Media Concepts, Characteristics

and Issues in Media Planning

UNIT 9 MEDIA CONCEPTS,
CHARACTERISTICS AND ISSUES
IN MEDIA PLANNING
Objectives

In unit 3 of this course you have already gone through the advertising and media
scene in India. Each of the major media option has been covered. The objectives of
this unit are:
• to explain some of the major media concepts,
• to study the characteristics of each of the advertising medium,
• to suggest how to evaluate alternate media options for campaign planning.
Structure
9.1 Introduction
9.2 The Advertising Plan
9.3 Advertising Expenditures
9.4 Media Concepts
9.5 Media Characteristics
9.6 Creative Advantages and Disadvantages of Various Media\
9.7 Evaluating Media Options
9.8 Media Selection
9.9 Summary
9.10 Self-Assessment Questions
Annexure

9.1 INTRODUCTION
The appreciation of the marketing concept radically changed the philosophy of the
media planning function, in an advertising agency. As marketers became more
consumer-oriented, it became necessary for advertising professionals to understand
consumers as the target audience. Secondly, for better understanding of these
complex target audiences and their equally complex needs, sophisticated analytical
skills were required. In addition, the competition, both inter-media and intra-medium
became intense, created another challenge of choosing media vehicles and media
options. Finally, more accountability is expected from the agencies and advertisers
are interested to know where their advertising money is being spent and how well it
is being spent.

The media function in Advertising has undergone a change in the past few years. The
biggest change has been the transformation of the media function from numbers
(like: circulation figures, reach, coverage etc.) to a managerial function.

Media Planning is the process of designing a strategic course of action that shows
how advertising space and time can be used to present the message in order to
achieve the advertisers goal. Media planning can not be performed in vacuum. It is an
integrated, component of the marketing decision making process, combining data
from the market place about the mass media and media consumers.

9.2 THE ADVERTISING PLAN

The Advertising Plan is similar, in some ways, to a marketing plan that guides the
development of a campaign. The difference is in terms of its focus. The focus of the 5
Media Planning Concepts Marketing plans is on sales objectives, whereas in the advertising plans the focus is
on communication objectives. Therefore, the task of an advertisement is to create the
most effective and distinctive communication in the marketplace. These specific
tasks of media can be expressed in terms of three brand objectives:
• Brand Growth (e.g. when a new brand is launched)
• Brand Share Maintenance (of an established brand)
• Protection from in roads (wherein one brand tries to stay off competition)
In light of these three brand objectives you will appreciate that the `Role of
Advertising' are specific and they can be of the following types:
Vehicle of Direct Impact : The first role of advertising can be that it aims to create a
response 'I must buy now'. The Eureka Forbes ad for Vacuum cleaners is an example,
in witch `buy today' is emphasized.
A Tool for Seeking Information: Such advertisements aim to evoke `I must find
out' response from the consumer, as you may have noticed in the HCL's ad for
Personal computers.
A link Between Communication and Consumer Needs: There are advertisements,
which relate the consumer's needs and wants to the communications of the
advertisement, thereby influencing the behaviour of the target audiences.
A Tool that Aims to Modify Attitudes: These are the advertisements which aims to
change the consumers' perceptions of a products attributes.
For instance, the Milkmade's ad suggests a variety of uses of it and trying to
influence the general perception about the uses of the condensed milk.
A vehicle to Reinforce the Attitudes: There are advertisements which aims to
reinforce specific attitudes of the consumer in relation to the products. The Hamara
Bajaj ad campaign does it effectively.

9.3 ADVERTISING EXPENDITURE

Expenditure on advertising is a major factor that affects campaign planning. The ad
budget comes from the advertisers, who allocate a proportion of the marketing
budgets to the promotion mix. Within the promotion mix a certain percentage is
allocated to advertising. These decisions on the budget allocation are based on the
degree of emphasis given to promotion within the marketing mix.
The question is: how much to spend? Budgeting for the advertiser is essentially a
forecasting exercise, as the advertiser is estimating the level of sales, which will be
generated by various types of promotional methods.
Campaign planning also requires a basic familiarity with the audiences as well.
Although advertisers cannot know everything about the profile of target audiences, it
is being suggested that the more they know , the more effective their communication
will be. Similarly, you cannot overlook competition . In some product categories the
market is virtually static and the growth in the market share of one is at the expense
of the other . In situations where competition is intense , it is important to develop a
strategy to target the competition is intense , it is important to develop a strategy to
target the competition.
An understanding of flow the target audience uses media in the wake of competition
therefore becomes very important. Let us now develop a systematic understanding
about advertising media.
Activity 1
Just estimate the total expenditure and the media expenditure on the following
advertising campaigns.
Coca – cola ………………………………………………………………………...
Surf Excel ………………………………………………………………………..
6 AIWA ………………………………………………………………………...
 Media Concepts, Characteristics
9.4 MEDIA CONCEPTS and Issues in Media Planning

