At first glance it may seem that the networks are responding to consumers' desire to watch a less cluttered TV viewing experience by cutting back on commercials. With the number of TV commercial spots declining, it would seem that this would be the case.
From 2004 through 2006, the average number of spots has dropped by 7 percent, according to Nielsen.
There have been a lot of different theories as to why this is happening, but in reality it's probably nothing more than watching out for their bottom line.
What's really happening is that there are definitely fewer spots being shown, but the average length of time of the spot has been increasing rather than decreasing, with most of that being attributed to the drug industry.
Over the last year the number of 60-second commercials now account for 74 percent of all prescription drug ads on television, an increase of a huge 41 percent from 2003. During that same period of time, the 30-second spot has declined from 29 percent in 2003 to 13 percent in 2006. On the other hand, the 60-second commercial has grown to be 8 percent of all prime-time TV commercials in 2006; in 2004 they were only 3 percent of the mix.
Why is all of this changing now? Jon Swallen, senior vice president-director of research at TNS Media Intelligence said, "Well it was about a year ago that drug companies announced a voluntary code of conduct with regards to consumer marketing, in response to public criticism and the threat of government regulation.
"One of the key guidelines was to provide more information about risks and alternative courses of treatment. The companies have followed through on this pledge. For example, pay close attention to a print or TV spot for a cholesterol drug and you'll likely see/hear mentions of exercise, diet and lifestyle as alternatives to a drug regimen. That stuff wasn't there pre-2006. These deeper levels of information are driving the marked shift towards longer length TV spots."
So while it may seem like a lot of change has happened, it is for the most part connected to the drug industry, which the networks can now make a lot more money on for the reasons stated above.
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