Why am I attracted to Hulu? And you?

As a media broker, I have been buying TV airtime on behalf of advertisers for many years, negotiating the most profitable campaigns to capture a target demographic. I have done this in the hope that my commercials will not be DVR or fast delivery, and that viewers will not see them as convenient opportunities to grab a snack or go to the bathroom.

Now, Hulu is here and it’s a whole new ball game. As I build my first Hulu purchase, I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the great benefits of this new option.

For the uninitiated, Hulu is a website that offers video programming from multiple sources, including all major television networks (except CBS, the only reservation). Did you miss the Modern Family last night? You can watch it today on Hulu. You can also see the current programming of your favorite cable networks.

As with terrestrial television, Hulu advertisers can target their viewers by age, geography, and lifestyle segments. But beyond this, Hulu has great advantages:

– In contrast to the eight minutes of advertising on the typical half-hour television show, Hulu only broadcasts three.

– Ads cannot be quickly forwarded or skipped.

– Shorter commercial breaks create a greater likelihood that viewers will see your ads.

– Nielsen IAG research shows that ads consistently perform 50% to 100% better on Hulu than on broadcast or cable, as measured by brand and message recall and sympathy.

– Viewers can choose which ads to see and which not to see.

– Advertisers only pay for viewers who actually saw their commercial, not for exclusions.

– Viewers can watch programming on multiple platforms: desktop, laptop, smartphone, gaming devices, and tablets.

– Viewers can interact with the ads that interest them, by clicking on a link to a website, a list of locations, a survey, an inventory and a price list, a special offer or any other form of participation.

– Viewers can join social networks or share advertising information directly from the Hulu platform.

– Viewers can choose not to receive commercial interruptions by choosing instead to watch a single 3-minute advertiser video, a great option for products or services that require time to demonstrate or tell their story.

Currently, Hulu’s profitability is on par with cable TV primetime programming and broadcasts. It will be interesting to watch Hulu develop additional applications to improve their user experience and help advertisers interact more effectively with interested consumers. On the other hand, I’ll be curious to see if the site’s content providers start to get cold as Hulu cannibalizes its audiences.

It’s a whole new world and I’ll keep you posted! If you are interested, check out my profile to subscribe to my blog. Every week I post a free marketing tip. Everyone is welcome!