Let us first develop familiarity with the some of the major terms we generally use to
describe the characteristics of various advertising media, which are as follows:
Broadsheet - Description of the form of a print vehicle of any periodicity.
Glossies - Print vehicles which have gloss-over content and printed with lamination
and/or on Art Paper.
Gatefold - A folded advertising page which when unfolded is bigger in dimension
than the regular page.
Gutter Space - The inside margin of facing pages, the point at which a saddle
stitched publication is bound.
Bleed - In printed media, to extend the illustration or copy close to the edge of a page
and lessen the white border.
Issue life -The time during which a publication, accrue its total readership.
Fixed Position - In print a position guaranteed to the advertisers in specified issues.
Split Run - A scheduling technique whereby two different pieces, of copy are run in
the circulation of a publication with no one reader receiving both advertisements.
Tabloid - A newspaper smaller than the size of a standard broad-sheet newspaper.
Zapping - The use of the TV remote control panel to flick through the channels
during commercial breaks.
Zipping - The use of the video remote control panel to fast forward advertisements.
Rigid/Flexible - It refers to the available Editorial and Commercial help, who
understand and with their support innovative use of medium is possible.
Circulation - In print media, the number of copies sold or distributed by a
publication.
Average Issue Readership - The number of people who claim to have read or
looked at a publication in the last issue period i.e. yesterday in the case of newspapers
and last week in the case of weekly magazines.
Coverage - Used in reference to a specific print title, it means the per cent of a target
audience exposed to an average issue of the magazine or newspaper.
Controlled Circulation - The circulation of a publication that is sent free and
addressed to specific individuals who meet certain criteria.
Primary Readers - Those who purchase a newspaper or magazine.
Print Run - The number of copies printed (but not necessarily fully sold or
distributed) by a publication.
Pass on Readership - Also referred as secondary readership. Readers of a
publication other than the purchaser, or the first reader e.g. readership which takes
place in a doctor's waiting room.
Penetration - The proportion of a population which is reached by a medium e.g.
radio penetration, cinema penetration etc. in some reasonable period of time.
Cost Per Thousand (CPT) - The cost of delivering 1000 persons in the target
audience by the vehicles in a media schedule. Used to compare relative efficiencies
of the schedules.

9.5 MEDIA CHARACTERISTICS

Typically, it is being said that there are two types of media for communication, mass
media and Inter-personal media. They both are different and cannot be used as one
substituting the other.
On one hand the Inter-personal media is people based and not only it is less impersonal
7
Media Planning Concepts but it is two way also. Although it might be an expensive medium it is highly useful
for focussed reach.
On the other hand various forms of mass media, (Radio, Television or Press) are
characterized by wide reach, and consequently they are cost efficient. However there
is a one-way communication, which is impersonal, and all these media are
technology based. Let us now examine the characteristics of each of the mass
medium.
9.5.1 Television
The specific characteristics of Television are:
• It combination of sight, sound & motion and therefore it is impact-ful.
• It is a highly intrusive medium.
• Rapid growth of this medium provides immediate broad reach across all targets.
• It has high absolute costs but cost per thousand is moderate.
However, it provides less efficient delivery against narrowly defined targets
9.5.2 Radio
The specific characteristics of Radio are:
• Radio can reach out to remote audiences.
• Amongst all mass media it is most cost efficient.
• Radio has local market identification.
• Radio can reach mobile population, which is not approach-able by other mass
media.
• Radio works as the Theatre of the mind as when you listen, it creates visual
impressions of the same communication.
• Therefore, Radio is typically considered to be an excellent support medium and
a reminder medium.
Activity 2
Compare and contrast the media characteristics of Radio v/s Television.
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9 5.3 Newspapers
The specific characteristics of Radio are:
• Newspapers have immediacy and therefore they have an announcement value.
• The other characteristic of newspaper is that it has a better scope for providing
detailed information.
• There is a geographic flexibility in newspapers as a publication may have more
than one edition,
• Newspapers also have special interest targeting opportunity through sections
and/or supplements.
• Newspapers are also Vehicles for Coupon delivery.
• However, newspapers have two major short-comings, First, the lower literacy
levels are barriers in growth and secondly, Newspapers have a very short life
8 span.
 Media Concepts, Characteristics
9.5.4 Magazines and Issues in Media Planning

There has been a growth in magazines. On one hand newer titles have emerged,
which are catering to specialized needs of the people and secondly, their overall
circulation has also increased. From advertising point of view, the characteristics of
Magazines are:

• Magazines have specific audience selectivity, as they are specialized. As you are
aware there are magazines for women, children, corporate processionals etc.
• They have compatible editorial environment, i.e., contents v/s advertisements. s
Magazines have longer life span, corresponding with their periodicity.
• Magazines provide them opportunity for message scrutiny, and geographic and
demographic flexibility.
Activity 3
Compare and contrast the media characteristics of Newspapers with Magazines.
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9.5.5 Outdoor Media

You must have seen that "Polo" campaign was successfully done using hoarding as
the primary medium. If used strategically, out-door can contribute significantly to the
advertising campaign. Out-door has specific characteristics like:

• It provides 24 hours exposure.

