Promos: Stay Tuned To An Evolving Voice-Over Niche On Network TV

Promos: Stay Tuned To An Evolving

Voice-Over Niche On Network TV

June 12, 2009

If you're voicing TV promos, you're part of an evolution in a field that's becoming ever more important to your clients' bottom lines.

Historically used by networks during commercial breaks to promote future shows, promos are evolving into hybrid spots to benefit both the networks and advertisers, reports a recent Advertising Age magazine article: Promos Not Just for Networks Anymore.

"They're the most ubiqitous ads on TV, and they're more important to a network than any $100 million upfront buy. They're on-air promos, and they're here to stay," writes Andrew Hampp.

Interviewing Lee Hunt, a brand strategist, Hampp explains that today's promos "double as everything from co-sponsored vignettes for advertisers (called hybrid ads by Nielsen IAG) to customized stunts for movie studios to long-form commercial programming - all in the name of boosting audience retention and keeping advertisers happy."

Hunt will be a speaker at the Promax/BDA marketing and design conference, which begins June 16 in New York City. A conference feature will be recognizing the best TV promos.

"It's only when networks drop promos altogether in an effort to sell more ads that they suffer," says Hunt.

Also in the article, Stephanie Gibbons, Executive VP-Marketing and on-air promotions at FX, says "(The promo) has remained as critical as ever."