How the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) Changes Traditional Television Advertising

The digital video recorder (DVR) is tilting the playing field in the television industry, empowering viewers at the expense of advertisers and networks. Available evidence suggests that DVR users will fast-forward through ads in recorded programming at the expense of other advertisement avoidance strategies. While DVRs may increase commercial avoidance, they will also facilitate the measurement of commercial avoidance. Advertisers can use ad avoidance data to improve creative strategies, targeting, message rotation and scheduling, media buying, and ROI (return on investment) measurements. The net result should be more relevant, engaging, and efficient advertising, which would reduce viewers' motivation to avoid ads.