The Writer’s Guild of America (east and west) released an interesting position paper calling for a Code of Conduct on the integration of commercial messages into television content. The Guild, rightly in my opinion, is concerned about the creep of product placements and near-subliminal advertising into television content. The group holds that this increasing practice compromises their art and places pressure on them to become advertising copywriters rather than entertainment story writers.
According to their paper, a survey indicates that 73% of their members think the line between advertising and content needs to be clearly drawn. The group is calling for this Code of Conduct that they propose include, among other things, full and clear disclosure of product integration deals at the beginning of programs and strict product integration limits on children’s programming.
The stakes are enormous because millions of dollars worth of advertising revenue per show are on the line.
Advertisers and producers who sign advertising deals are now at odds with writers and actors who are often told at the last minute to work commercial messages or endorsements into the content of the program.
As the mass advertising model of commercial television continues to fall apart before our eyes, advertisers continue to seek ways to get their messages seen and heard by seeking new ways to invade the media that we consume. Consumers, however, are savvier than ever about these attempts and now the writers enter the fray by actively resisting. The days of mass audiences who can quickly and easily be reached merely by purchasing a 30- or 60-second advertising spot are slowly fading.
I am waiting to report on the first marketer who stands up and makes a bold statement by sponsoring an entire show, proudly proclaiming that fact, and works tirelessly with producers and writers to ensure the show is so compelling and desirable that consumers will thank them for it and reward their brand.
Bold prediction: Advertisers, producers and writers will soon be forced into becoming equal partners in the development of television (and digital) entertainment content.
And guess what?
When that happens, consumers will also become equal partners because knowledge of consumers’ preferences will have to be precisely known before the process even begins. No advertiser in their right mind would produce television content that their consumers will not embrace.
Television will be driven from the grassroots, consumer level rather than from the traditional, studio top-down approach and audiences will be smaller. You can bet that Hollywood will try to be an equal and opposite force against the shift. Loss of control is a scary thing.
The bottom line to marketers is that knowledge of your customers is king and untargeted messages will no longer be tolerated. Embrace it. Get used to it. Behave accordingly.
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