• It has a strong local market presence.
• Outdoor is cost efficient.
• It can be a good reminder media, along side TV/Press campaign.
9.5.6 Interpersonal Media
In addition to the conventional mass media, Interpersonal media can also be used for
marketing communication. Those Interpersonal media are, Public Meetings &
Lectures, Group Discussions, Home Visits and Demonstrations. More specifically,
for social campaigns, industrial products or at the launch stage of consumer product,
these media are quite useful. Let us examine them in some details.
Public Meetings/ Lectures: The public meetings and lectures, in fact, reach many
people. Such methods invariably stimulate follow-up discussions. However, the
speakers must encourage participation to achieve effectiveness. They also need visual
aids to be more effective.
Group Discussions: Group discussion help in building group consciousness and
enables active participation through exchange of opinion. However, to be successful
they need trained moderator. Those who tried out innovations, like use of drama or
role playing, achieved enhanced effectiveness. They help in through a real like
experience.
Demonstrations: In a number of marketing communications situations have
demonstrations have been found to be highly successful. Demonstrations enables
active learning by doing, establishing confidence and conviction.
Aids to Inter-Personal Communication Media: It has been deserved the results of
Interpersonal communication can be enhanced by the use of various communication
and like, Video, Films, Slides, Flip Charts/Flash Cards, Maps, Charts, Diagrams,
Models, Displays and Exhibitions. However, if you don't plan them well then they
can also prove to be counter production.
9
Media Planning Concepts 9.5.7 Grass Root Level Media
Finally, as a wiser media professional, you should also evaluate all other possible
media vehicles to reach out to target audience. For example, Folk Theatre, Puppet
Shows, Tractor Trolley, Cycle Bar Cover, Fertilizer Bags, Playing Cards, Stall-
Covers at Haats, Cycle Mud-guards made of Rubber, etc., have been used in the past
for advertising.
9.5.8 Aerial Media
The concept of aerial advertising is popular in US. It came to India in 1985 when the
Sky-ads, a Bombay based firm. The aerial banner services involve 200ft x 5 ft fibre
glass mesh banner held by aluminum alloys rods. The length of the banner message
can be upto a maximum of 40 English alphabets, including the emblem. The
characters are scarlet as one can read it in the blue sky. The banner is towed by a
single engine and single seat aircraft. The flight is two hours duration, flying at 700
ft. to 1000 ft. above the ground, depending upon the population zone.. It offers
advantage like:
• Targeting and reaching the audience is most effective, not possible to achieve in
print or broadcast media.
• Reaching a captive audience, like in cricket, public rallies in more effective
through aerial advertising.
• Since there are so many festive occasions and Melas, this will be very effective.
9.5.9 Airport Advertising Media
Advertising at Airport is mainly done through glow-signs and show window. While
the former offers us the benefits of colour, light and motion, the latter are used for
demonstrating the products at prominent places at the airport. The Indian Airlines
carry more than 30000 passengers on its network with an annual growth of 30%. On
an average, a passenger has to wait at the airport for more than a hour- a captive
audience for the marketers.
9.5.10 Railways Media
Railways occupy its place in the mind of media planners as the most important
vehicle in `transit-advertising.' The number of travelers per day ,in Indian trains and
the hours (even days) that are spent in them enhances its importance. The media mix
of Railway advertising is as follows:
• Station Hoarding
• Railway Bridges Hoarding
• Poster
• Inside Carriages Advertising
• Reverse of Passengers Tickets
• Sign below clocks
• Closed circuit televisions
9.5.11 Off-the-wall Media
The off-the-wall media options score over others in terms of noticeability and
creativity. Relatively speaking,. only recently, the Indian promotion experts have
begun to work on off-the -wall media. However, it is restricted, to A and B class
towns, besides the Metors.
The emerging "off-the-wall media" in terms of shape of things to come are as
follows:
Advertising via telephone: You can purchase 30-second messages in which the
advertiser supplies the company with relevant sales points. They can be taped,
introduced by a live-pitch person, or both. "Where to Buy telephone services identify
retailers of specific products from consumers' inquiries.
10 Aerial banners lights: Banners are usually more that 30 feet long and pulled by low-
 Media Selection,
UNIT 10 MEDIA SELECTION, Planning and Scheduling

PLANNING AND
SCHEDULING
Objectives
After going through this unit you should be able to:
• explain the concept of media planning and the role of media in overall
marketing and advertising plan
• discuss the considerations relevant to media selection
• describe the dominant factors in media scheduling.
Structure
10.1 Introduction
10.2 The Meaning and Types of Media
10.3 Media Planning: a Process
10.4 Media Selection: a Process
10.5 Media Scheduling
10.6 A Final Word on Media Plans
10.7 Development of Media Strategy
10.8 Summary
10.9 Self-assessment Questions
10.10 Further Readings

10.1 INTRODUCTION
Media management involves one of the most crucial decisions for an advertiser in its
objectives to reach effectively the target markets. The decisions assume further
critical importance with the wide availability of media vehicles and changing reading
and viewing patterns in buying public. For instance, markets have been flooded; with
a large assortment of magazines in the recent times. Similarly a vast spectrum of
programmes is available on televisions-as the captor of an attentive home audience.
Not to be outdone, the hitherto unfamiliar media are now in vogue. Examples include
matchboxes carrying product advertisements, or the postal stationery carrying
marketing messages of good and social causes. Obviously, baffled the advertiser has
to seek answers to the following questions.
a) How to spend the defined funds allocated to advertising and promotional
activities?
b) How to match the media audience with the market audience for the
product/service?
c) How to benefit from seasonal variations mostly prevalent in sales of all goods
and services?
d) How to weave media with the overall marketing effort?
This unit attempts some answers itself.

