All Screened Out
As a marketing strategist, you’d think I would be thrilled to see television screens and monitors everywhere I turn. It means more advertising more often. Personally, I can’t stand it. In fact, I find it intrusive. 
They have them at self-checkout cash registers, banks, airplanes and elevators. I have recently noticed them on outdoor parking meters as well. I know the list goes on and on.
What shocked me – and yet, didn’t surprise me – was the TV screen on the back of the headrest in the cab I took home from the airport one day. I could not help but look at it even though I was tired and wanted no visual simulation so close to my face.
The question then becomes: When does it become too much?
It seems that TV screens are in many restaurants with the exception of fine-dining establishments. I, again, find this to be the last place I want to be around a TV.
My concern is: How far will this go? There must be research out there which proves that widespread TV advertising in public places is an effective way to reach consumers, otherwise it wouldn’t likely be so common in our society.
What is your opinion on this TV-screen advertising mania?
I agree Jen. Our world is so over stimulated with advertising. Which is odd for me to say, because I’m in the video marketing business. But the challenge I and my clients have is getting noticed. We have bombarded the world with so much advertising that the world is tuned out to it. Somehow, some have decided that bombarding us with even more will fix this problem. NOT! Great article. Thanks for sharing it. Sometimes we need to remember to pull back the reigns and let the world have a rest.
Definitely. Thanks for your comment Danielle. How we reach our customers needs to be strategic and respectful. The only thing is that we all have difference tolerance levels. My 94 year old grandfather mutes the commercials when he watches TV. He has done this ever since TV remote controls were invented. Finding the balance can be tricky but I think it is possible to know one’s ideal customers well enough to figure out the best ways to connect with them.
The people that manufacture this eqipement propagate the advertising for their own benefit.
This type of advertising Is totally intrusive… It’s in bathrooms for god sake.
It gets to a point where I personally wouldn’t dare advertise in some arenas as it pisses people off….. Excuse the pun.
The question is… Who has control of this supposed advertising ?
Gord
Gord,
You raise many good ponts. Next thing you know there will be tv screens going 24 hours a day in hotel rooms!!! The question is when does it all stop.
I totally agree with you both and despise all these advertising screens and TVs. I try to avoid restaurants that have TVs and as soon as i get in a cab, I look for the mute button the screen.
I got rid of my TV 4 years ago, cancelled my newspaper delivery, never liked reading magazine and I ignore ads on websites. Advertisers will have to be pretty clever to get to me. 🙂
Christine,
Good for you. It is hard to turn it all off. I guess that is why advertising mediums are going to great lengths to engage us because they know we are turning things off and tuning things out. It’s a catch 22.