METHODS OF MEDIA SCHEDULING
The basic methods are three namely continuous fightings and pulsing to build continuity in a campaign.
1. Continuous Schedule. In a continuous schedule, advertising runs steadily and varies little over the campaign period. It is the best way to build continuity. Advertisers usually follow this scheduling pattern for products that consumers purchase regularly. For example, & commercials are scheduled on radio stations namely, that of Bangalore and Mumbai for an initial four-week period.
Then to maintain the continuity of the campaign, additional spots or slots run continuously every week throughout the year say either on Mumbai or Bangalore radio stations. (MCom 2nd Year Advertising Sales Management Study Material Notes)
Continuity refers to a continuous pattern of advertising, which may mean every day, every week, or every month. The key is that a regular or continuous pattern is developed without gaps or non-advertising periods. Such strategies might be used for advertising food products, laundry detergents, or other products consumed on an ongoing basis without regard for seasonality.
2. Fighting Schedule. It alternates, the periods of advertising with periods of no advertising. This intermittent schedule makes sense for products and services that face large fluctuations in demand throughout the year. The advertiser might have to start with a four-week flight and then schedule three additional four-week flights to run during the seasonal periods later in the year. That is seasonably is emphasized here. (MCom 2nd Year Advertising Sales Management Study Material Notes)
In other words, fighting as a second method, the advertiser employs a less regular schedule with intermittent periods of advertising and non-advertising. At some time periods, there are heavier promotional expenditures, and at others, there may be no advertising.
Many banks, for instance, spend no money on advertising in the summer but maintain advertising throughout the rest of the year. It is also the case with tax services, Lawn care products, and cold remedies. The advertiser may also introduce the product with a four-week flight and then schedule three additional four-week flights to run during seasonal periods later in the year.
3. Pulsing Schedule. This is the third alternative of scheduling which mixes continuous and fighting scheduling methods. Here, the advertisement maintains a low level of advertising all the year but periods pulses to “heavy up during peak hours or period of selling. This method or strategy, the continuity 18 maintained, but at certain times promotional efforts are slopped up.
In the automobile industry, advertising continues throughout the year but may increase in April-a income Lax refined time is September when new models are introduced or end of the model year. This is fully used in the case of soft drinks that are consumed all the year through but more heavily in the summer. This scheduling strategy depends on the budget among other factors.
MEDIA PLANNING
Media planning is the process of conceiving, analyzing, and selecting channels of communication that will direct the ad message to the right people at the right place, at night time, and at the right, coat resulting in changing the attitude of those people about the company, the products, and my services. (MCom 2nd Year Advertising Sales Management Study Material Notes)
Media planning involves the selection of appropriate media for carrying the advertiser’s message to the target markets, deciding what media to buy and how much to spend on each media vehicle B medium, and scheduling when the advertising is to run. Nearly the advertising amount spent by the firm goes to media to the extent that eighty percent
Media Planning Steps
A media planner or media planning team should take into account certain tips that will act as guidelines, not principles because the process of media planning begins with a situation analysis and proceeds to the establishment of media objectives. Once these objectives are not The planners can outline a strategy that suggests specific activities in order to achieve the advertiser’s goal or goals. These indicators or steps are the following components.
(1) Assess the Situation
It is the most vital step that a thorough analysis of the situation is conducted before engaging in media planning. The situation analysis warrants the gathering of all the information relevant to the situation.
The type of information that provides the background of the situation prevailing are: (A) The company and brand history, (B) The company and marketing objectives, (C) Proposed target markets, and (D) Product features with special emphasis on the strengths and weaknesses, (E) The distribution network, (F) Competitive situation, (G) Promotional history, (F) Economic situation, (I) Regulatory situation, (J) Cultural and social factors, (K) Resource situation, and (L) Talents of personnel.
Once the media planner or the team feels that all the pertinent information has been collected, the next step is to identify which factors will have the greatest bearing on the media plan. Some very cautious! companies who follow the leader collect additional information from competitors as their plans, patterns, and amount of spending have great significance. This needs a good deal of homework.