We've yet to see evidence that TV viewers are abandoning the tube for the Web. But advertisers are getting ready to do so: Not because they don't like TV, but because strike-weakened ratings mean they need to find other ways to reach their audience. Andrea Kerr Redniss, head of digital buying and planning for Optimedia US, a unit of Publicis Groupe whose clients include T-Mobile and Sanofi Adventis, explains the upcoming shift.Silicon Alley Insider: We've heard that ad dollars are going to leave TV because of the strike. When will that happen and where will they go?
Redniss: In some cases you are starting to see it now. TV's overall unique audience is down and ratings are down. Many of our clients are looking at the middle of February and knowing they are going to be significantly behind in terms of delivering [ad impressions]. We are looking to make that up in digital. If we can get the impressions on television, we want to stay there, but we are at a point where we are going to have to make some calls, take some dollars back and reallocate them.
