The TV industry has changed beyond recognition in the past few years - and it is up to the next generation of TV planners to make the most of the opportunities provided by new platforms and technologies.
This was the theme of Channel 4's second Plannertarium event, in association with Media Week, where 36 young TV planners - and, for the first time, buyers - debated how the industry can look beyond the 30-second spot to achieve greater creativity in TV planning.
Speaker Tess Alps, chief executive of Thinkbox, described the 30-second spot as "the missionary position of TV planning" and encouraged planners to occasionally "swing from the chandeliers". She said: "We must get beyond the traditional blind spots - we can transform the staple TV diet by small additions."
Rory Sutherland, vice-chairman of Ogilvy Group UK, reminded attendees that TV still has the "peacock effect" - it is "entirely about fame and display". He said: "The best TV advertising has no self-interest - the Compare the Meerkat ads work because they have nothing at all to do with car insurance. TV can attach status, desire and value to low-cost goods, and this is what we should focus on. We need to find new problems to solve rather than endlessly fighting the same turf wars."
The "exhilarating but frightening" speed of change, as C4 sales director Andy Barnes described it, means planners have to work much harder to ensure ads are watched and recalled. The secret of moving the ad break forward is to find groundbreaking ways of using TV that give viewers a more contextual, engaging experience, while delivering clients a bigger splash for their money.
Cameron Saunders, UK marketing director of 20th Century Fox, advised: "It is better to be big to fewer people than smaller to many. Finance guys can be receptive if they understand the strategy is about reach and impact."
For example, while Bet365's solus ad break before a major race on Channel 4 Racing may have only reached a niche gambling community, the strategy of overlaying the ad with live odds gave the audience a deep engagement with the brand. Likewise, everyone remembers Honda's death-defying live skydive ad and the grisly "spot event" that was the British Heart Foundation's "Watch Your Own Heart Attack" ad.
Leon Jaume, executive creative director of WCRS, believes "the whole area of time lengths is potentially very interesting". He encouraged planners to use more varied time formats, for example five-second mini idents or a mix of 10-second and 60-second ads, and to "unravel the habitual rigidity between TV and the web". He said: "Online must not be seen as a competitor; it can be a massive aid."
Mike Parker, head of strategic sales and commercial marketing at C4, recommended exploring "contextual narrative advertising" - such as the forthcoming "mini episode" commercials in Hollyoaks, to be aired at the end of the summer, which reference characters and plot lines in the show.
And Alps advised using "tactical and programme-themed" sponsorship, and creating advertorial events in formats proven to work well on TV, such as makeovers, game shows and dating. For example, Match.com's live match-making commercial event generated more than enough new subscriptions to cover the cost of making the four advertorials.
One of the main issues faced by planners is clients' reluctance to change their behaviour in a procurement-driven culture. Carl Nawagamuwa, account manager at Mediaedge:cia, commented: "Clients have the cash, but they want to feel safe about what they spend it on. The problem is that the new methods are not yet proven in terms of effectiveness."
The solution, said Sutherland, who believes metrics are "perverse incentives", is to persuade clients to spend 80% of their budget on what has worked before and 20% on "intelligent, measurable experimentation". He warned: "If you don't, you may find the 80% stops working and then in three years' time you are stuck."
Summing up, C4's Parker said the TV planning debates had "real resonance" - and attendees agreed the Plannertarium was a "useful and enjoyable experience". Lee Lythe, TV account manager at Walker Media, said: "The event allowed me to explore outside the usual 30-second spot route and highlighted many new methods of TV advertising that can create extra stand-out for my clients."
Neil Walker, strategic partnerships manager at ZenithOptimedia, added: "The beyond-the-spot market is still maturing and the Plannertarium did a great job of showcasing all the emerging opportunities out there. The day proved that going beyond the spot is possible, if challenging, but if you innovate early and often, you can do great things."