10.2 THE MEANING AND TYPES OF MEDIA

Media as a term can be defined both from the users and the suppliers perspectives. To
the users of media i.e, advertisers and audiences, it is "the mix of mediums that carry
the advertisers message and constitute as the vital link between the company that
manufactures and serves the product and the customer who buy or might wish to buy
it." It is thus a second rung of marketing communication and is aimed at wider 17
audiences located at different places.
Media Planning Concepts Media suppliers on the other hand, include the institutions that offer media. To them
it is a "mix of service organizations which aim to fulfil the needs of listeners, viewers
and readers for information and entertainment". Note that the media are not primarily
and purely for carrying the marketing messages. They render a far more meaningful
and comprehensive set of beneficial services in which besides entertainment and
information, marketing messages , are carried to the audience. Naturally, therefore,
each medium will do its best for making it more attractive and closer to its audience.
Also, these media themselves have to market to the media users. Almost every
medium- be it television and newspapers, has a sales and marketing department to
look after this particular function.

Types of Media

Advertisers face virtually oceanful media choices, though many of them may be
summarily rejected as being irrelevant either to the product type or to consumer
types. The following are the major types of Media:
• Directory Media
• Direct Mail Media
• Radio Advertising
• Point of Purchase Media
• Outdoor Media
• Newspaper
• Media Magazine
• Transit Media
• Screen Media
• Television Media
• Specialty Media
For a deeper understanding of the qualitative and quantitative picture of Media in
India, please refer to Unit 12 of this course.

Activity 1

Choose a particular industry (e.g., computer or cosmetics) or a particular product line

(e.g., home-refrigerators) and identify how many of the media mentioned above are
actually used.

a) Name of the Industry Media Chosen.

…………………………………………… ……………………………………………

………………………………………….... …………………………………………....

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………………………………………….... …………………………………………....

b) Name of the Product Line

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18
 Media Selection,
10.3 MEDIA PLANNING: A PROCESS Planning and Scheduling

Like any other planning, media planning is done by specialists who have necessary
amount of training and experiences. Normally, the media planning answers the
following questions:

• When ? (the timing of the ad publication)

• Which ? (the selection of the media)

• How? (the co-ordination in media planning)

• How much? (the budgeting of the ad resources)

Thus media planning is a process "of designing a course of action that shows how
advertising time and space will be used to contribute to the achievement of marketing
objectives". In this process, the media planner takes into consideration factors like
media strategy, media tactics, media planning models and the cumulative effect of
advertising along with procedures for buying media.

Media plan is the end product of media planning and is similar to a blueprint of
advertising programmes of a company. To obtain this blueprint, the company must
become involved in many activities that are related to the firm's marketing situations.
Figure 1 details the scope of a media plan.

19
Media Planning Concepts

At each stage of the planning process, you would recognize the importance of facts
and figures, and ways to study them in order to take the `sub-decisions'. So, the
relevance of information analysis base begins right at the first stage and stays right
through till the evaluation stage. What information is required at each stage will be
studied as we go along. Let us study the important stages in the planning process.
Setting Media Objectives
Why do you think we need to set objectives at all?
Objectives are guidelines- laying out just what is required of the plan. They answer
questions of WHO the advertising needs to reach, WHERE, WHEN, HOW, HOW
MANY, HOW OFTEN, HOW LONG, and in WHAT ENVIRONMENT.

What is the kind of information required, or what are the factors which would
influence setting media objectives?

By answering this, you are essentially in the first stage in the planning process -
situation analysis. There are broadly five elements in a media objective statement:
Target Audience - defined in relevant terms Geographic Concentration
Timing Considerations
Reach, Frequency
Creative Requirement
Let us examine each of the above.
20
a) Target Audience Media Selection,
Planning and Scheduling
Identifying, whom the communication is aimed at is the very first task. This is done
by identifying those persons, who are recognized to be major contributors to a brand's
sale or on the basis of their value as new entrants to the product category. For
instance, the target audience for motorcycles would most likely be men in the age
group 18-35 years with a monthly income of Rs. 1500 and above.
The kind of information which is looked at this stage is product usership data in
terms of the target audience's demographic and psychographic profile. While the first
identifies the person, the second highlights his lifestyle/interests.
b) Geography
A brand's sales pattern would differ from market to market. Certain markets are
higher in priority either due to their status as being large volume markets, having
considerable competitive activity or being developmental markets. Media objectives
need to specify increased impact/weight planned for such markets.
The information looked at for this purpose are:
• Market performance - comparative market shares, tonnages, etc.
• Advertising performance - comparative brand awareness and recall by market
• Comparative advertising - strategy and activity by market.

c) Timing

This factor relates to the relative importance given to a certain time period in order to
capitalize on either a market seasonality or a media event opportunity. For instance if
the campaign is to launch a low-interest item such as lozenges, it would be pertinent
to build high initial awareness and thereafter provide continuing support through the
key consumption period. Another example - Thums Up Cola drink using the Reliance
cup as a media event opportunity - heightening its communication which involved
endorsement of the drink by cricketers.

