央視努力應對廣告客戶流失

China's most powerful propaganda outlet is grappling with a problem familiar to media companies world-wide: How to keep advertisers in the digital age.

中國最有影響力的宣傳媒體正在應對全球媒體行業普遍存在的一個問題：在數字化時代如何留住廣告客戶？

China Central Television this week departed from past practice and declined to disclose results of a closely watched auction for advertising slots for next year. In a written response to questions, the state-run broadcaster said only that its ad-auction sales growth this year was in line with the country's economic growth. China's economy grew 7.8% in the third quarter from a year earlier.

與往年不同，中國中央電視臺本週沒有公佈備受關注的2014年廣告招標結果。這家國有電視臺只是在回答記者問題的書面回覆中說，今年央視廣告招標額增幅與國家經濟增幅一致。今年第三季度中國經濟同比增幅爲7.8%。

By comparison, last year's auction resulted in an 11% increase in revenue over 2011, reaching an all-time high of 15.9 billion yuan ($2.61 billion at current exchange rates). Previously, the auction had seen a 14% yearly sales rise in 2011 and 16% increase in 2010.

相比之下，去年的央視廣告招標額同比增長11%，達到人民幣159億元的歷史高點（以當前匯率計算合26.1億美元）。2011年和2010年的招標額同比分別增長了14%和16%。

Meanwhile, Beijing-based advertising company Charm Communications, which brokers ad buys and tracks CCTV's ad auction each year, estimated that ad purchases by beverage companies declined 12% in this year's auction compared with a year ago. It said ad buys from information-technology companies fell 28%, while financial-sector purchases were down 51%. Charm said the biggest drop came from alcohol bidders, whose ad buys plummeted 85% in the midst of government austerity efforts that have made drinking spirits less acceptable and even forbidden at official banquets.

據總部位於北京的廣告公司昌榮傳播(Charm Communications)估計，今年招標會上飲料公司購買廣告的金額比上年同期下降了12%。信息科技公司的廣告購買金額下降了28%，金融類公司購買金額下降了51%。昌榮傳播表示，此次招標會廣告招標額降幅最大的是白酒行業，同比下降了85%。這是因爲政府提倡節儉作風，在公務宴請上飲酒被限制甚至被禁止。昌榮傳播撮合廣告交易，並跟蹤每年的央視廣告招標。

CCTV's ad auction results in past years were seen as a barometer of China's fast-growing advertising industry as well as its overall economy. But this year's comes as companies ranging from Coca-Cola Co. and Procter & Gamble Co. are reconsidering how to reach out to a Chinese public spending increasing amounts of time online. About 45% of 900 Chinese people surveyed by China-based research firm ZDC this year said they have stopped watching TV, while 23% said they watch it every day and 21% watch frequently. The other 11% only watch TV on weekends, the survey said.

多年以來，中央電視臺廣告招標的結果都被視爲中國迅速成長的廣告業乃至整個經濟的晴雨表。但今年的招標會境況不同，包括可口可樂公司(Coca-Cola Co., KO)和寶潔公司(Procter & Gamble Co., PG)在內的很多企業都在重新思索：在中國公衆上網時間越來越長的情況下如何向他們推送廣告。根據總部位於中國的研究公司ZDC的一項調查，今年接受調查的900箇中國人中，有45%說他們已經不再看電視，而23%說他們每天都看電視，21%經常看電視。調查顯示，另有11%的人只在週末看電視。

'The pressure is on,' said Steven Chang, chief executive of ad forecasting firm ZenithOptimedia's China division.

廣告預測公司實力傳播(ZenithOptimedia)中國區首席執行長鄭香霖(Steven Chang)說，目前壓力很大。

CCTV vowed to move swiftly to go where the ad dollars are going. It said it would use online tools such as mobile apps and scannable codes to bring more viewers to its digital content. Its phone and tablet applications let users watch streaming live TV, while its website gives access to past programming.

