how to stream the NFL…

Being in the advertising industry, I notice myself analyzing the ads I see on TV more and more. A trend that I have noticed in local, small-business advertising is that many advertisers seem to think there is only one strategy for lower-budget TV spots. You’ll see the store owner (or some face you can associate with the store name), and he or she will tell you about how long they’ve been in business, what services they offer, and which Wal-Mart their store is next to. Some advertisers take it a step further by being more animated, more “in-your-face”, with loud graphics and loud spokespeople. Oddly enough, some customers gravitate to these selling tactics, but I’m guessing that many people don’t.

Simply put, there are more than one or two marketing strategies available to small businesses without breaking the bank.

Think of it this way: if everyone in a room is shouting, no one can hear the message. The room feels crowded, chaotic, and you’d probably want to find the nearest exit.

Is this how you want your target audience to feel? The example above may be a bit hyperbolic, but local & small business ads have a tendency to turn into a shouting match for your consumer dollar. Each used-car dealer tries to outdo the other with louder graphics, louder narration, wackier salespeople. The analogy goes on and on, just pick your industry of choice.

Now, imagine a typical commercial break. Say you have two or three of the stereotypical commercials I’ve mentioned, followed by (for example) an iPad commercial. I’m sure you’re familiar with how relaxed, informative, focused, and inspiring those ads are. Which do you think will make the consumer feel the best about the company trying to sell products? I would argue that Apple’s commercials tend to be just as simple and straightforward as your typical local ad, but the ways and tactics they use are worlds apart. Most consumers, I’m sure, don’t enjoy feeling like their home has been invaded by someone shouting at them to buy something this very instant. The commercials that consumers enjoy and react positively to are informative, thought-provoking, and leave the consumer with a positive notion of the advertiser.

Here’s the key thought: just because Apple is a world-leading brand with tremendous resources doesn’t mean that your ads can’t have the same affect on your target audience. Identify the true nature and feel of your business, and bring it to life with your ads. Rely on these things to differentiate yourself from the rest of the spots out there. Don’t rely on trying to be the flashiest, loudest, most hard-selling spot in your market. I’ve been in many homes where the knee-jerk reaction to ads like these is to change the channel — wasting your advertising dollars.

Sure, some of the best ads over time have been explosive and loud (think Verizon’s initial Droid campaign). But the heart of the matter is identifying your brand’s true personality, and the personality of your target audience, and let it show in your ads. Reinventing the wheel with over-the-top, hard-sell ads will only take you so far before your audience tunes out.

If you’re a small business looking to expand your advertising to a new level, beyond that of your typical lower-budget ads, then you have come to the right place. TOMA has the ability to give you top-notch production value, quick turnaround, and a look and feel that will set your ads apart and make them memorable, all while being on budget. Best of all, TOMA has a production, marketing, and management staff that is ready and willing to take your ideas and your brand as far as you want it to go. All you have to do is ask.

Having been in the advertising and marketing world for some 20 plus years now I have seen many changes in the way we attract, secure and conduct business; however the one thing that has remained almost constant is the way most agencies label their clients. Almost every agency I have ever been around or involved in has a Client Services team to handle the day-to-day needs of the agency’s clients. There are account reps, account executives, account strategists and senior account managers; all in place to service the client and their needs. This is an old, broken model but to better understand where I am going with this let’s get some help from my friends and dictionary.com. First, let’s look at the definition of a client:

cli·ent klahy-uhnt

noun

1.a person or group that uses the professional advice or services of a lawyer, accountant, advertising agency, architect, etc.

2. a person who is receiving the benefits, services, etc., of a social welfare agency, a government bureau, etc.

3. a customer.

4. anyone under the patronage of another; a dependent.

 Two very interesting things jumped out at me the first time I made this comparison. First, “a person or a group that uses” and secondly “anyone under the patronage of another, a dependant”. Both of these things imply a one-way relationship at best and an adversarial relationship at worst.

Things are more competitive today than ever before, clients are harder to find and retain than ever before, we are all nervous about what tomorrow will bring and people wonder why customers do not want to “use” or be “dependent” on someone that has no real vested interest in their success other than future paychecks? So what’s the answer?  Well, let’s look at another word and see if this one fits better:

part·ner  pahrt-ner

noun

1. a person who shares or is associated with another in some action or endeavor; sharer; associate.

