ADVERTISING

UNIT 2
MEDIA SCHEDULING

Objective of this lecture

The basic objective is to study

 Media scheduling
 Time table or a schedule showing ads on various channels.

Concept of scheduling
• Company’s focus on media timing
• Objective is to get maximum market response.
• It is time table or a schedule for showing ads through various
channels.

If sponsors are telecasting ads, at 9 o clock, in night, when most of

people are having dinner, then exposure of ad to audience will be
maximum. If, they are reaching at time, which is somewhere, 7’o clock
in morning, this time, would not be so, special for audiences. At this
time, most of the audiences are sleeping or busy walking in gardens or
with their life’s of activities.
So sponsors need to decide the time, as when to reach audiences and to
Get maximum response from customers. Customers accept sponsors on
this channel, at a time, in which they are comfortable.

Components of media scheduling

• Time decision – when to advertise,
• Duration/space decision – how much to advertise each time, a
• Frequency to advertise – no of times the ad is exposed through
different media
• Yearly schedule through all the channels

In media, the yearly schedule through all channels is important

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Scheduling - what will be time and when ad should be floated in market,
what should be the duration of ad.
Ad duration - it should be lengthy, short or more frequently toned.
Cost will depend on, how much time is required, so as to make ad
effective in the minds of customers so that they can remember.
Duration has to be calculated by the yearly schedule of months, events
and festivals, need to cover. The Schedule would decide space, time and
duration

Factors impacting media

• Demand is subject to seasons
• Selection of effective time
• Save cost
• Reached effectively

The sponsors need to schedule, because there are some products, which
are very seasonal and if they advertise them, though out the year, it is of
no use because customers cannot use summer clothes, in winter or
winter products in summer
They need to advertise. There are some products which are only used in
festivals like candles, crackers and sweets, which are eaten and
consumed maximum in season
The specific products to some particular season need to be advertised for
those particular events and activities, so as to reach audiences in a cost
effective way.
If products are not demanded, it is not important to advertise, because
this will increase budget and to lose interest of advertising, because if it
is not important for audiences, they are not going to relate to the ad. .

Types of schedule
• Macro-scheduling
• Allocating advertising expenditure and frequency in relation to
season
• Deals with business cycle trend
• Demand is fluctuating as per seasons and/or business cycle.
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Trends - demand is fluctuating as per season and business cycle
Macro scheduling - deals with allocation of resources in such a way that
demand is maximized at peak level, in business cycle.
Investment in advertisements should come to deal with business trends
or changing cycle
The demand needs less investment or exposure to audiences. If products
are not desired by audiences, there no need to advertise and waste time
and efforts.
Admissions only happen in July to have better options. The universities
need to advertise their products and services in months of May and June,
so as to gather students to make their batch.
After making batch, it is of no use, to advertise because even if students
are attracted but universities have no vacancy or cannot customize
products according to each student demand. There are certain constraints
to sell services, when batches are designed for workshops, sports
events, activities, function, or government function or gala music night.
Here there is need to have schedule and batch. The investment in
advertising is only required to reach audiences at particular time and
season.

Areas of concern
• Timing of advertising and consumer awareness,
• Consumer awareness and impact on sales
• Sales and advertising expenditure

The timing of advertising needs focus, as when and how many products
are needed in particular season.
Consumer awareness needs to be created, in those particular seasons, for
needs of consumers with specific requirements

Sales will crystallize only in those months, so advertisements need to

be recorded to bring attraction, in market, so as to relate ads to season
and events.

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 The specific markets like special events happening in seasons and
activities help people indulge in this way. Draw this calendar to
audiences and reach in focused and accurate way.
The strategy is save cost and to connect with customers in an effective
way.

Micro scheduling
• Allocating advertising expenditure and frequency within a short
period to obtain the maximum response or impact.

Macro scheduling is based on business cycles and trends prevailing in

market
Micro scheduling - relates to expenditures, done for daily schedule to
customize advertisements, to specific group of audiences interested in
special activities, of particular local area and regions

Continuous scheduling
• Involves advertising message evenly throughout a given period.
• A continuous media schedule runs steadily with little variation.
• Schedule remains constant throughout the period of a campaign or
all year long.

Continuous scheduling is constant throughout the year, for products,

which are demanded evenly and for fast moving consumer products,
used on daily basis.

