Decreases commercial time and clutter to create a better viewing environment for consumers that will increase ad effectiveness for marketers
WHAT IT IS
In an effort to bring audiences a better viewing experience and provide marketers more effective advertising opportunities NBCU launched the Prime Pod in 2018. Prime Pod is a :60, stand alone commercial pod that typically runs in the first commercial break of NBCU’s primetime programming. This shortened commercial pod gives brands the opportunity to cut through the clutter, standing out inside our programing and holding viewers’ attention through the shortened commercial break.
KEY SUCCESSES & LEARNINGS
PRIME PODS DRIVE INCREASED VIEWER ENGAGEMENT AND GREATER IMPACT FOR BRANDS [1]
- More Show
- Engagement
- Greater Brand
- Awareness
- Increased
- Brand Interest
- More Likely
- to Purchase
Through qualitative research, we found that viewers are more highly engaged with the ads and the content during Prime Pods [2], resulting in a halo effect for brands [3]. Additionally, we found that with Prime Pods, there was a +12% search engagement over the benchmark in the brands, which equates to 2.2 traditional ad units [4].
WHAT’S NEW FOR 2020
Prime Pods are expanding beyond Primetime across the portfolio, including the TODAY Show, E! News’ Daily Pop and NBC Late Night.
NBCUniversal has been committed to reducing commercial time across digital and linear platforms in its original primetime programming since 2017. The journey continues. By 2020, NBCU will have reduced video ad load and ad clutter by more than 20% percent in Primetime programming.
Source
- Ameritest & Latitude. NBCU Prime Pods Forced Exposure Study. December 2018. Adults 18-54. n = 9,268. Program Likeability & Brand KPIs – Brand Awareness, Interest in Learning More, Purchase Intent.
- Nielsen. Retention. 9/24/18-12/30/18, A18-49 L3/C3 minute x minute (000)s; Commercial duration-weighted average delivery (excludes promos, PSAs, local), Retention % based on commercial duration-weighted average delivery vs. prior 60 seconds of program content (excludes promos); Pod 1 vs. weighted average of other pods in the same telecast, Year ago = programs in same time slot. Calculation across telecasts based on straight average.
- Greenberg. NBCU Prime Pods Qualitative In-Depth Interviews. January 2019.
- EDO. Search Engagement. 9/24/18-12/30/18. SER Index = search engagement volume in five minutes following prime pod airing vs. same brands airing in primetime across measured broadcast and cable networks (excl NBCU) 9/1/18-12/30/18 expressed as an index (112), Ad Multiplier = weighted number of units brands would need to run ads in primetime across measured broadcast and cable networks (excl NBCU) 9/1/18-12/30/18 to generate the same search volume.