d) Reach/Frequency

Based on the Marketing objectives, it is always important to quantify the actual

numbers of target audience desired to be covered and the number of time the target 21
person is to be
Media Planning Concepts exposed to the advertising - in order to effect the desired response. These are the
physical dimensions of the achievement of any plan.
The actual number of target persons covered is known as REACH, and the number of
exposures they are to receive is the FREQUENCY. Another consideration to be
enunciated is the interval at which the exposures must occur or the CONTINUITY.
Strategic Media Planning incorporates setting EFFECTIVE REACH/FREQUENCY
objectives, which are nothing but specifying what portion of the target segment must
be reached with the essential minimum frequency. Given below are the broad
guidelines, arrived at through years of international experience on the approach to
setting effective frequency goals:

Refers to actual scheduling of media activity depending on the objectives related to

reinforcing and sustaining the brand messages.
The Time Frame for achieving these goals must also be specified in the media
objective statement.
e) Creative Requirements
Relevant communication characteristics such as where demonstrability of the product
in use, or an audio-visual presentation. of the product giving its benefits -- dictate the
kind of media characteristics and environment required. Some situations of creative
related requirements for the media :
COMMUNICATION CHARACTERISTICS QUALITATIVE REQUIREMENT
Demonstration Authority/Believability
Visualization Humour/Fun
Sound Music
Colour Imaginative/Stimulating
Creative units are mutually agreed upon by the creative and media departments. Examples :
TV/Radio - 30 sec/15 sec commercials
Press - Full page colour
Activity 2
Study the media plan as given in Exhibit I. Suggest modifications, if any, that you
would incorporate in a media plan for (a) a pharmaceutical company selling cough-
drops (b) a national tour operator agency aiming to increase inland tour traffic in
India.
a)......................................................................................................................................
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b)......................................................................................................................................
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A Step by Step approach to Media Planning Media Selection,
Exhibit 2 provides a step by step approach to media planning. Planning and Scheduling

23
Media Planning Concepts Activity 3

A small-scale manufacturer of your locality has asked you to develop media activities
for his domestic grinding machine. Study the Exhibit 2 carefully and recommend an
approach. You may make necessary assumptions.

…………………………………………………………………………………………
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…………………………………………………………………………………………

Some Illustrations of Media Plans

Exhibits 3 and 4 show two media plans for two different product categories.

24
 Media Selection,
Planning and Scheduling

25
Media Planning Concepts

Activity 4
a) Study Exhibits 3 and 4 carefully and write down as many conceptual
similarities as you can. Identify in both Illustrations.
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b) Comment upon the general value of the above similarities in media planning.
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The Media Planning Function
Having understood the concept of Media Planning, let us see, how its function fits
into the overall advertising agency functions in developing campaigns:

Media Planning therefore is one of the dual functions of the media department. Both
planning and buying are closely linked: the latter essentially concerned with the
execution of the media plan.
In the development of an advertising campaign both the creative and media
departments work in close interaction since the respective tasks of each functions are
influenced by decisions taken by the other.

10.4 MEDIA. SELECTION : A PROCESS

Media Selection is a highly involved task for a marketer. The major reason for this
involvement is that there could be no single best media strategy that would apply to
different situations. The attempt is, therefore, to identify a fit between media choice
and market preferences. Differences in these choice approaches necessitate a change
in media mixes. Further, media selection differs continuously on account of an
26 imperfect state of knowledge that exists about the media scene. Finally, the patterns
of advertisement expenditure on
that exists about the media scene. Finally, the patterns of advertisement expenditure Media Selection,
on media vehicles keep on changing with the passage of time. Thus, advertisers and Planning and Scheduling
marketers in the same industry may be found spending different amount on various
media instruments even though the product and markets are the same. Exhibit 5
outlines the major considerations in media selection.

Exhibit 5: Major Consideration in Media Selection Media Selection,

Source: Advertising : W.H. Bolen p. 191.

In view of the complexities and involvement in media selection, a managerial

framework is quite helpful. The following selection process deals with a series of
questions that need to be answered in the pursuit of media selection:

What kind of consumers does the advertiser wish to reach?

Although it is expected that the marketing plan would make a specific mention of the
target consumers, it must still be given a specific interpretation for a creative media
strategy. The objective of the media strategist here is to define the kind of consumers
that the advertising will reach. Thus, it attempts to find out those media that will
reach the target consumers either exclusively or largely, and which are efficient too.
The media strategist knows that to identify a particular consumer characteristic is one
thing while it is quite another thing to find descriptive media data adequate enough to
use that characteristic for media purposes; One option however, is to use the
consumer demographics, consumer psychographics and product usage. Table 1
provides a hypothetical description of these usage data for hair cream users for media
selection purposes. It also outlines areas of data requirement for media choice and for
target market choice.

