Pay Extra to go Commercial-free – Trick or Treat?

The guest author focuses on the universe of 'pay-to-not-play-ads'.

People pay millions of dollars to make ads. El Mejor brands, social influencers, Tik Tokers – are drawn to ads as bees are to flowers, and for what - to make you skip? I don’t think so. The ‘pay-to-not-play-ads’ revenue system is designed, so you don’t miss out on advertisements. Bite that hard. 

The change from skip-ads to video-will-play-after-this-ad has been obnoxiously swift, piercing straight through the very core of consumer psychology, leaving them with but only two choices, either to pay with patience or with a price. And what do you think people choose in an age driven by instant gratification? The answer is obvious, isn’t it?

The function of ads at present has transcended the sales angle. Now the goal is more heterogeneous. Now, ROI or return on investment is not defined only by money but also by the number of likes, shares, page impressions, and fan following. Everyone is trying to create an image, and ads are of immense help in this matter. Yes, advertisement is muscling its way into our lives like never before, but is it the necessary evil of free content streaming? As honest as a marketer is allowed to be, I think that the ‘go-premium’ model is an ingenious idea of the neo-modern marketing era, with nothing right or wrong about it. The changing dynamics of the digital landscape have paved the way for ‘pay-extra to-go-commercial-free’ because, in a space crawling with free content generators and video makers, the currency marketers are encashing is not money but time. Here’s how.   

• Recall value creates repeat business

With emerging platforms and technologies opening up both the intent and purse of advertisers, pre-roll ads have made a special place for themselves. Is it irritating? Absolutely. Is it necessary? Very much; creating recall value is one primary strategy at play for any marketing exercise. What does this mean? It means even if you are skipping ads out of habit, you are likely to remember the brand’s name that made you skip. The objective here is to block your time and attention with the ad. Money is not the motivator here. Pre-roll ads are played before a user’s desired video and therefore qualify for more frequent eyeballs. The more you see, the more you are likely to remember. Frequency is key here. That’s the trick.

• Putting the audience in charge

Arguably, the strategy is a little skittish but works nonetheless. It’s called the transfer of power. Putting the consumer in charge of what they want to see and where they want to invest their most precious commodity, time, is hardly a strategy anymore! The ‘Go-commercial-free’ option is much like a sigh of relief since no one wishes to be perturbed by ads. Just imagine listening to multiple commercials in the middle of your favourite song! But while we are more often than not repelled by the ads, it’s the timing of the ads that intensifies the irritability factor. Is this the safe option or, rather, the only option left? - ‘Go-Premium.’ The calculations are easy. It is the psychology behind the placement of ad timings that runs deep. It leaves you with no choice but to… get the point?

• Creates space for a better ad experience

For marketers, it’s an opportunity to stay abuzz with the creative impulse. Earlier ads ran long – but factors like high production cost, uncertain ROI, untraceable impressions, intangible analytics, and preference for T20 cricket demanded strategic changes that could create better ads for quick views. This has peddled the need for ads to be more creative and to the point. Our challenge has been to design the maximum impact within the minimum time frame. The challenge of creating relatable content is a mood booster for any boutique creative agency, big or small. It has given us a better motive to keep our ears tuned to social listening and made our performance more result-oriented, from copy to execution. 

Last but not least, ‘pay-to-not-play-ads’ democratizes and fund the internet. From a marketing perspective, it helps map, analyse, and predict human psychology. Browsing habits, site visits, and click rates indicate consumer preference. Ads are an essential tool to measure the ever-evolving preference of consumers. It is the testing ground for what works and what doesn’t, it is the best tool for promoting offers and info, and these days ads are also legit entertainment. Therefore, good ads are definitely a treat; their placements are the most sophisticated marketing tricks.
 

The author Nitin Ahlawat is a veteran marketing professional and the CEO of a Noida based Creative agency Design Mechanics India Pvt. Ltd.