Studies suggest that many television viewers often avoid ads with various methods including the use of DVR, while others find commercials enjoyable

• Research suggests that 32 percent of television viewers avoid commercials with various methods such as diverting their attention to another device or changing the channel.
• The development of the digital video recorder (DVR) has caused viewers to skip through more advertisements, but marketers can use various techniques to alter their ads and account for these viewers in order to still make their commercials successful.
• Some viewers, though, actually enjoy watching commercials, especially during occasions such as the Super Bowl or when they are watching an emotionally stimulating program.

Everyone knows the Oscar Meyer bologna jingle or the little boy from Huggies who happily sings “I’m a big kid now.” These and many other catchy jingles became popular due to commercials. Companies commonly use memorable songs such as these and various other marketing techniques in order to attract consumer to buy their products. How often do viewers actually pay attention to commercials, though?

A study conducted by Dean M Krugman, Glen T. Cameron, and Candace McKearney White for the Journal of Advertising analyzes visual attention to programming and commercials by use of in-home observations that examine eyes-on-screen time. Results from the study find that viewers are visually oriented to the program that they watch 62% of the time, while they are oriented to the commercials only 33% of the time. One reasons for this difference in visual orientation is that many individuals will use specific techniques in order to avoid the commercials that play during their program.

The researchers estimate that 32 percent of television viewers avoid commercials.

The avoidance norm of commercials includes physical avoidance acts such as leaving the room during a commercial break and mechanical avoidance acts such as changing channels. Kenneth C. Wilbur from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California presents to us that the methods viewers use to avoid advertisements include to “change channels with remote controls (“zapping”), divert their attention to companions or other media (“multitasking”), leave the room (“physical zapping”), mute or turn off the television, or fast-forward through commercials in recorded programming (“zipping”).” A freshman student at the University of Maryland demonstrates these tactics as she admits that she diverts her attention to her phone or email in order to avoid commercials during programs that she watches. 

A survey of 39 University of Maryland students discovers the methods of commercial avoidance that are most commonly used  when the students watch live television. When asked to choose between various methods of avoidance tactics, 74% of respondents stated that they engage with another device such as a phone or laptop when a commercial appears during the program that they are watching. Following this, 15% of respondents commonly change the channel as their avoidance method. The survey therefore supports Wilbur's claim of viewers using the practices of multitasking and zapping commonly when watching television programs.

Another way in which commercial avoidance has increased recently is due to new technological developments such as the digital video recorder (DVR). The fundamental effect of DVR is that it shifts control from television networks and advertisers to you, the viewer.

Wilbur’s study discovers that, “DVR users skipped 68% of commercials in recorded programming.”

Interestingly enough, it is found that ads that are skipped through actually create stronger brand recognition effects. Wilbur references another study that “found that zipped ads produced brand recall effects about 20% greater than unzipped ad exposures,” and another that discovered that “high-speed exposures to television commercials boost prior learning, suggesting that zipped commercials can function effectively as reminder ads.” Therefore, if advertisers make small adjustments to tailor their ads to the zippers who use DVR, their company can benefit very much.

Advertisers have altered many of their advertising techniques specifically to account for the skipping patterns that DVR users frequently conduct. Some of the creative strategies that are now used by marketers include making brand names or logos more dominant within the commercial and designing the advertisements so that they can be understood even at an accelerated speed. Specific commercial placement within a pod of commercial time during a program also affects its success for a company. For example, a company may favor to be the first commercial played in a pod of commercial break time rather than in the middle of the commercial break.

But not all advertisers need to take into account the use of DVR and its tendency to cause users to skip ads. In fact, some television viewers admit to enjoying commercial advertisements and state that the ads actually convince them to buy certain products. Research by the University of Illinois finds that males, younger consumers, persons with less education and income, and nonwhites generally report more favorable attitudes to advertisements than others did.  

The researchers discovered that 52% of their respondents agree that they enjoy watching most of the advertisements that they are exposed to. 