Table 1 Consumers and Non-Consumers of a hair cream

27
Media Planning Concepts What kind of message dispersion is required?
In answering this question of strategic importance in media selection, a string of
small questions crops up. For instance, should the message strive to reach smaller
audience but more frequently? Or, is it- more profitable to reach a bigger audience
yet reach it less often?
In normal circumstances, a media selection is based on the consideration that
message should be delivered to as many consumers and prospective consumers as
possible. Thus, if a media planner for a toothpaste has to choose between two plans A
and B, where plan `A' consists of 8 primetime television exposures within 4 weeks
delivering one advertising message at least once in 4 weeks to about 70%
households, and where the plan `B' consists of 32 afternoon TV exposures at least
once in 4 weeks, the choice will be plan `A'. The name of the game is thus the
`number of people reached'. However, many research evidences bring a note of
caution in the above selection. These evidences suggest that one exposure is usually
ineffective and thus, the central goal of media selection should be to place emphasis
on enhancing frequency of exposure rather than reach. Also, it is believed that an
exposure frequency of two within a purchase cycle is quite effective while increasing
the frequency' beyond three exposures within a brand purchase cycle - even though
spread out period of four or even eight weeks, continues to build advertising
effectiveness but at a decreasing rate with no evidence of a decline,(M.J. Naples :
Effective Frequency : The Relationship between Frequency and Advertising
Effectiveness, NY, 1979).
The issue gets further complicated with the introduction of message dispersal over
time. For instance, should advertising messages be released in an even flow from
day-to-day or month-to-month basis or should some other pattern called `pulsing' or
`waving' be followed ? Many media strategists support the pulsing or waving pattern
of message release on the ground of Cost efficiency. They feel that it strengthens the
threshold level of advertisement and serves as a forerunner for the consumer decision
to purchase the product in question.
Activity 5
An established manufacturer of a colour television with a national brand has
introduced a new VCR in the market. He has sought views (a) psychographics as the
basis of media-user profile; and (b) your choice between `pulsing' and `uniform'
patterns of releasing message. Give at least one argument for your choice.
a) ..................................................................................................................................
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b) ..................................................................................................................................
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What kind of seasonal and/or regional concentration is required for
advertising?
The task of media selection is conditioned by the element of seasonal/regional
variations in the media intensity (concentration). It is especially important for those
products and services that have seasonal/regional demand. Examples range from ice-
creams, soft-drinks to ceiling fans. Festive demands from Puja, Christmas etc. put
further pressure on media selection. Finally, the subcultures (e.g. Punjabi or-Bengali)
and life styles found in the regional markets with a marked bearing on product
demand, call for a special consideration in media selection.
Setting the media in the mode of seasonal concentration is usually easier than
regional concentration. The answer lies in having media message either adapted to
regional demands and preferences or create a series of different messages catering to
the demands of individual regions.
What attributes should be inherent in a selected media?
Media must `add' value to the marketing messages. This is the most important
attribute that is inherent in a good media. This `value' is both qualitative and
28 quantitative. Qualitatively, the media and their weight to the messages. Thus, if a
particular newspaper is known for its
fair editorial content and for its judicious selection of advertisement, any marketing Media Selection,
message that appears in such a newspaper will carry an added' effect. Planning and Scheduling

Marketers and media strategists often face two options in this regard. The first option
represents an extreme situation of a media that is highly inexpensive but can deliver
the message only at a broad scale. Examples of this option could be hand-bills,
posters and the like. The other option represents a `specialized' media that is highly
expensive and selective in delivering the message. The examples may include top-of-
the drawer magazines and some highly rated TV programmes. Obviously it is riot
easy to decide between these two options. Yet a decision is called for.
There are ways in which media strategists find solutions. Firstly, the percepting
media selectors are keen to spot and exploit any media opportunity which may add
value to the message and help accomplish the media objectives. Secondly, they fully
recognise what it is that advertising media can do and what it cannot.
Activity 6
The television media can `add value' to the marketing message in the form of
……………… (identify the benefits) but cannot provide
……………… (identify the limitations). All this is true for
……………… (all, selected, few) product categories. (Fill in the gaps by choosing
one of the given options.)
What degree of Synergy can be achieved between message content and media ?
The answer to this question may perhaps provide the last missing piece of the zigsaw
that a media selection often is. It attempts to strike a synergy between the type of
marketing message to be delivered and the media chosen. It is because there are
several media and messages which, if combined well, may be outstanding in their
potential impact of the target consumers. For instance, if long arguments and
substantive messages are to be given, television may not be the right media to select.
Similarly, for creating a close-to-life visual picture of a product, the printed media
may perhaps be the wrong one to select. An effective media manager must ever strive
to invest his media selection with an understanding of the advertising process. For
detailed description of computer models in media selection, refer to Unit 17.

