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Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
V. Developing the
Integrated Marketing
Communications Program
12. Evaluation of Print
Media
Advantages of Newspapers
Newspapers have a number of characteristics that make them popular among both
local and national advertisers. These include their extensive penetration of local markets,
flexibility, geographic selectivity, reader involvement, and special services.
Extensive Penetration One of the primary advantages of newspapers is the
high degree of market coverage, or penetration, they offer an advertiser. In most areas,
50 percent or more of households read a daily newspaper, and the reach figure may
exceed 70 percent among households with higher incomes and education levels. Most
areas are served by one or two daily newspapers, and often the same company owns
both, publishing a morning and an evening edition. By making one space buy, the
advertiser can achieve a high level of overall reach in a particular market.
The extensive penetration of newspapers makes them a truly mass medium and
provides advertisers with an excellent opportunity for reaching all segments of the
population with their message. Also, since many newspapers are published and read
daily, the advertiser can build a high level of frequency into the media schedule.
Flexibility Another advantage of newspapers is the flexibility they offer advertisers.
First, they are flexible in terms of requirements for producing and running the ads.
Newspaper ads can be written, laid out, and prepared in a matter of hours. For most
dailies, the closing time by which the ad must be received is usually only 24 hours
before publication (although closing dates for special ads, such as those using color,
and Sunday supplements are longer). The short production time and closing dates
make newspapers an excellent medium for responding to current events or presenting
timely information to consumers. For example, Chevrolet Trucks ran a newspaper ad
congratulating major league baseball star Cal Ripken, Jr. the day after he got his
3,000th career hit. Ripken is a spokesperson for the Chevy Truck line, and the newspaper
ad was a very timely salute to his reaching this great milestone (Exhibit 12-19).
A second dimension of newspapers’ flexibility stems from the creative options they
make available to advertisers. Newspaper ads can be produced and run in various
Exhibit 12-19 Chevy
Trucks used a newspaper
ad for a timely salute to
Cal Ripken
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
417
Chapter Twelve Evaluation of Print Media