2. a person associated with another or others as a principal or a contributor of capital in a business or a joint venture, usually sharing its risks and profits.

Slightly different word but whole new meaning. How powerful is it, in today’s economy for an agency, or any business for that matter, to do a quick reframe and lose the word client from their vocabulary…. Never again, get another client but instead have partners? Sounds easy right? It isn’t. Anyone can call a client a partner but for it to mean something and really make a difference in your customers lives and businesses you have to walk your talk. Prove to them you are willing to put some skin in the game, invest some sweat equity and care about their success as much as you do your own. If you can do this with honesty and sincerity you will take your business relationships to a whole new level. Just ask any of TOMA’s partners and they will tell you!

As humans we inherently get stuck in habits and routines. When you woke this morning more than likely you went through your routine. You took the same shower with the same process of brushing of your teeth and of course the same tired gaze into the closet for today’s outfit. The same habits and routines may go for your businesses and marketing. You get into similar routines including your; budgets, medias, spending levels and schedules.

Ask yourself these simple questions and answer honestly.
1. Do I understand all the marketing and advertising vehicles available to my business?
2. What are the costs or investment needed for each of these?
3. How should I be spending right now on marketing and advertising?
4. Am I using the correct mix of media for my business? Print, Broadcast Television, Cable, radio, direct mail, newsprint, inserts, online (and all its different components), outdoor, interior pop just to name a few.
5.How can the Internet and its cost effective opportunities create quality traffic in my store?

Only you know the answers to these questions. I certainly can’t say if you have it right or wrong but he odds are you haven’t varied your media mix or method much from a year or two ago (with the exception of volume or frequency changes). I can say with complete certainty that we are all human and often get stuck in routines and our marketing and advertising is no exception. This is intended to be a short and thought provoking blog to get you to slow down for a second and really think objectively about your marketing investments. Is that adverting medium running because I have always done it or maybe it used to work or maybe I just haven’t made time really find out what’s out there? Now that you have been poked what are you going to do about it?

Domenic Modica
Sr. VP of Marketing

It seems today’s standard of what productive television ads are, when aimed towards families with quality and entertainment value, have been on a declivous path. It was seen as an American past time for families to huddle around the television in the evening time, enjoy each other and TV shows or ads that generated laughter and told stories. Commercials filled with jingles that were not only sang sub-conscientiously but are being sung to grandchildren today. These are ads that succeeded on an advertising level, that are remembered word for word until this day, or ones that still give you a reason for buying their products all these years, and that were not only affective but effective.

For an in-depth look at our nations take on these on-going privacy problems:

2001.  The year that TOMA Advertising was created.  In the world of advertising this type of longevity is a rare accomplishment, and one to be extremely proud of.  As I sit here typing away on my Mac (

if someone from the future would’ve time machined their way back to 2001 and told me that I’d become a ‘Mac’ perso

n and would leave my PC ways behind – I would’ve told them they were crazy)  I begin to reflect.  My eleven year anniversary with TOMA is coming up in December, and my how things have changed!

When I was younger, change scared me.  Change meant a major disruption in my comfort zone, having to adapt to s

omething unfamiliar.  It meant no longer being good at what I already knew, and having to start from scratch.  Because so much of my life revolves around the need to write, I ofte

n relate my life in terms of punctuation.  My life in 2001 – a period.  Definition courtesy of thefreedictionary.com:  Period – a punctuation mark indicating a full stop.  The 2001 version of me (Kristy 1.0) would’ve been perfectly happy if everything had stayed the same, if time had stopped and I never had to learn a new skill, a new format, or a new program ever again.  But as the years went by, in a field that revolves around the

latest and greatest in technology, change crept up on me. It became easier.  It became essential (I like to think that I grew up, but in reality, to be the best I could be both professionally and socially, change was something I had to accept).  As part of my reflection on t

he past few years, I decided to create my own version of “Back to the Future,” and fly myself back to 2001 via the internet (and a good imagination).

2001 – The Year That Top of Mind Awareness Was Created

2001 in the Media – (just for fun)

Nokia T681                                                                      Sony Ericcson T68i

                                            

 

Video Games – Microsoft introduces Xbox and Nintendo releases GameCube, to go head to head with Sony’s Playstation 2.

