Promax|BDA is an industry group representing marketing, promotion and design professionals in the entertainment industry.  Its conference is an opportunity for the creative designers and producers to celebrate their accomplishments and catch the eye of network marketers planning their campaigns for the Fall programming season.  For Simulmedia, the conference was a chance to appreciate the craft of program promotion and immerse ourselves in promotional marketing culture.

At a panel discussion on Day 3 of the conference, “Promotions in the Multi-Media Market – Where to Put Your Money”, Mary Ann Farrell, SVP Research at E-Poll Market Research, presented a study of television viewers, their viewing habits and their attitudes toward promotional marketing.  E-Poll based its study on analysis of a nationwide online survey of a representative sample of 1,644 individuals aged 13-54, fielded May 21-26, 2009.

The E-Poll study featured several findings relevant to Simulmedia’s focus.

	Fewer than2 in 10 consumers are “very interested” in finding out about new programs.  This is evidence of television’s “discovery problem”.  Perceiving too many programming options and too little time to discover and sample them, many viewers report a disinclination to seek new programs.
	Viewers with digital video recorders are more interested in finding out about new programs than their non-DVR-using peers and have higher rates of promo recall.  As DVR penetration increases, promotional messaging becomes a better use for television advertising inventory.
	Television is the primary source of new program awareness.  94% of respondents said on-air promotions created the best source of recall.  Television is the most impactful media channel for conveying new program information.
	The perception of promotional ads on TV is more favorable than on other media channels.  40% of respondents said that a TV promotion had caught their attention.  7% of respondents reported finding TV promotions annoying.  Compare that to the internet’s 20% attention catching rate and 20% annoying rate.

Taken together, these findings are a compelling endorsement of Simulmedia’s goal to deliver television viewership through data-driven program promotion.