Advertisements don’t change because these products are not related to

festivals or seasons. They are related to life habits and are part of
consumption. As people get up in morning, they are eating bread and
butter, brushing teeth and using products for daily habits

Continuous scheduling of advertisement

• Non-seasonal products
• Services such as toilet paper and hair salons.
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 • Consumers must be continuously reminded and reinforced
This can be
• Cost efficient
• Get large media buy discounts

It is important to focus on products, which are a part of daily lives, like

beauty salons, bathroom accessories. Scheduling becomes cost effective
because sponsors are buying large media space, on yearly basis. They
get good discounts to focus on creative advertisements, which is
innovative to attract customers to this platform. The products are non
seasonal, continual and demand is not fluctuating. It is constant demand,
needed to live daily life.

Concentrated scheduling
• Giving all advertisement in a single period.
• Spending entire advertising budget within one flight.
• This product is sold in one season, event, festival or holiday.

The concentrated scheduling focuses on activities, like world cup match,

sell holiday spaces, book tickets for New Year, and sell Diwali festival
tickets.
Advertising is concentrated, only on seasonal basis for specific
activities to sell tickets. The one day entire advertising has to focus for
this particular event. The entire budgets, for IPL match, have to be spent
in one or two months, as when events are being telecasted on televisions.
After match is over, nobody is interested, because enthusiasm has ended.
They need to focus on concentrated plan and the message has to relate to
people, who are involved in this season. This advertising is costly
because entire budget has to be special. Media space has to be purchased
for peak time and there are no discounts because of urgency. The time is
a flooded with all investors. The sponsors need to pay heavily for this
scheduling.

Fighting scheduling
This scheduling involves:
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 • Giving advertisement at specific intervals.
• Company advertises for some period, followed by break of no
advertisement,

Fighting scheduling - is to save cost.

Sponsors invest in advertisements for some period of seasons, when
advertisements are cheap. When space is costly, company will not give
any ads. By this, they can save cost, by reaching audiences in alternative
schedules or periods.

Seasonality and funds

• Company with seasonal, cyclical, or infrequently purchase
products follows such scheduling.
• Company with a limited fund prefers to advertise during a specific
season or festival only
• Scheduling saves funds during the off months,

In fighting schedule - This platform is chosen for companies are

interested in saving money to advertise products, when not demanded in
heavy quantities. Less money will be invested in ads.
When sponsors, expose audiences to particular products, consumed in
heavy quantities or sizes, focus on budget , related to schedule for
conforming purchase of product. When there is definite purchase of
products and services in certain seasons, it is important for companies
focus on advertising investments.

Pulsing scheduling of advertising

• Combination of both continuous and fighting advertisements
• Continuous advertising at low-weight level
• Reinforced periodically by waves of heavier activity.

Pulsing scheduling - would be combination of both, continuous

advertising, given at low weight fighting
Advertisement is given in schedules, which are concentrated in
particular seasons and activity based events. The sponsors allocate
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resources and budgets, to reach audiences in low frequency. In
offseason, it is in mode, of continuously reminding and reinforcing
brand. By this brand is alive and working for welfare of audiences.
Sponsors become aggressive in seasons, when products are demanded in
a heavy range.
Here weight of advertisement, would be increased and cost will be more,
so as to reach in high frequency. This is combination and planning of
advertising schedules, to save cost for company and crystallize the goals
to reach audiences.

Audiences in a connected way

• Certain portion of advertising fund for continuous advertising
• Remaining fund for fighting advertisement.

All big companies don’t take risk of not communicating with customers.
If sponsors are absent from the platform, they are absent from the minds
of customers. To revive brand name, again becomes difficult.
Most of the companies, would choose combination of both, being
continuously at softer level and aggressive at seasonal level.
Investing in advertisement continuously with less frequency, will allow
customers to remember brands at a pace. To aggressively create demand
becomes is needed, because it is heavily used in market.
Sponsors have to be constantly, in touch with customers. If they are not
communicating, with customers, the risk is that customers will forget
and switch to some other brands, which is closer to them.
To get connection and build emotional bonding with customers it is
important to balance budgeting and scheduling of advertisements in a
way to become trusted brand in market.

Factors affecting scheduling

Buyer’s Turnover
• Rate at which new buyers enter the market.
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 • Higher is rate of buyer turnover- focus on continuous schedule

If sponsors are creating new customers, for brand, turnover is high.