10.5 MEDIA SCHEDULING

Once the media planning and selection is accomplished to the satisfaction of both
advertisers and agencies, the attention is diverted to the task of deciding the media
scheduling. It concerns answering such questions as how many of each media
vehicles space and time units be bought? Over what and time units, this will be
bought? Over what period, should such buying be? Do we want a steady schedule or
do we want a `pulsed' campaign, concentrating heavily in the beginning and later
slowing down ?
Normally media scheduling is considered for a four-week period. Thus, to an
advertiser, the following six types of schedules are available.
• Steady pulse: Steady pulse is the easiest types of schedules to prepare. For
instance, one ad per week for 52 weeks or one ad per month for 12 months
may be prepared.
• Seasonal Pulse: Seasonal nature of products dictate the use of seasonal pulse
in advertising. Examples include Ponds Cold cream; ceiling fans; air-
conditioners etc., in the months of winter and summer respectively.
• Period Pulse: Scheduling of media at regular intervals but not related to the,
seasons of the year, is called the periodic pulse. Examples may include media
scheduling of consumer durables (e.g. mixes) and non-durables (e.g. semi-
processed food to eat) during Puja or X-mas festivals, for gift purposes.
• Erratic Pulse: When advertising is spaced at irregular intervals, it is called
erratic pulse. Erratic pulse by itself is not to be ignored. It is quite likely that
the advertiser is 29
Media Planning Concepts trying to cause changes in typical purchase cycles. For instance, ceiling fans,
soft-drinks etc. Advertising in months other than the summer months, could
attempt to even out purchases throughout the year.
• Start up Pulse: It is quite common to see a heavily concentrated media
scheduling to open either a new product or a new campaign. This is called as
start up pulse. For instance, the scheduling adopted by Videocon PIP
television, or ONIDA - 21 or even the Liril Lime Soaps seen in the July -
September 1989 period, had a distinct start up pulse.
• Promotional Pulse: This scheduling pattern suits only a particular
promotional theme of company. Thus, it will be more in the nature of one-
time only and advertising will be heavily concentrated during a particular
time. Examples of promotional pulse would include the recent advertising for
share/debenture issues by several companies and the MRF media campaign
for the Jawahar Lal Nehru Centenary Sports meet in 1989.
Even though several scheduling patterns are available with their unique
characteristics, it would be wise to remember that scheduling is a part of media
strategy. Hence, a regular review of the scheduling patterns is beneficial to the
advertisers.
Analysing Reach, Frequency and Continuity
Any thoughts on media scheduling will be dictated by a careful analysis of three
factors of media. They are Reach, Frequency and Continuity (RFC). Several
researches have been conducted on analysing the data pertaining to RFC. Given
below are some major findings which media planners would do well to remember
• Continuity assumes importance because advertising is often forgotten if not
reinforced by continual exposure. It would thus, be unwise for a marketer to
spend money one week on running an advertisement which is to be followed
by another run say, after six months only. Such long gap will fail to reinforce
the message.
• Repeated exposures are needed to impress a message on the memories of a
large proportion of consumers.
• As number of exposure increases, the number of persons who remember it
increase. Not only this the length of time for which they remember also
increases. Remembering is a key thing to media planners.
• An intensive `burst' of advertising is more likely to cause a large number of
people to remember it, at least for a short time than spreading the campaign
uniformly.
• In many cases reaching as many people as possible may be as important as
the task of reaching a fewer number of people but more frequently.
It goes without emphasizing that media planning is more an art than a science
because not many credible and universally applied scientific methods have been
evolved as yet. It tests, therefore, the knowledge, perception and skills of any media
planner. For a description of the minimum reach and Frequency Model (MRF),
please refer to Unit 17.
Activity 7
a) Suggest in the following cases which will be the most dominant consideration in
media scheduling.

30
Media Planning Concepts
UNIT 11 INTERNETS AS AN EMERGING
ADVERTISING MEDIUM
Objectives

After reading this unit you should be able to:

• to define and explain the meaning of internet,
• to explore the profile of internet users in India,
• to examine the potential marketing and advertising applications of the internet.
Structure
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Profile of Internet Users
11.3 Marketing Applications of the Internet
11.4 Internet and Marketing Communication
11.5 Difference Between Traditional and Internet Advertising
11.6 Similarities Between Internet and Other Mass Media Advertising
11.7 Effectiveness of Internet Advertising
11.8 Internet Advertising Influencing Traditional Advertising
11.9 Pricing Issues in Internet Advertising
11.10 Summary
11.11 Glossary of Key Terms
11.12 Self Assessment Questions
11.13 Further Readings

11.1 INTRODUCTION
In a short span of time something which started as a US defence initiative has
developed into the major communications mechanism for the academic and research
community and most recently has expanded into a major business tool for the
commercial sector.

The Internet, as we have now come to call it, has evolved during this period from
being a robust and effective way of exchanging information to providing a delivery
mechanism for massive amounts of multimedia information to global audience.

Simply defined, "internet is a network or a web of computers connected together

which can talk to each to each other". Tim Berners Lee is credited with creating the
world wide web (www), which is often used interchangeably for the internet. His
creation has transformed the way business is conducted in more than one way. Since
its inception, internet has covered a long way and there seems no stopping for the
newer application being found of the internet.

11.2 PROFILE OF INTERNET USERS

Internet made its debut in India barely five years old but since then it has grown
exponentially. Latest figures estimate internet users more than one million.
Expectedly, largest participation is from the top crust of the society. Though internet
is available in all top cities in India but a large number of people connecting to the
46 internet are from top metros and relatively fall in the younger age group.
 Internet As An Emerging
Advertising Medium

Activity 1

Write profiles of Internet users in you city who uses internet at the office and/or at
home.

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11.3 MARKETING APPLICATIONS OF THE INTERNET

Marketers have started giving internet a closer and a serious look. And, it is
warranted also. The growth it has registered is impressive by any standards. Also, the
pace at which Internet is growing is amazing.

It is often argued that internet is suitable for certain categories of products and
services. This may be true, but only to an extent. A better way to say this could be
"
internet is more suitable for certain categories of products and services and less
suitable for some others". Proctor and Gamble (P & G) forecasts that it will spend
80% of its global advertising budget on the digital media. This clearly reflects the
expediency of the internet for a product category for which internet is often termed as
incompatible. Products which fall in this category are daily use products which are
frequently purchased, such as, soaps and detergents.

