Selecciones - Webs

Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
V. Developing the
Integrated Marketing
Communications Program
10. Media Planning and
Strategy
tive communication; different messages may require more or fewer exposures. For
example, Jack Myers, president of Myers Reports, argues that the three-exposure theory
was valid in the 1970s when consumers were exposed to approximately 1,000 ads
per day. Now that they are exposed to 3,000 to 5,000 per day, three exposures may not
be enough. Adding in the fragmentation of television, the proliferation of magazines,
and the advent of a variety of alternative media leads Myers to believe that 12 exposures
may be the minimum level of frequency required. Also, Jim Surmanek, vice president
of International Communications Group, contends that the complexity of the
message, message length, and recency of exposure also impact this figure. 10
Since they do not know how many times the viewer will actually be exposed,
advertisers typically purchase GRPs that lead to more than three exposures to increase
the likelihood of effective reach and frequency.
Determining effective reach is further complicated by the fact that when calculating
GRPs, advertisers use a figure that they call average frequency, or the average number
of times the target audience reached by a media schedule is exposed to the vehicle over
a specified period. The problem with this figure is revealed in the following scenario:
Consider a media buy in which:
50 percent of audience is reached 1 time.
30 percent of audience is reached 5 times.
20 percent of audience is reached 10 times.
Average frequency = 4
In this media buy, the average frequency is 4, which is slightly more than the number
established as effective. Yet a full 50 percent of the audience receives only one
exposure. Thus, the average-frequency number can be misleading, and using it to calculate
GRPs might result in underexposing the audience.
Although GRPs have their problems, they can provide useful information to the
marketer. A certain level of GRPs is necessary to achieve awareness, and increases in
GRPs are likely to lead to more exposures and/or more repetitions—both of which are
necessary to have an effect on higher-order objectives. Perhaps the best advice for purchasing
GRPs is offered by Ostrow, who recommends the following strategies: 11
1. Instead of using average frequency, the marketer should decide what minimum frequency
goal is needed to reach the advertising objectives effectively and then maximize
reach at that frequency level.
2. To determine effective frequency, one must consider marketing factors, message
factors, and media factors. (See Figure 10-23.)
In summary, the reach-versus-frequency decision, while critical, is very difficult to
make. A number of factors must be considered, and concrete rules do not always
apply. The decision is often more of an art than a science.
Creative Aspects and Mood
The context of the medium in which the ad is placed may also affect viewers’ perceptions.
A specific creative strategy may require certain media. Because TV provides
both sight and sound, it may be more effective in generating emotions than other
media; magazines may create different perceptions from newspapers. In developing a
media strategy, marketers must consider both creativity and mood factors. Let us
examine each in more detail.
Creative Aspects It is possible to increase the success of a product significantly
through a strong creative campaign. But to implement this creativity, you must employ
a medium that will support such a strategy. For example, the campaign for 212
cologne shown in Chapter 4 used print media to communicate the message effectively.
Kodak and Hallmark, among many others, have effectively used TV to create emotional
appeals. In some situations, the media strategy to be pursued may be the driving
force behind the creative strategy, as the media and creative departments work closely
together to achieve the greatest impact with the audience of the specific media.
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
321
Chapter Ten Media Planning and Strategy