The internet has the ability to target markets and demographics in a way TV hasn’t been able to do. Combine that with the fact that posting content on the internet is much less expensive when compared to regional or national TV media buys. More and more advertising dollars are moving towards digital ads. Additionally, you have a younger demographic that doesn’t even watch traditional television any longer, preferring to watch only YouTube and internet content.
In the past, production budgets have loosely been tied to media buys. A Super bowl spot will have a large budget as well as national spots. Regional TV media buys would traditionally have a lower budget, industrials even less and so on. So, when agencies reach out to production companies, to shoot projects for the internet, the budgets are generally much lower. Yet often they are expecting the same quality as they would get for something shot for national TV. What you often hear from the agency is, “It’s just for internet.”
BDP is known for producing stunning imagery for its clients. In order to deliver that level of production it makes no difference whether our company is shooting for the internet or a spot on Super bowl, our production costs are relatively the same. There are well over 200 line-items in a production bid (not including any post) and leaving many of them blank does not give us the support we need to deliver the production value clients are used to.
While the internet is a less expensive medium for advertisers it can be a more effective way for them to reach their audiences so why not put those savings into the production?
Michael Wolf, CEO and Co-founder of Activate Inc.