 

Music – Apple releases the first generation iPod!

Social Media – Pretty much non-existent.  2001 saw the launch of Wikipedia.

A Lot of Learning To Do…

Reading over my 2001 flashback makes me realize how great change can actually be.  Technology has made our lives more convenient and enjoyable (although some may disagree).  I’ve also learned that in order to have long term success in business you need to stick with the times.  It’s hard to imagine a world without social media, streaming video, and smartphones.  We can’t live without them now, but somewhere along the way we were forced to learn them and incorporate them into our daily lives.  Trends in social media and technology are extremely important in the world of advertising, and those who don’t adapt or are unwilling to embrace it don’t last.  As I reminisce back to 2001, I still remember having to send mp3 files over dial up internet.  We were shipping all of our TV spots on Beta SP, each tape needing to be sent FedEx or UPS overnight to individual stations.  When we wanted to showcase our latest SPEC ads to clients, we had to ship VHS tapes to each store owner.  Fast forward a few years and shipping tapes became electronic shipping via companies like DG Fastchannel.  Beta SP became mini-DV and DVC Pro.  VHS became DVD.  And where do we find ourselves now?  2011 is all about a tapeless society, where footage is stored on cards and hard drives.  Clients view proofs via the internet or their smart phones.  I can even feel services like DG Fastchannel becoming non-existent, with the posting of TV spots directly to station servers is the norm.

Although 2001 wasn’t that long ago – it’s a millennium away in the world of technology.  Through time, TOMA Advertising has walked toe to toe with the ever changing world.  While I’ve compared my life to a period, I like to look at my time at TOMA  Advertising (Kristy 2.0) as a comma.  Definition – a punctuation mark indicating a slight pause, followed by a move forward.  Translation – sometimes change brings new challenges. These challenges may keep you at a temporary standstill, forcing you to pause momentarily and learn something new.  Once you adapt and gain the knowledge you need to conquer the task at hand, you are free to move forward to the next challenge. One of the best parts about this job is that the field is always evolving.  Clients come to us everyday with new ideas, new projects, new technology, and it never gets boring or monotonous.  It’s like waking up to a new job everyday, and I can’t wait to see where the future goes!   There’s still so much to learn.

Toma is eleven! In life we’d still be a kid, borderline tween. In dog years we’d be close to death. Other than making progressive strides year after year, and being happier than ever within our company, Toma thought about what significance the number eleven has in the universe and how that might relate to us as a company.  Greatdreams.com gave an insight on this question saying this about the number eleven: Number Eleven possesses the qualities of intuition, patience, honesty, sensitivity, and spirituality, and is idealistic. Others turn to people who are ‘Eleven’ for teaching and inspiration, and are usually uplifted by the experience. In systems such as Astrology and basic Numerology, eleven is considered to be a Master Number. Ten being the perfect number, eleven represents the exceeding of both. It is interesting to note that eleven when broken down (1+1=2) comprises the Two of duality.  Number eleven is a master vibration and as such should not be reduced to a single number. People with this number could be both idealistic and visionary, and they are attracted to the unknown.

After reading this it dawned on us that our years of being eleven and some of the aspects in the aforementioned paragraph absolutely go hand in hand in where we are as a company. Mistakes are always made because we are humans, but it is safe to say after eleven years we are past the stages of learning from our mistakes. Being confident in our continual decisions and constant creative strides as a company allows us to be a bit more exploratory, even extreme in our ventures. It states that eleven represents idealism, vision, and can inspire and teach. Taking on new clients in areas we have never touched on before is where our vision lies, we always are looking to expand and grow. Idealism for us is portrayed through the satisfaction our clients project to us on a regular basis. We hope to inspire people/companies in both conventional and non-conventional ways by staying classically professional and creatively diverse. Teaching has always been an unmentioned tool for Toma. Sharing with avenues from the internet to interns, it has been a pleasure and significant patriarchal moments for Toma. Worrying what to write about in an eleventh year in our business seemed bleak in the beginning but like every great business, bleak is for the weak, and by the age of eleven its heaven.

Plus, 11 is Steve’s lucky number.