Month: November 2021

Media strategy, as used in the advertising or content delivery (online broadcasting) industries, is concerned with how messages will be delivered to consumers or niche markets. It involves: identifying the characteristics of the target audience or market, who should receive messages and defining the characteristics of the media that will be used for the delivery of the messages, with the intent being to influence the behavior of the target audience or market pertinent to the initial brief. Examples of such strategies today have revolved around an Integrated Marketing Communications approach whereby multiple channels of media are used i.e. advertising, public relations, events, direct response media, etc.

This concept has been used among proponents of entertainment-education programming where pro-social messages are embedded into dramatic episodic programs to change the audiences attitudes and behaviors in such areas as family planning, literacy, nutrition, smoking, etc.

• Where is the place for showing or delivering advertisement. In short it means the geographical area from where it should be visible to the customers who use or are most likely to use the product or services offered. The place does not mean only TV or radio but it can also be newspapers, blogs, sponsorships, hoardings on roads, ads in the movie break in theatres, etc. The area varies from place to place like it can be on national basis, state basis and for local brands it can be on city basis.
• When is the timing to show or run advertisement. For e.g. you cannot show a raincoat ad in the winter season but you need to telecast ad as soon as the summer season is coming to an end and rainy season is just about to begin. The ad should be delivered with perfect timing when most customers are like to buy the product. The planners need to plan it keeping the budget in mind as the maximum of 20% of revenues of the company can be used in the advertisement section. Different products have different time length for advertisements. Some products need year long ads as they have nothing to do with seasonal variations e.g. small things like biscuits, soaps, pens, etc and big services like vehicle insurance, refrigerators, etc. Some products need for three or four months. E.g. umbrellas, cold creams, etc. So the planners have to plan the budget according to the time length so that there is no short of money at any time in this process.

There are basically two media approaches to choose from.

• Media Concentration approach
• Media Dispersion Approach

In media concentration approach, the number of categories of media is less. The money is spent on concentrating on only few media types say two or three. This approach is generally used for those companies who are not very confident and have to share the place with the other competitors. They don’t want anyone to get confused with their brand name so this is the safest approach as the message reaches the target consumers.

In media dispersion approach, there are a greater number of categories of media used to advertise. This approach is considered and practiced by only those people who know that a single or two types of media will not reach their target. They place their product ads in many categories like TV, radio, internet, distributing pamphlets, sending messages to mobiles, etc.

Selection of Media Category

Whichever category is selected by the planners of the organization, they should select a proper media to convey their message.

If the product is for a big amount of customers then a mass media option can be selected like TV, radio or newspaper. The best examples for this type are detergent ads, children health drinks and major regular used products such as soap, shampoo, toothpastes etc.

If the planners want to change the mind of people doing window shopping or just doing shopping for sake of name, then point of purchase type can be opted by the company. This helps the company to explain their point to the buyers and convince the buyers to go for their product.

If the planners want to sell their product on one to one basis, then the third option is direct response type. Here, the company people directly contact the customers via emails, text messages, phone calls or meeting for giving demos. The best example of this type of media is the Life cell Cord Blood Banking. They go to their customers, explain them what it is all about and try to convince them.

Thus, this process of media strategy plays an important and vital role in the field of Advertising.

Types of media strategies

Understanding the different types of media strategy is key when deciding which one to implement to achieve your desired outcome. The following are the primary types of media strategies:

Media concentration strategy

A media concentration strategy is an approach that focuses only on a select few types of media to reach a distinct target audience. Whereas some other media strategies incorporate the use of several media types, a media concentration approach narrows down the types of media used based on a specific target audience’s trend. For example, a company may choose to only advertise or market on a specific social media platform rather than divvying up its resources to market on multiple social media platforms.

This type of strategy is ideal for companies that only want to attract a particular audience rather than a broader customer base. For example, a company that makes pool tables likely doesn’t want to market to a broad audience as many people aren’t in the market for purchasing a pool table. So, the company is more likely to use a media concentration strategy to reach a select group of consumers the company knows is interested in purchasing this type of product.

Media dispersion strategy

A media dispersion strategy is an approach that uses a large variety of media types to reach a broad audience. This approach is most frequently used when a company’s target audience can’t be reached by marketing on only a few media platforms. A company using a media dispersion approach may place advertisements in several different media categories such as radio, social media, television and search engines. Using this strategy allows a business to reach a mass audience that may or may not be interested in its goods or services.

Earned media strategy

An earned media strategy refers to a marketing and advertising approach that aims to gain media or publicity organically. This is considered one of the best types of media strategies because it requires no payment or commission and is generated by a third party. Earned media strategies work because they increase trust in a brand or company through the promotion of that brand or company by others or third-party credibility. For example, a customer is more likely to purchase a product they see their favorite social media influencer using than they are a product they see a paid ad for.

Paid media strategy

A paid media strategy refers to a media approach in which the company promotes its content, services or goods through paid advertisements. These paid ads can be placed on various platforms, including social media, TV and radio. For example, pay-per-click advertising is a type of paid media that charges the company a small fee every time a user clicks on its ad.

Other examples of paid media include:

• Paid ad placements
• Branded content
• Display ads
• Influencer collaborations

Owned media strategy

An owned media strategy refers to an approach in which a company uses its own media to advertise or market its products or services. For example, posting information about an upcoming product launch on your company’s blog is a type of owned media strategy. Owned media is any online property that is owned by the company or brand. Examples of owned media include social media platforms, websites and blogs. Having more owned media channels allows a company to have a larger digital footprint and reach more potential customers.