University of Maryland students, such as freshman Noah Todd, report that they enjoy television commercials especially when they involve topics that are heartwarming for viewers. Todd finds commercials to be much more worthwhile when they are sentimental and have an uplifting message.

In addition to this, a study conducted by Steve Olenski from Forbes asked individuals what they find desirable in commercials, and Olenski received replies such as “Heart and or Humor. One that tickles the funny bone, makes you laugh out loud… On the flip side, one that pulls at the heart strings, or even at times rips the heart right out of your chest.” Obviously, not every commercial is going to have these qualities, but many viewers have shown to respond much more favorably when they do.

Cartoon from Sportsbusinessdaily.com

Certain occasions and environments such as the Super Bowl also increase viewer’s interest in advertisements as well. 

The Super Bowl has shown to cause many more viewers than usual to watch commercials. A survey of 6,375 US adults in 2015, found that 77.1% look at the Super Bowl commercials for entertainment, and 20.1% believe that the commercials make them aware of advertiser brands. Only 4.5% replied that the commercials bother them. A University of Maryland sophomore explains that she is much more interested in commercials than usual during events such as the Super Bowl. She normally uses avoidance techniques on commercials during the regular television programs that she views, but she is very entertained by the ads during the football game and likes to be engaged in the conversations that people have about them the next day.

So what does all of this prove? Advertisers have to alter the specific techniques that they use to create their commercials in order to cater to the specific audience and environment that they are in. They need to alter their ads to the DVR savvy generation that is developing, but also understand that some consumers actually enjoy watching the ads that they create, especially on special occasions such as the Super Bowl.

Studies suggest that both children and adults have multiple motivations to play video games and both experience positive benefits from the interactive form of entertainment

• Children play video games because they are a fun way to pass time, they bring excitement, they are a challenge, they immerse a player into a virtual world, they are interactive, and they are relaxing.
• Some feel that as they grow older, they want to engage in more brain stimulating activities such as music or reading to pass time, while many others still enjoy video games.
• There are games designed for all types of personalities that offer positive benefits for people of all ages.
  

There is no denying the fact that kids love video games. These popular forms of entertainment are available in numerous genres, allowing almost everyone to find a game that interests them. When I was a child, my personal favorite game that I would play on my Nintendo Game Cube was “Super Smash Bros.” But what is it about these games that attract children to become engaged with them?

There are various reasons why children may desire to play video games in their free time. A study conducted by Cheryl K. Olson of Massachusetts General Hospital found that the top reasons children give for playing video games include that games are “fun, exciting, and have the challenge to figure things out.” Players report that they feel a sense of achievement if they succeed in a game that was originally difficult for them.

When children participants in focus groups were asked what made a video game fun to play more than once, challenge was a key factor.

Another article from “Net Family News” states that children appreciate the engagement with a virtual world that is created through video games. It states, “Children love immersion, they love to really get their heads into things and stay with them for a long time – stories, games, relationships.” Personally, I loved playing “Super Smash Bros” because I was able to pick a character that I could pretend to be and enter a fantasy world.

The trademark of most video games is that they transform traditional forms of entertainment into an interactive form that allows players to participate in shaping the games.

In addition, Olson’s study displays that “two thirds (62%) of boys and 44% of girls who played electronic games somewhat or strongly agreed that they sometimes used games to help them relax.”

These are only a few of the many reasons children have stated to enjoy playing video games. As a kid, I loved the immersion aspect of the games, as stated earlier. I found video games to be a great activity to pass time while with friends, and I thought that they were simply fun and enjoyable overall.

Some, including myself, though, reach a point in time where they no longer find video games as desirable. Several reasons that I eventually lost interest in "Super Smash Bros" include that I no longer had an abundance of free time to spend in front of my television, I began to find more real-life forms of interactive media such as social media to be more appealing, and my friends and I began to find enjoyment in other activities than interactive games when spending time together.