Many companies complain that internet has failed to live up to their expectations.
There's no reason why internet should not work, if approached properly. This
happens when, for a company, web presence itself becomes the objective. Such
companies don't know what to make of their web presence beyond a web site. It
needs to be understood here that web presence can be a good beginning but not an
end in itself. Web presence is an evolving presence which should stem from
marketing strategy.

A critical thing to be kept in mind when going on-line is that the brand is meeting the
consumers directly. A relationship is being developed between the two. Hence, the web 47
Media Planning Concepts presence of a company should work to enhance the existing brand values. Consumers
have strong from the web sites they visit. These expectations can either work for or
against the company. Either they will strengthen the existing brand values or dilute
them. To strengthen the existing brand values, there should be an attempt by the
company to match the consumer expectations and their on-line experience. Web sites
should offer online experience which corresponds to the off-line experience. Many
marketers, in an attempt to make on-line users feel the hugeness of the company, load
their sites with information. Such marketers should understand that how many bytes a
web site holds is not a yardstick of the largeness of a company.
Marketers should treat web presence as a part of the brandscape. And, it should be
made to work in tandem with other elements of the brandscape and create synergies.
One of the main duties of the web site is to communicate the brand identity. Many
web site fail at this only. Ina study done by Revolution and Mantel UK, it was
revealed that most of the web sites do not convey the core of their brands. Most of
the such web sites just give information and little chance to interact. At the end of the
day, the marketer should ask himself: "can my brand stand at this place?". "Place"
here denotes web site.
Activity 2
Write down some of the major marketing applications of Internet, particularly for
your own organization.
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11.4 INTERNET AND MARKETING COMMUNICATION

What took decades for other media (in terms of audience) to do has taken a few years
when it comes to Internet.

Years to reach 50 million users

Years

Internet 04
Television 13
Personal Computer 16
Radio 38
Needless to say, this has also impacted the traditional business models and strategies.
Marketing is no stranger either. In more than many ways Internet has changed ways
we communicate, too. This sea of change has created new challenges that face the
communication industry. The one that directly concerns us is the advertising. Early
adopters have already embarked on their on-line advertising strategies. Others are
evaluating their options till the time they go on-line.
The whole concept of marketing mix or 4 Ps has taken a complete turn about. No
longer the 4 Ps theory can be applied to business which run in the cyber space.
Working with the new medium is a five-stage process. This is in stark contrast to the
traditional approach to marketing, as illustrated below.
Admittingly, advertising industry is also faced with this new challenge of the
internet. More so it has impacted the traditional advertising. Some authors have gone
to the extent of predicting the death of advertising as we know it today.
Like all things associated with the internet, the dynamics of its use for advertising are
still in a formative stage of development, It was in the year 1994 that the first
example of using another web site for advertising occurred.
 Internet As An Emerging
11.5 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AND Advertising Medium
INTERNET ADVERTISING
The fundamental difference between all of the traditional means of advertising and
that provided by the internet is the process by which the observer of the
advertisement can translate their interest into action. This needs to be explained.
Having seen an advertisement of interest you can be taken immediately to the
advertiser's internet site by simply clicking' the mouse button on the caption or
graphic. From this point onwards it depends on the inventiveness of the advertiser to
convert the visitors interest into whatever outcome they were seeking. This might be
to get the visitor to purchase the product directly or to browse through the details of
the company and its products. Certainly the objective of advertising should be to
make sufficient impact on the visitor that they will return to the site in near future.
The delay between observing the advertisement, registering interest and experiencing
the fulfillment of that interest has been reduced to a matter of seconds, rather than the
days that are involved with traditional advertising. Even, in the most responsive
companies, the delay between receiving a telephone response to an advertisement and
the point when the inquirer receives the information requested can be measured in
days. Differences between internet advertising and traditional forms do not end at this
point of time.
Factor Traditional Web based
Range of audience that can be targeted Wide Narrow*
Ability to target niche audience Good Moderate*
Speed of gaining feedback Slow Very fast
Speed to implement modifications Slow Very fast
Ability to measure effectiveness Moderate High
Ability to link cost to results Low High
Ease of gaining global exposure Low High
*But rapidly improving

11.6 SIMILARITIES BETWEEN INTERNET AND

OTHER MASS MEDIA ADVERTISING
While there are many differences, there are a number of similarities between internet
advertising and that found in other media:
• The strength of the brand image will just be as, if not more, important in
capturing the viewers' attention.
• In many cases the site where the advertisement is placed will have a particular
audience and hence a relevance to promoting certain products, Matching the
medium to message and audience is just as important in the virtual world.
• Rather than seeking to advertise on one large web-site, it may be more
appropriate to have. the same message conveyed on a number of smaller sites
with similar audiences. This is equivalent to diversifying traditional advertising
expenditure over a number of- different publications.
• The creativity of the images and copy of the advertisement will be just as
important to its success or failure. This does not imply that what is a good paper-
based advertisement can make the transition to the internet. In fact, it is almost
certain that what works in "real world" will not be effective when transferred to
the internet.

11.7 EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERNET ADVERTISING

This brings us another related area of internet advertising - the effectiveness of
advertisement on the internet. Do they really create a change in the behavior of the 49