DVRs, fast-forwarding and advertising attention

Erik du Plessis, chairman of Millward Brown South Africa, reports on an experiment looking at the effects on viewers of fast-forwarded commercials.

DVRs, fast-forwarding and advertising attention

Erik du Plessis

The advent and massive growth of digital video recorders (DVRs) have been greeted with dismay by advertisers. Mostly it is accepted that a television advertisement that is being fast-forwarded will have no effect on the viewer. This article reports an experiment that shows a fast-forwarded advertisement might have more effect on the viewer – if the advertisement has been noted before. This is as a result of the viewer having to inadvertently give attention to the TV ads while focused on the task of fast-forwarding.

The irony is that in the process...

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