中央電視臺誓言要跟隨廣告市場的動向迅速調整戰略。中央電視臺說，將利用移動應用、可掃描代碼等網絡工具吸引更多人瀏覽其數字內容。用戶可以通過其手機和平板應用程序實時觀看電視節目，從央視網站還可看到過去的節目。

It also said it would increasingly cooperate with China's satellite broadcasters, which have drawn increasing ratings through crowd-pleasing talent and dating shows. This month CCTV joined forces with popular Hunan Satellite to simultaneously broadcast the drama series 'Let's Get Married.'

央視還稱，將與中國衛視頻道展開更多合作，這些衛視頻道通過人氣頗高的選秀和相親節目而獲得越來越高的評價。本月，中央電視臺與湖南衛視同步播出電視劇《咱們結婚吧》。

A sprawling mix of commercial broadcaster and tool of Beijing's might, CCTV Holds unmatched power in China's media landscape. Its Spring Festival gala, an inoffensive variety show broadcast every Lunar New Year, is one of the world's most-watched broadcasts every year, with 750 million tuning in this year.

作爲商業電視臺和政府宣傳工具的綜合體，央視在中國媒體版圖上具有得天獨厚的優勢。每年農曆新年播出的央視春節聯歡晚會是每年全球觀衆人數最多的節目之一，今年吸引了7.5億人觀看。

Foreign companies have historically flocked to advertise on the network--even as they have contended with occasional critical coverage. CCTV news stories this year about Western corporations ranging from Apple Inc. to KFC parent Yum Brands Inc. prompted apologies and corrective actions by the companies.

雖然偶爾會受到批評性報道的影響，但外資企業通常都會爭相在央視投放廣告。中央電視臺今年針對蘋果公司(Apple Inc.)和肯德基(KFC)母公司百勝餐飲集團(Yum! Brands Inc., YUM)等西方企業的新聞報道促使這些公司道歉並採取整改等行動。

But in recent years CCTV has seen its audience shrink. An estimated 36% of the population watched the Spring Festival gala this past Lunar New Year, down from 40.8% in 2009, according to data from marketing and media research firm CSM Media Research.

但近年來，收看央視節目的觀衆一直在減少。據營銷與媒體研究公司央視-索福瑞媒介研究有限公司(CSM Media Research)的數據顯示，去年春節中國約有36%的人觀看了央視春節晚會，低於2009年的40.8%。

CSM Media Research is China's leading TV-ratings agency, and has been criticized in the past by people affiliated with CCTV when it reports dropping ratings for the network.

央視-索福瑞媒介研究有限公司是中國領先的電視收視率調查機構，過去該公司報道央視收視率下滑時，曾受到與央視有關的人的批評。

CCTV said it didn't disclose information about the 2014 ad auction because the format changed this year. It said it made more sales before this week's live auction took place, adding that there would be no way to accurately compare information. CCTV also said it feared that media outlets would 'wrongly interpret' information and 'confuse consumers' with the new figures.

央視說，之所以沒有披露有關2014年廣告招標的信息，是因爲今年的招標計劃有一些變化。央視說，本週招標會前的簽約認購額有所增長，並表示，不可能準確比較信息。央視還說，擔心媒體機構會錯誤地解讀廣告招標結果，使消費者對新數據產生誤解。

Media watchers said they believed a slowdown was behind the move. 'It couldn't sustain growth rates it had before,' said Mr. Chang, of ZenithOptimedia.

媒體觀察人士說，他們認爲央視此舉背後的原因是廣告銷售放緩。實力傳播的鄭香霖說，央視無法保持過去的增幅。

'The clothes of the emperor are disappearing and they can't let that show,' said Tom Doctoroff, Asia chief executive of WPP PLC's JWT ad agency.

