Local TV news is a highly effective medium for advertisers to credibly reach consumers, according to [pdf] a new study from Frank M. Magid Associates, Inc. and Hearst Television, Inc.
Local News Advertising Creates Awareness
Study data indicates advertising during local news broadcasts creates awareness of products and services with more viewers than most other TV genres. In terms of creating awareness, local news led all TV genres covered by the study with 27% of respondents saying it keeps them in the know regarding products and services in the local marketplace.
Talk shows of the informational (24%) and entertainment (19%) followed. The next-highest-ranked news genre, entertainment news, was only cited by 12% of respondents.
Local News Advertising Drives Purchases
When asked what TV genres have featured ads that led to a purchase of a product or service, 12% of respondents mentioned local news. This placed local news third overall among TV genres for driving purchases, behind entertainment talk shows (14%) and informational talk shows (19%).
Six percent of respondents said broadcast network news advertisements have driven a purchase, as did 5% for entertainment news advertisements.
Local News Advertising Seen Trustworthy, Relatable
Respondents also indicated that they find local news advertising to be trustworthy and relatable at higher rates than most other TV genres. Products and services advertised during local TV news programs were ranked trustworthy by the third-highest percentage of respondents (16%), trailing entertainment talk shows (23%) and informational talk shows (27%). The next highest-rated TV news genre, cable news, was cited by 11% of respondents.
In addition, 18% of respondents said products and services advertised during local news programs are meant for people like them, also coming in third behind entertainment talk shows (22%) and informational talk shows (24%). Fourteen percent said products and services advertised during broadcast network news news programs are meant for people like them.
Local News is DVR-Proof
Local news is less likely to be recorded by DVR for later viewing than many other TV genres. Seventeen percent of respondents have recorded a local news program for later viewing in the past 30 days, placing it sixth-most-likely out of 12 TV genres for DVR recording.
Slightly more than half (53%) of respondents have recorded a broadcast prime-time drama or sitcom for later viewing in the last 30 days, while only 5% have done so for court shows.
1 in 5 Viewers Never Fast Forwards Local News
When asked how frequently they fast forward broadcasts of programs in different TV genres, 20% of respondents said they never fast forward local news. This placed local news behind the other three covered news genres, with a leading 30% never fast forwarding cable news programs.
However, more respondents never fast forward local news than any other non-news genre. The TV genre most likely to be fast forwarded is cable prime-time dramas/movies, with only 5% of respondents never fast forwarding this type of broadcast.
Local News Ingrained in Viewer Routines
When asked what TV genre is a major part of their daily routine, other study results indicate a leading 49% of respondents said local news. While this was closely followed by broadcast prime-time dramas and sitcoms (47%) and broadcast network prime time reality TV (42%), the next-highest rated news genre, cable news, only had a 34% response rate.
About the Data: Frank M. Magid Associates conducted an online survey of 2,500 local news viewers age 25-54 in the Hearst news footprint from October 5-13, 2010.
