The conversion from broadcasting analogue signal to digital is an "iceberg waiting to hit the [advertising] media ship", Mike Leahy, a media manager at IBIS Media Data, has warned.<\/p>\n
Consumers who use the old analogue TV sets would have to buy decoders to receive the digital signal at a cost of about R700. <\/p>\n
The analogue signal will be switched off in November 2011, meaning that those without the boxes would be cut off.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the Advertising Media Association of Southern Africa workshop last week, Leahy said people had the tendency to wait until the last minute. <\/p>\n
He cited the conversion to driver’s licence cards, when many people waited until the deadline to upgrade. "Many people would be caught by surprise," he said. <\/p>\n
This would harm media buyers, because they would "not know who they will be advertising to".<\/p>\n
Media planners or buyers book advertising space well in advance. <\/p>\n
Chris Moerdyk, a marketing analyst, agreed with Leahy, adding that the government had a poor record of meeting deadlines.<\/p>\n
"This move to digital will have enormous opportunities," Moerdyk said. "But it worries me that when it comes to technology, people concerned don’t do their homework properly.<\/p>\n
"There might be a big rush and some of the things might not be implemented on time."<\/p>\n
Moerdyk said that already advertisers did not know who they were targeting on SABC’s platform, since there was no "definitive research" on information such as monthly income. About R728 million was spent on TV advertising in the year to April.<\/p>\n
Leahy warned that if there was still confusion and uncertainties by November 2011, advertisers could move to alternative media.<\/p>\n
Joe Makhafola, the media spokesperson for communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Cassaburri, said the state was on an aggressive advertising and marketing campaign throughout the country and in all media, including community radio stations and newspapers, to educate people about the benefits of the digital platform.<\/p>\n
"The sooner people realise the benefits of digital migration, the more it will accelerate the uptake and use of the decoders," he said.<\/p>\n
Starcom managing director Gordon Patterson said that although the digital platform would create huge opportunities for advertisers, the effect was not fully appreciated by the industry.<\/p>\n
The benefits of a digital signal include an opportunity for new TV channels. <\/p>\n
South Africa will start switching to a digital signal on November 1 and will use both analogue and digital until November 2011. <\/p>\n
The decoders will be available from next year.<\/p>\n
Patterson raised concerns about the technology specification of the decoders, especially if they had features similar to those of the personal video recorder already provided by MultiChoice, which allowed viewers to skip adverts. This would mean that "prime time" advertising premiums would need to be justified.<\/p>\n
Moerdyk said the problem with the advertising and marketing industry was that these companies "rarely show initiative and everyone waits for something to happen". He urged the industry to engage with the parties involved in the digital migration and raise their concerns.<\/p>\n