On May 1, the high-definition cable network INHD will undergo a metamorphosis, shedding its literal-minded brand in favor of the more emblematic Mojo, a moniker meant to evoke an upscale, masculine sensibility.
While INHD was an apt enough descriptor at the network's launch in 2003, the name conjured up little more than the technology behind the programming, so much so that retaining it would be analogous to operating The Color TV Channel back in the early '70s.
Shortly after Mojo bows, the net will debut three new original unscripted series (The Show, I Bet You and King of Miami). Perhaps of even greater import is what Mojo has planned for its commercial breaks.
According to Amy Carney, executive vp, sales and marketing for Sony Pictures Television, Mojo's exclusive ad sales representative, the network is going to press clients to begin producing their spots in HD as it heads into the upfront marketplace. "When you're in an HD environment and it throws to a standard-def ad, it's a flashing neon sign that says, 'What you're about to see is of lesser value than what preceded it,'" Carney said.
Conversely, a crisply executed HD spot tends to keep viewers focused on the screen, said Carney. "HD ads index higher because viewers feel the brand is actively reaching out to them when the production values match up with the programming," she added.
Clients looking to project an aura of integrity can't afford to buy SD spots in an HD environment, said Debbie Engelhart, senior vp, director of the agency Della Femina Rothschild Jeary and Partners. "Once everything gets broadcast in HD, you're not going to want your ad squeezed inside that blurry little box," Engelhart said. "If you're a financial company, it's all about the image you project."
David Asch, Mojo's senior vp of programming, said the price of creating HD spots has dropped considerably since 2003, noting that "with respect to actual production costs, you're only talking a 10 to 15 percent cost differential" versus SD spots.
The X-factor that keeps clients from embracing high-definition creative is that there's no reliable way to assess how many people ever see your ad, as Nielsen doesn't measure HD viewership.
Still, Carney is making progress on that front. Since June 2006, the net has boosted its ad revenue 40 percent, and has welcomed a number of new clients, including Toshiba and Lexus, both of which advertise in HD.
By Anthony Crupi- Reported in AdWeek on April 23, 2007
