The Re-Purposing Paradox

One of the greatest temptations among traditional advertisers may be the re-use of offline television and radio ads for the Web. While often viewed as a cost-cutting measure or a simple testing of the streaming media waters, such ad re-purposing may do more harm than good.

"The pitch for original ad content on the Web has not been well-received," said Bill McCloskey, head of rich media marketing consultancy Emerging Interest ( www.emerginginterest.com). "There’s a lack of understanding and commitment to the Web." He says advertisers often view re-purposing as the "easy way out" for a medium that is still viewed with skepticism. Noting the small screen size, barely decipherable text, and jerky movements, McCloskey said the Web is a unique medium that must be designed for.

One notable example of effective Web adaptation of TV ads is the popular Budweiser "Wazzup" campaign. For this campaign, another version of the ads were used online that played off the original TV ads. The same dialogue was used online, but grandmothers spoke the lines in a way that was humorous, particularly to those familiar with the TV versions. The campaign was also very viral since its cleverness encouraged pass-along emails.

"Advertisers are starting to see the value in re-formatting for the Web," says David Riemer, chief marketing officer of TheFeedRoom.com (www.thefeedroom.com), a company that creates online presences for local TV stations. "It adds the possibility of click-through, hence measurability." Having spent over 15 years at leading ad agency J. Walter Thompson, he notes the minimal cost involved in shooting a bit of extra content.

Riemer cites a campaign his company recently created for The Fugitive DVD, which took short segments from the DVD and used them as ads. He notes the cost was minimal since his company had editors on staff to handle creation, but this doesn’t mean such adaptation is out of reach for most advertisers.

"Generally, a big commitment isn’t needed to create appropriately for the Web, but it depends on creativity," Riemer added, pointing out the series of shorts created by BMW for the Web, which cost millions.

Extreme examples like that of BMW aside, it appears that TV-Web adaptation can usually be done very affordably and cost-effectively. "If you invest in unique Web content, you’ll get ROI many times over. You may also generate lots of extra publicity," said McCloskey.

Are there cases where the same ad content can be used online? "For in-stream ads in e-mail, you may be able to re-purpose, but you generally want to create for the Web and provide something new," said McCloskey.

In the case of terrestrial radio stations which re-purpose audio ads for streaming online, several snags have been hit along the way. In April 2001, many terrestrial radio stations chose to completely stop streaming their signals rather than put radio ads over the Internet. A dispute between ad agencies and radio stations meant that stations would have to pay 300% of regular fees to talent when commercials are broadcast over the Internet. Now, months after the dispute, many stations are still not streaming, while others have chosen to insert generic music or, in extreme cases, dead air to replace the ads.

Still, McCloskey points to the re-purposing of audio ads as showing some promise. "If it’s for an online radio station, it’s the same medium, just a different delivery mechanism. For a regular stream, you can re-purpose. But if it’s in a banner, for example, it must be designed for," said McCloskey.

One thing is for certain: As long as advertisers continue to view the Web as a "second-class" medium, Web surfers will continue to come across ads that are poor re-runs of their offline counterparts, especially from TV.