Intermedia Comparisons: Media Strengths and Weaknesses

Newspapers Reasons for Using: –Sense of Immediacy, Local Emphasis, Flexibility, Color Inserts, Mass Reach, Catalog Value, Ethnic Appeal Limitations: –Variations in Print Quality, High Cost of National, Higher Rates for National Advertisers, Small Pass Along Audience

Magazines Reasons for Using: –Selectivity, Fine Color Reproduction, Long Life, Pass-Along Audience, Controlled Circulation (Business to Business Targets) Limitations: –Early Closing Dates, Lack of Immediacy, Slow Building of Reach, Limited Control of Timing

Television Reasons for Using: –Sight and Sound for Dynamic Selling, Flexibility, Reach of Selective and Mass Markets, Cost Efficiency Limitations: –High Total Cost, Short Lived Messages, No Catalog Value, Limited Availability of Good Programs and Time Slots

Radio Reasons for Using –Reach of Special Kinds of Targets, High Frequency Medium, Good Support, Excellent for Mobil Populations, Seasonal/Timing Issues, Flexibility, Local Coverage Plus More Limitations: –Many Stations in Any One Market, Fleeting Messages, Difficult to Buy

Direct Response Reasons for Using: –Built-in Feedback, A Personal Medium, Geographic and Production Flexibility (Dimensionals), Long Life for Some, Savings When Bundled with Bills or Packages Limitations: –Expense, Inaccurate of Incomplete Lists, Variance in Delivery Dates

Telemarketing Reasons for Using: –Very Selective, Built-in Feedback, A Personal Medium, Geographical Flexibility, High Response Rates Limitations: –Expense, Inaccurate or Incomplete Lists, Time, Message Space, Legislation

Internet Reasons for Using: –Reach Younger/Tech Savvy Targets, Strong Supporting Medium, Flexibility, Combine Sight and Sound with Text, Relationship Building, Built-in Feedback Limitations: –Limited Response to Some Types, Hard to Measure Audiences, Keywords Already Taken, Counter Sites/Hackers

Outdoor Reasons for Using: –Wide Coverage of Locality, High Frequency, Large Size, Geographic Flexibility, High Summertime/Mobile Populations Visibility, Around-the-Clock Exposure, Good for Simple Copy Theme and Package Identification Limitations: –Limited to Simple Messages, Illusion of High Reach, High Cost

Transit Reasons for Using: –Mass Coverage of Metro Areas, High Frequency, Relative Efficiency, Position Message on Way to Purchase Location Limitations: –Limited Message Space, High Competition with Other Messages, Vandalism and Defacement

Strategic Decisions Media Objectives –Goals that the communication campaigns seeks to accomplish Media Strategies –Actions to attain objectives –Achieve advantage over competitors Need to move beyond “what will media do to my target” mentality to the question of “what will my target do with the media?”

Media Mix Single vs. Numerous Media -- Why? 1. Extend Reach 2. To flatten frequency distribution 3. Add GI, assuming second and third mediums are more cost effective than the first 4. Reinforce the message - different stimuli 5. To reach different types of audiences 6. Stress different benefits based on medium - different creative

Core Considerations 1. Brands presence in any medium should be large. 2. Communicate when consumers are buying. 3. Message strategy strongly affects media strategy. Things you must know before planning 1. Know the marketing problems and opportunities 2. Know the complexities of strategy 3. Know how the product will be sold 4. Know how to neutralize the competition 5. Know the costs of strategies