DRTV Media Buying Blog

Of the people who went to NBC.com to watch an episode of their favorite show online, forty-eight percent of users viewed a stream of at least one segment of “Heroes,” the site’s top show. Interestingly, NBCU’s research showed that thirty-five percent of the users went online to sample “Heroes” for the first time, and that ninety-six percent of them continued watching the series, both online and over traditional TV. So in this case, online viewing of shows is actually prompting more live TV viewing. NBCU is utilizing this data to pitch clients on a “360 degree” package that allows advertisers to reach and further engage viewers both through conventional TV and online.

One other interesting pattern revealed by the NBCU team was a slight increase in online viewing of NBC Rewind shows during lunchtime on workdays, suggesting that online drtv might be producing a new form of primetime. However, the study also shows that the heaviest usage of the site continues to be at nighttime, during conventional TV primetime hours.

A recent study by iProspect and JupiterResearch that looks at the influence of offline channels on online search behavior had some very interesting findings that helped confirm what I suspected – that offline media channels are having a major impact on online searches and online purchase behavior. The study found that 39% of online searches that are influenced by offline media channels such as DRTV, print and radio advertising ultimately make a purchase. Results from the study also showed that 67% of the online search population is driven to search by offline media channels.

This data from iProspect confirms what people in the direct response advertising industry have been noticing for several years, that offline media channels such as direct response TV, radio and print are clearly influencing a staggering percentage of online searches and sales. The study clearly demonstrates that marketers who are relying on online advertising only are not harnessing the synergies that exist between search and offline advertising channels. I don’t feel this is a short term trend. I expect the influence of offline advertising on online search will continue to grow. We’ve worked with several Internet retailers that were able to take their business to the next level by adding direct response television to their media mix.