Creating original shows on cable networks is nothing new. Broad appeal networks like TNT and TBS have created original dramas and comedies for years. Now smaller, more focused networks are following suit with niche programming and advertisers are listening. AMC’s success with both “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” in the past five years has set a blueprint that many other niche networks are following.

Viewers are tired of the massive amounts of repeats and reality television and are looking for something different. The success of original niche programming seems to indicate that networks have found a good strategy for attracting viewers.

For smaller cable networks, scripted shows like TVLand’s “Hot in Cleveland” and VH1’s forthcoming drama “Single Ladies” act as centerpieces to attract advertisers. This season’s upfront advertising period, which determines ad buying for the rest of the year, is being affected by this shift in programming. Ad spending is shifting from broadcast networks to cable networks more and more each year.

The original programming also presents new opportunities for television development professionals as well. If an idea or pilot is rejected by a major network, writers and producers have other avenues to pursue. This variety and need benefit writers particularly. Unlike reality programming, which is heavy on editing and producing, original programming requires detailed writing and plot development.

Advertising for household products has already increased 15% in January and 11% in February. Advertising overall is expected to get a significant hike, with major consumer product makers saying they expect to spend an average of 9.7% on annual sales this year, up from 8.6% last year.

The major focus now is on new innovations. During a recession, consumers simply stop buying certain products that are considered luxuries only to be bought with “extra” income. They are less likely to make a major purchase like a car or a new appliance for the house, for example.

When it comes to necessities like household goods and food, however, consumers simply start buying cheaper brands. Companies are hoping that by showcasing new technology like more absorbent diapers, they can convince consumers to forget the cheaper brands and go back to more expensive ones.

P&G (Procter & Gamble) plans to introduce 30% more innovations in products this year, correlating with its 6.3% increase in ad spending. Colgate and Kimberly-Clark also plan to spend more on ads, many of which will showcase new innovations for their products.

Peter Koeppel is president of Koeppel Direct, a leading infomercial and (DRTV) direct response media buying firm.

Cable networks are frantically trying to find a solution to consumer’s increasing expectation of instant, play-anywhere shows – without losing the precious fees that they get from cable subscribers.

If you can get cable for free online, why would you pay for cable on your TV?

Malone has some ideas. And he might just be the man to do it, considering he’s also the guy who came up with the concept of paying for television in the first place.

After all, there are still plenty of channels that are available for free, and yet thousands of people across the U.S. pay a monthly bill for extra channels. That concept was completely foreign when Malone first showed up on the scene – but he sold them with the idea of better content being available on cable TV. You want a better product, you pay a better price.

So what to do about getting consumers to pay for cable TV now that it seems shows are heading right back into free-for-all territory? Malone thinks the key might be in how consumers get to view their videos, which is to say through the Internet connection itself.

Online video is only worth viewing if you have a fast enough connection to keep it from freezing every five seconds – which may be where the money starts to be spent and earned. The other idea is pay-per-view, or a subscription, perhaps using Hulu as an aggregate.

If Malone can get consumers to pay for TV they get for free a second time around, it’ll be one of the most impressive accomplishments in media for anyone’s lifetime.

Using social media is difficult to explain to someone who has never set foot in an online community of any kind. Trying to demonstrate to your client the value of taking a few minutes every hour to post a 140-character message on Twitter can seem nearly impossible: Why am I doing it? Can’t I just tell them about our products? Why do I have to talk to these people?

One of the best strategies for helping your clients understand how social media works – and getting them to use it properly – is by setting up social media channels of your own. If your client is considering starting a blog or going on a networking site, interact with them through your own social media and let them learn the ropes before they try to use it as a marketing strategy.

It’ll make you look good as a marketer, and it will save them a lot of wasted time, effort, and budget money – which makes you look even better.

Part of the rise in infomercials has to do with the decrease in ad costs. Many Fortune 500 companies are cutting their budgets big-time, and TV is one of the most expensive marketing options out there. With fewer companies buying ad time, networks are getting rid of those time slots for much lower prices than usual, which opens the door for more infomercials.

Marketers getting into DRTV can also enjoy the bonus of being able to see the effects of their spot in real time. Customers respond through toll-free numbers and web addresses, allowing marketers to track what works and what doesn’t. They can easily replace their ad if the current one isn’t working, minimizing wasted budget money.

Maybe those Fortune 500s should look into getting back on TV with more easily-trackable infomercials instead of ads.

However, from what we have observed and read, media agencies are playing it safe and realistic when it comes to Internet advertising and ad rates. Online video ads could start feeling the pain just like other advertising media.

If this should happen, there are a few points in its favor that could wind up softening the blow:

Using the online video market to promote business
Experts predict more and more advertisers will start utilizing the online video market within the next few months.

Smaller and new advertisers getting in on the game
Small advertisers will be especially eager to get started because rates are so affordable. They’d be smart to do so as many other marketers may begin to shift toward targeted mediums like web video.

