Media Planning

and Strategy
 Media Terminology
 Media Planning - A series of decisions involving the delivery of
messages to audiences.

 Media Objectives - Goals to be attained by the media strategy and

program.

 Media Strategy - Decisions on how the media objectives can be attained.

 Media - The various categories of delivery systems, including broadcast

and print media and others.

 Broadcast Media - Either radio or television network or local station

broadcasts.
 Media Terminology
 Print Media - Publications such as newspapers and magazines.

 Media Vehicle - The specific message carrier

 Coverage - The potential audience that might receive the message through the
vehicle.

 Reach - The actual number of individual audience members reached at least

once by the vehicle in a given period of time.

 Frequency - The number of times the receiver is exposed to vehicle in a

specific time period.
 Media Plan

Determines the best way get the advertiser message to the

market
The goal of the media plan is to find a combination of media
that will enable the marketer to communicate the message in the most
effective manner possible at minimum cost.

Problems in Media Planning

 Lack of information
 Inconsistent terms
 Serious time pressure
 Measurement problems
 Activities Involved in Developing the
Media Plan

Situation Marketing Strategy Creative Strategy

Analysis Plan Plan

Setting Media
Objectives
Determining Media
Strategy
Selecting Broad Media
Classes
Selecting Media Within
Class

Media Use Media Use Media Use

Decision Decision Decision
— Broadcast — Print — Other Media
Developing the Media Plan

Analyze the Market

Establish Media Objectives

Develop Media Strategy

Implement Media Strategy

Evaluate Performance
 Market analysis and target market identification

 To Whom Should We Advertise?

 What Internal and External Factors May Be Operating?

• Internal
 Media Budget
 Managerial & Administrative capabilities
 Organizational Structure

• External
 Economy
 Changing Technology
 Competitive Factors

 Where to Promote?
 Establishing Media Objectives

• Media objectives relate to the goals to be attained by the media program,

and as such should be limited to those that can be accomplished through
media strategies.

• Such objectives are often expressed in terms of coverage, reach, frequency,

scheduling, etc.

• An example of media objectives;

Create awareness in the target market through the following:
 Use broadcast media to provide coverage of 80% of the target market over a six
month period
 Reach 60% of the target audience at least three times over the same six month
period
 Concentrate heaviest advertising in winter and spring, with lighter emphasis in
summer and fall
 Developing & Implementing Media
Strategies

 The media mix

 Target market coverage
 Geographic coverage
 Scheduling
 Reach versus frequency
 Creative aspects and mood
 Flexibility
 Budget considerations
 Target Audience Coverage

Population excluding target market

Target market
Media coverage
Media overexposure

Target Full Partial Coverage

Market Market Market Exceeding
Proportion Coverage Coverage Market
 Scheduling

 Continuity refers to a continuous pattern of advertising—that is every

day, week, or month (food products, laundry detergents, etc.)

 Flighting is a scheduling method in which there are intermittent

periods of advertising and no advertising (snow skis, etc.)

 Pulsing is actually a combination of the two previous methods, in

which a continuous schedule is used, though the amount of monies
spent will vary throughout the time period (automobiles).
Scheduling Methods

Continuity

Flighting

Pulsing

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
 Reach and Frequency

Factors to be considered regarding Reach and Frequency:

 The determination of what levels of reach and frequency are needed

 The establishment of reach and frequency objectives

 Using gross ratings points (GRP's)

 The determination of effective reach (the percent of the audience

reached at each effective frequency increment)
 GRP

• The Media buyer typically uses a numerical indicator to know how

many potential audience members may be exposed to a series of
commercials.

• A summary measure that combines the program rating and the

average no. of times the home is reached during this period
(frequency of exposure) is a commonly used reference point known
as Gross Rating Points.

GRP = Reach X Frequency

 Effects of Reach and Frequency

 One exposure of an ad to a target group within a purchase cycle has little

or no effect in most circumstances.

