Growing up as a kid I remember this sign in the window of the basement barbershop where my mother always took me to get my haircut . . . it read “Three Chairs No Waiting.”  And as long as you didn’t care who cut your hair the claim was right on – rarely was there ever a wait.

I mention this because I think of that sign every time Nielsen releases another A2/M2 Three Screen Report.   In case you don’t know the “three screens” are television, internet, and mobile phones.  The report for 2nd Qtr 2009 just came out and juxtaposed to the current media business cycle I am confused.

The A2/M2 report indicates that “screen viewership” continues to rise year to year with both TSV (Time Spent Viewing) and overall size of audience.  The data also tells us that traditional television continues to dominate TSV taking 82% of “screen time” and averaging 5 hours per day.  A far distant second is the internet – 16% of the screen time and about 1 hr per day.

Advertisers must be oblivious to this data though.  The Television Bureau of Advertising (TvB) reports that for 2nd Qtr. 2009 local station ad revenue shrunk by 13%.  So despite the fact that viewers continue to watch 5 hours per day of television, automotive advertisers have reduced spending by 54%, restaurants by 16%, travel and leisure concerns by 14%,  and communication companies by 6%.   And then they wonder why they cannot sell products.  Maybe it is because too much money is going to places where viewing isn’t.  A wise man once advised me to “fish where the fish are” and the Nielsen data makes that plain --- the “fish” are still found on traditional television.

I know the old bromide about “in tough times cut advertising” and I know that the old bromide is dead wrong.  Without advertising potential customers don’t know what you have to sell or if you are even still in business – and today that latter question is preeminent.

Right now there are tremendous deals to be had on almost all media properties (with the exception of the Wall Street Journal) so take advantage of the lousy sales economy and do what it seems most of your competitors aren’t doing – ADVERTISE!  But avoid the temptation to pour large dollars into media that holds few eyeballs for a lengthy period of time and stick with those that captures a large audience (284 million people) and holds them long enough to have one or two of your commercials seen by potential customers.

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