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Pros and Cons of :15 and :30 Spots

cartoon tv slateWhen researching pros and cons of 15-second spots versus 30-second spots, media researchers and advertisers have found the following:


CONS of :15 Units

  • Research proves recall for a :15 spot is LOWER than that of a :30 spot. The difference is over 30% for product categories and 20% for brand recall/specific brands. Other research shows the recall of a :15 commercial spot to be up to 77% lower than that of a :30 commercial spot. (Source: MidAtlantic Journal of Business Research Study)
  • The number of :15 spots in a commercial pod did NOT affect recall. (Source: MidAtlantic Journal of Business Research Study)
  • Standard unit length on television is 30 seconds. This means there is an increased chance of preemptions when running other duration units such as 15-second spots.
  • If a station is sold out, the advertiser would be required to pay the “bump” rate for a :30 unit, regardless of unit length being ony 15 seconds.
  • :15 units are priced at a premium


PROS of :15 Units

  • :15 units may be used as bookends and to increase frequency. Research does not indicate increased frequency increases recall.
  • :15 units are affective for branding and imaging.

At the end of the day, there are both pros and cons to running :15’s instead of :30’s. Be sure if you make this step that you have read the information carefully and know what message you are trying to communicate.


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