Clutter or non-programme material is primarily constituted by content that leads to interruption in programme viewing like brand commercials, programme promos (tagged/untagged), station identification and public service announcements.
The TNS Mode survey for the year 2000 revealed that consumers spend maximum time watching television. Greater brand variety has thus resulted in an overwhelming demand for television advertisement spots but the effectiveness of individual advertisements has been limited by the Snag effect10 – the viewer starts perceiving that commercial breaks are eating into programming and hence loses interest in both the program and the commercial. Advertisement durations are decreasing, as advertisement spots get prohibitively expensive. In 2002, TV commercials below 20 seconds in duration accounted for about 70 per cent of all commercials. TAM Adex reported in 200211 that magazine ad sizes had eroded by 30 per cent and print by 21 per cent over the previous eight years. The decreasing duration and size of individual advertisements has led to consumer fatigue reducing brand recall, affecting brand loyalty in the long run.