WPP PLC旗下廣告機構智威湯遜(JWT)的亞洲首席執行長唐銳濤(Tom Doctoroff)說，皇帝的新裝正在消失，他們不能讓其顯露出來。

Some liquor companies say they are backing off for reasons other than the austerity push. In previous years, liquor company Sichuan Swellfun Co. spent hundreds of millions of yuan on CCTV ads, but not this year, said managing director James Rice. 'I changed because we are a premium brand with more targeted consumer base and CCTV is not the right way to talk to our consumers,' he said, adding that digital ads allow the company to home in efficiently on target customers. 'CCTV is like carpet bombing,' said Mr. Rice.

一些釀酒廠商說，他們是出於政府厲行節儉之舉以外的其他原因減少投放的。酒業公司四川水井坊股份有限公司(Sichuan Swellfun Co.)董事總經理賴斯(James Rice)說，過去幾年該公司曾在央視廣告上投入人民幣數億元，但今年不這樣做了。賴斯說，我之所以改變了做法，是因爲我們是一個高端品牌，有着更爲明確的目標消費層，而在央視上投放廣告並非向我們的消費者傳達信息的正確方法。他還說，數字廣告使該公司能夠有效地專注於目標消費者。他說，在央視打廣告就像是地毯式轟炸。

Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble say they are still advertising on the network but are revving up digital pushes. 'Over the recent years, we have increased our focus, engagement and investment in digital connection points, including online video, social media and mobile apps, ' a spokeswoman for Coke said. The companies declined to break down specific marketing data.

可口可樂和寶潔說，它們仍在央視上投放廣告，但正在加大投放數字廣告的力度。可口可樂發言人說，近幾年，我們增加了在數字連接點（包括在線視頻、社交媒體和移動應用）的關注、參與和投入。可口可樂和寶潔拒絕披露詳細的營銷數據。

To be sure, many companies still see CCTV as a place to make their mark. Car companies, such as Volkswagen AG, VW's Audi arm and Daimler AG, all bought spots, according to media buying agency Starcom MediaVest Group.

誠然，很多公司仍將央視視爲一個可以幫助其揚名的地方。據媒體廣告位購買代理機構星傳媒體集團(Starcom MediaVest Group)說，大衆汽車(Volkswagen AG)、其旗下的奧迪(Audi)以及戴姆勒公司(Daimler AG)等汽車企業都購買了央視的廣告位。

Ad sales from insurance companies more than doubled from a year earlier, according to Charm.

據昌榮傳播說，來自保險公司的廣告銷售額同比增長了一倍以上。

Gome Electrical Appliances Holding Ltd., one of China's largest home-appliance retailers, pledged 131 million yuan to become the sole sponsor of the Spring Festival gala, according to Charm.

據昌榮傳播說，中國最大的家電零售商之一國美電器(Gome Electrical Appliances Holding Ltd.)以人民幣1.31億元獲得央視春晚相關冠名權。

CCTV also expects to gain more viewers and ad dollars during the World Cup, Asian Games and Winter Olympics in 2014, the network said.

央視還預計在2014年世界盃、亞運會和冬奧會期間，將有更多的收視率和廣告收入。

CCTV said it would continue to innovate. It is teaming with film director Feng Xiaogang to overhaul this year's Spring Festival Gala and is co-producing several new TV series with a handful of local media companies.

央視說，將繼續創新。央視正在與電影導演馮小剛一同對今年的春晚進行全面調整，並且正在與一些地方媒體公司聯合制作幾部新電視劇。

In recent years it has developed additional content and channels, such as English news, a documentary channel, a children's channel and a sports station, which are all free-to-air. Its app for phones and tablets streams its content and those of local networks, like Beijing and China's southwestern city of Chongqing.

近年來，央視開發了更多的內容和頻道，比如英語新聞頻道、紀錄頻道、兒童頻道和體育頻道，這些均爲免費收視頻道。央視手機和平板電腦應用可以播放央視的內容和地方電視臺的內容，比如北京和重慶的電視臺。