The short block strategy reinforces advertising memory on Mediaset España channels

In 2016, its channels offered 100% of their spots in prime time in blocks of less than 6 minutes. In-house production, the essence of Mediaset España's offering and especially Telecinco, is confirmed as the genre with the highest recall rate, with 'La Voz' and 'GH' doubling the recall average.

Six years after the launch of its new advertising strategy based on reducing the duration of its prime time advertising blocks in exchange for granting its advertisers the highest possible recall rates, improving the integration of advertising into programs and moderating advertising saturation for its viewers, Mediaset España has also maintained in 2016 an enviable position in terms of advertising recall, with its own production programs and especially The Voice y Big Brother such as the genre and the spaces that achieve the best results in this analysis.

Last year, the company broadcast 100% of its spots in prime time on all its channels in blocks with a duration of less than 6 minutes, with the only exception of those broadcast during half-time of football matches, a period always limited by its fixed duration. This percentage doubles the 45% achieved by its main competitor, Atresmedia, according to the results of CIMEC's ​​annual cumulative prime-time advertising awareness tracking.

Spots in short blocks

The new wave of this study confirms that the duration of the block behaves as the most determining variable in the construction of the memory of the spot, even surpassing the duration of the spot itself or its positioning in the block. In this way, advertisements broadcast in short blocks, lasting less than six minutes, are remembered 55% more than those offered in long blocks, placing them in a position of special relevance in a scenario like the current one, with high levels of fragmentation and saturation. This recall percentage is the result of an upward evolution from the 47% recorded in the 2015 wave of the CIMEC report.

In this sense, Mediaset España manages to contribute with its strategy the majority of the advertising memory generated in prime time on television, reaching 56%.

Memory levels

Three of Mediaset España's channels, Telecinco, Cuatro and Factoría de Ficción, lead the way in advertising recall levels with 14%, 28% and 49%, respectively, above the average. The company's thematic fiction channel is also the only one that offers three short blocks per hour in prime time almost daily. On the contrary, Atresmedia's two main channels, Antena 3 and La Sexta, are below this average.

Regarding the recall index by genres and programs, in-house production, a genre that is part of the 'DNA' of Mediaset España and especially Telecinco's programming, is confirmed as the space that generates the greatest notoriety for the advertiser, exactly 41% above the average. In this sense, the two great entertainment spaces of Telecinco, The Voice y Big Brother occupy the first two positions in the ranking of programs with the highest recall rate, with levels that double the average, followed by Fourth Millennium, GH: the Debate, The Blockbuster y 5 Star Cinema.

On the other hand, and despite the difficulties entailed by the inclusion of short blocks during film broadcasts - whose legal limitations allow only one block for every 45 minutes of duration -, Mediaset España has maintained its commitment by doubling the recall levels of the main competing film containers.

According to the report, own production also behaves as the best container to host special initiatives, which are remembered 20% more than conventional spots, also isolating the effect of preferential positioning. The variety of formats in which it is integrated, the creativity, the prescription of the presenters mean that Mediaset España's special initiatives are remembered almost twice as much as those of its main competitor.

He Superspot

The 'Superspot', the exclusive product of Mediaset España launched at the end of September, has achieved high audience ratings and advertising recall. Consisting of an exclusive block with a single spot broadcast in simulcast on all the company's channels (except Boing) and in prime time, this innovative product has managed to top the ranking of the most viewed spots of the season, also achieving notoriety rates that practically triple those of a conventional spot.