To help brands who have hit the brakes on ad campaigns, NBCUniversal has announced its long-term plans to cut back on linear ads and commercials, reshape its lineup and accelerate its timetable due to the pandemic. The company is also providing free resources to marketers who want to change their creative messaging amid the crisis. On Monday, NBCUniversal’s Chairwoman and Head of Advertising and Partnerships, Linda Yaccarino announced the company’s recalibration on its TV advertising to adjust to the latest demands of both, marketers and viewers. The decrease in ads will also help squeeze in more time to report on the pandemic. “By reducing commercial time we’ll give more time to our news divisions to share important updates and special programming with our audiences,” Yaccarino said.
Almost 25% of advertisers have paused ad spending amid the crisis, according to a recent survey conducted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Meanwhile, 46 percent of brands have adjusted their advertising spending budget. NBCUniversal is currently searching for new strategies to further assist marketers. The company is reacting to the brand safety considerations and marketers worried about how their messaging will be received during the pandemic, as well as a concern for a possible looming recession that will force companies to adjust their spending. Yaccarino mentioned the conglomerate’s plan to help marketers craft messages and position products to capitalize on the move to e-commerce. She also highlighted the new “commerce technologies” on offer. “To allow companies to reach their customers directly in their homes and generate much-needed sales, our teams are scaling our new commerce technologies, while waiving technology fees,” Yaccarino said. “Simultaneously, we’re opening up more creative services, building custom marketing materials for more clients, and giving our partners more access to remote production teams, brand assets, and talent-all without the associated fees.”
It’s the second time in the past two years that NBC has had to adjust its ad inventory after responding to the growing interest in ad-free streaming rivals like Netflix by promising to reduce ad time on TV. The company is working on releasing Peacock, a free service with ads that will compete with Hulu, Disney+ and other giants in the market. “Even as we face this challenging moment for our nation and our world, we can start building a path forward that will last long after this crisis ends,” Yaccarino said.