 Since one exposure is usually ineffective, the central goal of productive

media planning should be to enhance frequency rather than reach.

 The evidence suggests strongly that an exposure frequency of two

within a purchase cycle is an effective level.

 Beyond three exposures within a brand purchase cycle or over a period

of four or even eight weeks, increasing frequency continues to
build advertising effectiveness at a decreasing rate but with no evidence
of decline.
 Effects of reach and frequency

 Although there are general principles with respect to frequency of exposure

and its relationship to advertising effectiveness, differential effects by
brand are equally important

 Frequency response principles or generalizations do not vary by medium.

 The data strongly suggest that wear out is not a function of too much
frequency. It is more of a creative or copy problem.
 Marketing Factors Important to Determining
Frequency

 Brand history
 Brand share
 Brand loyalty
 Purchase cycles
 Usage cycle
 Competitive share of voice
 Target group
 Message or Creative Factors Important to
Determining Frequency

 Message complexity
 Message uniqueness
 New vs. continuing campaigns
 Image versus product sell
 Message variation
 Media Factors Important to Determining
Frequency

 Clutter
 Editorial environment
 Attentiveness
 Scheduling
 Number of media used
 Repeat Exposures
 Creative Aspects and Mood

 Creative aspects of the ad may require the use of specific media.

 For example, television may be required to implement certain types of

creative campaigns.

 Likewise, the mood that a medium creates may carry over to the ad
itself. For example, certain magazines may create various moods as
they are being read
 Flexibility

Flexibility—
the media strategy must be flexible enough to respond to marketing
threats and opportunities, as well as to adjust for changes regarding
availability and/or in the media themselves.

Flexibility may need to address the following:

 market opportunities
 market threats
 availability of media
 changes in media or media vehicles
 Budget Considerations

Budget Considerations—it is obvious that costs must be considered in

the determination as to which media will be employed.

Two types of costs must be addressed:

• absolute cost—which is the actual cost to place the ad in the medium.

• relative cost—or the relationship between the price paid for

advertising time or space and the size of the audience delivered.
Determining Relative Cost of Media

Cost per thousand (CPM)

Cost of ad space
CPM = (absolute cost) X 1,000
Circulation
Determining Relative Cost of Media

Cost per rating point (CPRP)

Cost of commercial time

CPRP =
Program rating
 Evaluation and Follow Up

Essentially, two questions need to be answered:

How well did these strategies perform the media objectives established ?

How well did this media plan contribute to the attainment of the overall
marketing and communications objectives?
Television Characteristics

Advantages Disadvantages

 Mass coverage  Low selectivity

 High reach  Short message life
 Impact of sight, sound,  High absolute cost
and motion  High production
 High prestige costs
 Low cost per exposure  Clutter
 Attention getting
 Favorable image
 Radio Characteristics

Advantages Disadvantages

 Local coverage  Audio only

 Low cost  Clutter
 High frequency  Low attention
 Flexible getting
 Low production costs  Fleeting message
 Well-segmented
audiences
 Magazines Characteristics

Advantages Disadvantages

 Segmentation potential  Long lead time for ad

 Quality reproduction placement
 High information  Visual only
content  Lack of flexibility
 Longevity
 Multiple readers
Newspapers Characteristics

Advantages Disadvantages

 High coverage  Short life

 Low cost  Clutter
 Short lead time for  Low attention-
placing ads getting capabilities
 Ads can placed in  Poor reproduction
interest sections quality
 Timely (current ads)  Selective reader
 Reader controls exposure
exposure
 Can be used for
coupons
Outdoor Characteristics

Advantages Disadvantages

 Location specific  Short exposure time

 High resolution requires short ad
 Easily noticed  Poor image
 Local restrictions
 Internet / Interactive Media Characteristics

Advantages Disadvantages

 User selects product  Limited creative

information capabilities
 User attention and  Web snarl (crowded
involvement access)
 Interactive relationship  Technology limitations
 Direct selling potential  Few valid measurement
 Flexible message techniques
platform  Limited reach