What factors should I consider when placing an ad buy?
Ask yourself these questions and you’ll have a better idea of how to build your media plan:
1. What type of advertising message am I conveying?
- Awareness
- Introduction
- Sustaining
- Recognition
- Recall
- Learning
- Attitude Shift
- Purchase
- New Product
- Image
- Market Share
- Promotional
- Call to Action (Direct Response)
2. What are the marketing factors?
- Established name brand versus new name brand
Established brands already have high awareness and require less frequency while new brands need to build awareness.
- Brand loyalty
The higher the loyalty factor, the lower the need for frequency.
- Brand dominance
A dominant brand needs lower frequency levels because of its high degree of awareness and acceptance.
- Purchase/usage cycle
The longer the product/service purchase/usage cycle, the less frequency required than those with shorter cycles. Shorter product/usage cycles have to use higher frequency levels to make greater impact on the marketplace.
- Competitive strategy
Higher frequency is recommended to beat the competition.
- Target group
Every group has a different threshold. Younger demos are generally less tolerant of repeated messages so a lower frequency would be in order while older demos will be more receptive to repetition.
3. What are the creative factors?
- Message complexity
The more simplistic the message, the lower frequency needed.
- Message uniqueness
A high level of creativity requires less frequency.
- New versus continued campaign
A repeated message requires lower frequency while a new message requires a higher level of frequency.
- Image versus product sell
Image requires reinforcement, while selling product requires greater reach.
- Message variation
The greater number of messages being used, the more frequency is required.Burnout
To lessen spot ‘burnout’ aim for greater reach with lesser frequency.
- Advertising units
Shorter units (:15’s or :10’s) generally require higher frequency to be effective.
- What are the media factors?
- Clutter level
The more cluttered the advertising environment, the more frequency necessary to maintain share of voice.
- Editorial environment
Programming that does not enhance the advertising message requires more requency.
- Attentiveness
The greater the likely level of viewer engagement/attentiveness to the type of program (i.e.: drama, sports, news) the lower frequency needed.
- Continuous versus flighting
Your ad schedule can be arranged as one long campaign that runs daily or weekly; or it can be scheduled in succinct flights, where your campaign is off-air for a week or two before resuming again. Flighting helps extend your timing and ad dollars over a longer period of time. However, continuous advertising plans require less frequency than flighted plans.
Source: Comcast Corp.
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