The Wall Street Journal’s Story on Fox introducing paired eight-second content clips during ad breaks…might be the biggest thing since cable.

For decades, networks have been interrupting programming with 2 minute commercial breaks. Fact of life.

New fact of life in the 1990’s: the number of commercial versus programming minutes escalates. The clutter war begins.

New fact of life in 2001: TiVo begins a shift. Consumers buy DVRs and 92% of them skip commercials.

Networks raise cost of advertising, consumers pay less attention to ads. Pay more, get less.

New fact of life: Biggest TV advertisers like Coca-Cola and Johnson & Johnson don’t take part in the TV upfronts…a traditional ad buying frenzy where brands make huge “forward buys” for TV ad inventory. Easy money not so easy anymore.

New fact of life: Internet ad tracking data becomes robust and data rich. Brands begin putting more dollars towards the Internet. Brands also tell Nielsen to wake up…Nielsen’s technology hasn’t changed in 30 years.

New fact of life: Nielsen responds by delivering the ability to track ratings of commercials (before they merely gave average ratings of the show with the ability to drill down into 15 minute, then two minute windows of the show).

Now Here’s Where the Bomb Drops…

What Nielsen’s new data rich system discovers, is the secret which smart marketers already know.

It is the following:

With this new tracking data, Nielsen shows that people are watching TV shows, but not watching commercials!

Behind closed doors, Nielsen shares early findings with networks.

Houston…we have a problem.

If networks and media buyers told advertisers that 5 million people were watching their shows…all along it was really only 4 million. In other cases, only 3 million.

And with many networks providing audience guarantees, this would likely spark revolution in an already fractious advertiser environment.

Advertisers (if they wanted) could sue for their missing audience guarantees going back seven years.

Instant revenue loss for networks–20% minimum.

What Happens Now Might Be The Smartest Thinking Since Cable

Beginning six days days from now, Fox makes the first step in changing the death of the 30 second commercial.

Fox brings Oleg.

Oleg is content. Eight second content which will air twice in a 2 minute commercial break.

A quirky taxi driver video blurb.

Not a commercial message plugging 24 on Fox…but true content.

Content is why we people tune in.

Content is the raison d’etre of Fox.

Ans content, might keep people from zapping and skipping the commercial breaks.

Brilliant.

Knowing that Nielsen technology officially ‘outs’ the industry in two months, Fox put on its thinking cap.

Fox finds a solution and acts…putting content inside 2 minute commercial breaks.

Welcome Oleg…the first idea which may save the 30 second spot.

Brilliant.

Now If I Were NBC…How Would I Outdo Fox?

Take this idea to a new level.

Taking a page from my own book, using the concept of Empowered Interactivity, the smartest thing to “out-Fox” Fox would be to copy the concept, but make these eight second content spots all user-generated.

Not schlock video, but high quality, produced by the above-average Joe in Wisconsin.

Now, you’ve got something.

Now, you’ve got involvement.

Now, you’re making your viewers famous.

Now, you’re creating buzz.

Now, you’re giving new viewers impetus to interact with your network.

…and get new audience (on TV and online).

Thank you Fox for perhaps the biggest thing in TV since Cable.

But who will “out-Fox” Fox?

Kudos to Jon Nesvig and whomever else made this happen at Fox.

Mark Hughes is a marketing speaker, consultant, and author of the book Buzzmarketing: Get People to Talk About Your Stuff (Penguin/Portfolio).

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