Hulu and other online video streaming sources offer many advantages to advertisers that TV advertising can't compete with. What long-term effects will this have for cable and satellite companies along with the advertising industry at large? Click image to visit Hulu's "Ad Experience" videos page.
I’m a big fan of Hulu and will be sad to see it transition to a paid subscription model next year. I think sites like Hulu are definitely the future. I love its que feature, which lets me subscribe to shows and emails me when they’re available on Hulu. It’s like free DVR, but web 2.0 style, without a hard drive and all the hassle that comes with it. In addition, navigating through the site is a cinch thanks to its great organization and the social media sharing versatility is a nice touch.
I especially like its advertising. A Hulu video is typically sponsored by one advertiser with 30-second commercial breaks instead of a plethora of commercials from lots of different sponsors. This appears to be the norm at network sites that also broadcast “made-for-tv” content also. The online model of exclusive sponsorship trumps tv advertising for many reasons:
- No competition
By being an exclusive sponsor, the advertiser isn’t competing for viewers’ attention with other ads. Plus the 30-second model doesn’t allow much time for a viewer to ignore the ad by doing something else. I imagine viewers are more likely to just sit through it than switch to some other media, run to the bathroom, call a friend, feed the cat, etc. Every online model I’ve experienced has a pause feature — something basic cable subscribers don’t have. And if a viewer pauses for too long, the sponsor usually gets an extra commercial thrown in when the viewer presses play again. Continue reading