Ryan Sims blog on medium.com states, “Maybe this change of perspective is just me getting older. Instead of craving a silly new game to entertain my brain, I want to feed it now.” He has spent 1,300 hours of his life on one video game and now feels he needs to stop. He has decided to use reading or listening to music as a new way to pass time. Not all video game users have shown to stop playing as they age, though.

According to a report from the Entertainment Software Association, the average age of today's game player is 37.

Winda Benedetti from the Today Show suggests, “Games are not just mindless entertainment, but a pastime that keeps your brain active as you age.” Video games allow you to solve creative puzzles, partake in a wide array of fitness activities, and enjoy a good shooting game as one may enjoy watching an action movie.


According to a survey of 2,000 respondents conducted by Ipsos, a private research organization, 37% of video gamers are over the age of 36. This number can be surprising to many, as the average video game player is commonly thought of as a teenage boy. Due partially to the development of various genres of games, though, the market is extremely broad.

Although I may not play video games anymore, I certainly do not represent the average person. "Super Smash Bros" lost its appeal, as it is a game designed for young players. Possibly if I partook in a game designed for females of my age, I would find it to be more tempting.

Benedetti enforces in her article, “Whether you're a kid, an adult, someone who likes lots of action or someone who prefers something more thought-provoking — there's a game out there for you.”

Video games offer a positive interactive environment for people of all ages. Statistics have suggested positive impacts from game playing on adults in the same way that they impact kids. Even though I am no longer interested in playing in an interactive world with Mario and Luigi, the video game industry now provides many other games that will provide my brain with challenge and may provide some relaxation in my often stressful lifestyle. The graphic provided to the right shows many of the numerous genres that are available.


There are many obvious reasons why video games appeal to children. These same benefits of video games apply to people of all ages and genders. The user interface and interactive media has improved with technology over time, and these enhancements have proven to be taken advantage of by all. The video game industry has designed itself to provide entertainment that will satisfy a wide market, and it has succeeded in doing so.


This article answers question 6 in the textbook.

Images display the devastating effects of Ebola on victims and their friends and family in Freetown, Sierra Leone

The effects that Ebola has had on its victims are devastating. Individuals of all ages in areas such as Freetown, Sierra Leone sadly have to face the deadly outbreak of this disease together. According to Karen Weintraub from National Geographic, Ebola has infected more that 22,400 victims in West Africa. These photographs displays the sorrow and pain that is felt through many in Sierra Leone. The first photograph to the right shows an off-center primary element of a dead ebola victim in a burial service surrounded by devastated friends and family. One man is standing in front of the other bystanders and is praying. The safe burial team is also displayed as they allow those who knew the victim to mourn. This photo goes beyond "show and tell" and truly displays the pain and trauma felt by those living in West Africa and affected by Ebola.

The photo to the left shows a young, twelve or thirteen-year-old boy who lost his entire family to Ebola. His sorrow is shown by his facial expression, and his isolation is evident as he is the only person in the room. The room is dirty with medical tools scattered around the floor in various areas, which represents the unsanitary conditions that many of the victims have to unfortunately face. Finally, there is a medical kit next to the young boy with blood on his shirt, which shows that he himself is sick. A story can be told from these various aspects of the photograph, and all of the peripheral elements help to explain the background information about the primary element, the boy.

My name is Ashley, and I am a freshman at the University of Maryland. I am a marketing major at the Robert H. Smith School of Business and I intend to minor in business analytics as well.

Some of my interests include singing, playing tennis, and listening to music. I love mathematics, but I  also enjoy the arts. Currently, I am a member of multiple clubs related to marketing on campus, and I hope to become more involved by joining a sorority and beginning a job on campus.

I hope to one day be a market research analyst for a company in a city on the east coast of the United States. I chose this career because it mixes my interests of analytics and creativity, and it is my goal to find internships related to it throughout my undergraduate experience.