They constantly need to remember customers for brand which is giving
services to people. This is needed for new product launch, services
created, and innovative designs, created by companies. Here, products
are sold in such a way that, they need addition of customer’s everyday to
increase target audiences. To increase target audiences, they need to be
in continuous scheduling pattern, so as to advertise and connect with
customers, in an empowered way.

Purchase frequency
• Number of times during specific period that the average buyer
buys the product.
• Higher is purchase frequency – focus on
• Continuous scheduling

If purchase frequency for product is high i.e. Purchasing product for

two times a day i.e. Consuming eatables or food items, bread, milk
cold drinks or any other product which focuses on high frequency of
buying then sponsors need to build scheduling based on continuous
advertising because e frequency of purchases is high.
They need to make customers remember, that product are important for
their lives and how companies are conscious to think foe their health and
e quality.
They need to remember that connection can be created from continuous
advertising. This schedule will go longer way in managing creditability
for giving customized solution to customers. The continuous scheduling
is important, when frequency for products is very high

Forgetting rate
• Rate at which the buyer forgets the brand.
• Higher is forgetting rate - focus on continuous scheduling

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The forgetting rate will be higher for brands, where competition is high
and where brands have not been able to establish their niche in market.
If there are more competitors, in market, customers would forget brands.
For example if there are many hotels, which are giving better services,
ambiences and quality of services, so customers can forget brands in
an easy way.
There are brands, which are very popular for giving status, designing
Elite carrier and professional lives in such a way that they segment
themselves to class. There are cars brands, lifestyle brands of Gucci,
Lious Vetton and Mercedes. These brands have reached a level, where
there is no opposition and customers do not forget, because they are
related to status and level. Advertisement can be less, because customers
already are advertising through their word of mouth and creating a
platform on social media, by writing about brands, innovations, designs
and personalities and profiles
For these brands, it is easy. Even if they are not investing in
advertisement in a heavy way, customers are remembering them. Zara is
a brand, which is not investing heavily on advertisements. But it, has
invested heavily on high and costly locations to open their stores in posh
locations. The customers, when buy products, put their selfies and make
clothes viral through social platforms. So going to posh & costly
locations, it carries the message for customers that these brands relate to
a profile, which can enhance image and status. Different companies have
different level of investments with special activities relating to lives of
people. The brand needs to be matured and grow up with audiences. The
growth of brand, company and competition would also decide the
scheduling aspects for media planning

Financial position of the company

• Ability of a company to spend for advertisement.
• More is the ability to spend- focus on
• Continuous scheduling

If the company is rich and highly profitable and is not bothered about
advertising expenditures, it will focus on continuous scheduling. To
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revive a brand, is to grow with media as these platforms are important.
The brand life is important. The rich companies, through some way or
other, focus on creating connections with customers. They don’t break
their schedules and work on concentrated schedules. They heavily invest
in advertising so as to reach the customers.

Level of competition
• Company facing a severe market competition
• Focus on continuous scheduling
Even if products are seasonal but competition is high with more players
in market, companies focus because on advertising. If product is
remembered in off season, it would be purchased in seasons.
The company needs to decide, the level of growth and competition.
There is large segment of players in market so sponsors need to focus on
continuous scheduling of advertisements to reach the customers.

Factors affecting scheduling

• Sales trends
• Product availability
• Marketing objectives
• Budget
• Advertising objectives
• Nature of product,
• Type of target customers
• Distribution channel
• Marketing factors

Scheduling of advertisement for various companies depends on budgets

of company, nature of product and the services, maturity of audiences,
target market, power of distribution channels.
Scheduling is also impacted by the objective of ad itself and marketing
objectives of company. The interplay of many complexities of various
factors put together helps to decide schedule and time table for an
advertisement to be disseminated to audiences through various vehicles.

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To carry ads to audiences is interplay of many factors. It is innovative.
It is not based on one factor. Even if product is seasonal, then also
companies need to advertise throughout the year to make their brands
very popular and earn life of status, which takes years to build
credibility.

Summary
Media scheduling can bring profits to the company, if timing of
advertisements is accurately designed. The branding of the company can
be made powerful if people give advertisements at right platforms on
right time
Scheduling is all about time table, as to how ads have to be disseminated
to audiences. It is to decide schedule in cost effective way, where
platforms chosen are right.
I hope, students must have understood how scheduling can be very
effective, if ad is designed in a powerful way through a good channel.
Thank you students.

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