The online video ad business has remained protected because it operates under an inflating shortage that could protect businesses from experiencing a drastic price drop.

Lower rates on the horizon
Advertising, media buying and marketing are all cyclical. We all know that.

And the good news for advertisers is that all signs do point to more inventory and lower rates. Marketing is a process that can never end – and lower rates are always a good thing for those seeking to purchase the advertising space, no matter what the medium.

Sound familiar? Sure, this is the state of our economy today, but it also accurately describes the state of the economy back in 1973.

Ad Age shared this statement with its consumers: “Consumer pessimism is more widespread than at any time in the past 25 years, according to the latest consumer survey.

“Now that the crisis is here, there is a sudden frantic effort to visualize its implications…Government and business seem equally unsure. Our clients just don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ve never seen anything like it before.”

An economic crisis is nothing new. While the above statements seem to echo everything that is happening around us today, they actually come from and Ad Age issue back in 1973. During that time, an energy crisis, inflation and a political crisis sent the economy into a tailspin creating a recession that lasted from until 1975.

Then, as now, keeping an eye on the big picture is key.

The plan is to install an in-store advertising network on 27,000 screens designed to constantly stream video ads from anywhere within the store. In this set-up, the retailer has complete control over managing the ads.

What is the Smart Network? The ad network can easily be altered everyday at the retailer’s discretion. For instance, if it rains, the retailer can adjust the network to broadcast umbrellas and raincoats throughout the many different areas of the store.

Can it really boost sales? There are lingering questions about how effective the Smart Network will be: Will Wal-Mart customers actually spend time watching all of the ads on the screen?

The fact is that most shoppers just want to get inside, get what they need as quickly as possible and then leave the store. Shoppers can experience so many distractions while shopping – talking to their children or talking on the cell phone – that they are unlikely to see every item broadcasted.

This raises the question: Just how effective will the in-store ad network be?

Keeping track of purchasing trends.  Traditional advertising utilizes a range of tools which includes metrics of drtv, ratings and engagement metrics. Measuring will be easier with this new network. The Wal-Mart Smart Network can help monitor the store’s cash receipts, and it can tell retailers which ads are generating the most sales.

If a spot runs in one department and the register receipts show an increase in sales from that department within the same time segment, the Wal-Mart ad team will know for sure. Even so, there is no definitive way to know for certain whether the customer watched the ad before buying an item – a shopper could have made a purchase without even seeing the ad display.

The true effectiveness of the new Wal-Mart in-store ad Network remains to be seen.

Together with Research and Analysis Media (RAM), the company’s study reveals that mobile advertising is an innovative promotional tool marketers can use for branding, recall and determining purchase rates.

A whole new way to advertise. Results are what matter to advertisers looking for proof that mobile devices can keep them connected to consumers.

In fact, JumpTap mobile advertising is providing new customers with a unique opportunity to participate in ongoing brand research insight just for signing up and participating in mobile advertising campaigns. This way, they can see first-hand how well it works.

How mobile ads affect advertiser recall, intent to purchase. The RAM research study began with a sample group of 300 Swedish Telia SurfPort users testing consumer advertiser recall, purchase intent and mobile advertising quality.

Consumers reviewed ads from EMI, Eurobate, Plutolife (Mobilove) and Discovery Channel Sweden. About one third of the participants were not familiar with these ads prior to the study. 

The results:

• The Study revealed JumpTap ads had an average of a 20 percent higher recall rate than comparable mobile ads.

• Mobile users are more likely to continue searching for more information after viewing the JumpTap ads. This includes 10 percent of 16 to 24 year olds and 28 percent of 45 to 79 year olds confirmed that the ads inspired them to continue searching for more information.

• Female mobile users were more likely to make purchases from the JumpTab mobile advertisements than from others. The results included ages 16 to 24 year olds, which was most significant since nine percent of the participants confirmed that they would likely make a purchase compared to zero percent from the other mobile advertising groups.

Viewership is greatly affected by the growing popularity of satellite and cable TV. Even digital recording devices like TiVo have significantly changed the way people view programming. Viewers can simply watch prerecorded programs whenever they like, how they like (e.g., skipping through all of the commercials).

Successful even in the face of change. For the most part, direct response television advertising (DRTV advertising) manages to be a successful advertising medium despite these challenges.

Special events. However, this year, for instance, there are two additional events (some may say hurdles) that advertisers must deal with: the Olympics and political advertising.

Both of these monumental events/trends threaten to increase the incidence of viewer fragmentation. They will reduce the number of spots available for direct television advertising campaigns.

Good advertising strategy = effective advertising strategy. In response, the smart advertisers will develop an effective advertising strategy, such as blending direct response television advertising (DRTV advertising) with other complementary advertising methods in order to continue effectively promoting and selling their products and services.