Need for Media Strategy

Definition of the target audience. An insufficiently thorough approach to this stage threatens the failure of the entire advertising campaign. The target audience should be determined very accurately. It depends on how effective the tactics of action will be. And additional differentiation of the target audience into target groups will help to direct the advertising campaign even more precisely.

Analysis. At this stage, competitor strategies, market conditions and consumer behavior are analyzed. However, it should be understood that it is not always possible to obtain such information. Sometimes it’s extremely difficult to guess how a competitor or a consumer acts. As a result, either an incomplete or a not entirely relevant picture is formed. But research in this area allows you to adjust the media strategy taking into account the behavior of the main players in the market.

The place of the advertising campaign, or the choice of communication channels. The choice of a communication channel for an advertising should take into account the following factors:

• Weaknesses and strengths of a particular channel;
• Possibilities of a communication channel for solving tasks;
• Features and specifics of the promoted product or service;
• Budget size.

It’s not easy to choose from the variety of channels those that most closely meet your goal. For this, there is not always all the necessary data.

Budget management for the implementation of the media strategy. The formation of a media strategy should be built in strict accordance with the funds allocated for promotion. In this case, it is necessary to select from possible methods those that are able to convey information to consumers most effectively. Media strategy should be part of the brand’s overall communication strategy.

Situation Analysis for Media Strategy and its Components

The definition of a situation analysis refers to a set of methods that marketing managers use to analyze a company’s internal and external environment to understand the organization’s capabilities, customers, and business environment.

Your marketing plan is critical and the importance of situational analysis in your marketing plan is paramount.

Situation analysis refers to a collection of methods that managers use to analyze an organization’s internal and external environment to understand the organization’s capabilities, customers, and business environment. The situation analysis consists of several methods of analysis: The 5Cs Analysis, SWOT analysis and Porter five forces analysis. A Marketing Plan is created to guide businesses on how to communicate the benefits of their products to the needs of potential customer. The situation analysis is the second step in the marketing plan and is a critical step in establishing a long term relationship with customers.

Marketing Plan

• Introduction
• Situation analysis
• Objectives
• Budgeting
• Strategy
• Execution
• Evaluation

5C Analysis

While a situation analysis is often referred to as the “3C analysis“, the extension to the 5c analysis has allowed businesses to gain more information on the internal, macro-environmental and micro-environmental factors within the environment. The 5C analysis is considered the most useful and common way to analyze the market environment, because of the extensive information it provides.

Company

The company analysis involves evaluation of the company’s objectives, strategy, and capabilities. These indicate to an organization the strength of the business model, whether there are areas for improvement, and how well an organization fits the external environment.

• Goals & Objectives: An analysis on the mission of the business, the industry of the business and the stated goals required to achieve the mission.
• Position: An analysis on the Marketing strategy and the Marketing mix.
• Performance: An analysis on how effective the business is achieving their stated mission and goals.
• Product line: An analysis on the products manufactured by the business and how successful it is in the market.

Competitors

The competitor analysis takes into consideration the competitors position within the industry and the potential threat it may pose to other businesses. The main purpose of the competitor analysis is for businesses to analyze a competitor’s current and potential nature and capabilities so they can prepare against competition. The competitor analysis looks at the following criteria:

• Identify competitors: Businesses must be able to identify competitors within their industry. Identifying whether competitors provide the same services or products to the same customer base is useful in gaining knowledge of direct competitors. Both direct and indirect competitors must be identified, as well as potential future competitors.
• Assessment of competitors: The competitor analysis looks at competitor goals, mission, strategies and resources. This supports a thorough comparison of goals and strategies of competitors and the organization.
• Predict future initiatives of competitors: An early insight into the potential activity of a competitor helps a company prepare against competition.

Customers

Customer analysis can be vast and complicated. Some of the important areas that a company analyzes includes:

Demographics

• Advertising that is most suitable for the demographic
• Market size and potential growth
• Customer wants and needs
• Motivation to buy the product
• Distribution channels (retail, online, wholesale, etc…)
• Quantity and frequency of purchase
• Income level of customer

Collaborators

Collaborators are useful for businesses as they allow for an increase in the creation of ideas, as well as an increase in the likelihood of gaining more business opportunities. The following type of collaborators are:

• Agencies: Agencies are the middlemen of the business world. When businesses need a specific worker who specializes in the trade, they go to a recruitment agency.
• Suppliers: Suppliers provide raw materials that are required to build products. There are 7 different types of Suppliers: Manufacturers, wholesalers, merchants, franchisors, importers and exporters, independent crafts people and drop shippers. Each category of suppliers can bring a different skill and experience to the company.
• Distributors: Distributors are important as they are the ‘holding areas for inventory’. Distributors can help manage manufacturer relationships as well as handle vendor relationships.
• Partnerships: Business partners would share assets and liabilities, allowing for a new source of capital and skills.

Businesses must be able to identify whether the collaborator has the capabilities needed to help run the business as well as an analysis on the level of commitment needed for a collaborator-business relationship.

Climate

To fully understand the business climate and environment, many factors that can affect the business must be researched and understood. An analysis on the climate is also known as the PEST analysis. The types of climate/environment firms have to analyse are:

• Political and regulatory environment: An Analysis of how active the government regulates the market with their policies and how it would affect the production, distribution and sale of the goods and services.
• Economic Environment: An Analysis of trends regarding macroeconomics, such as exchange rates and inflation rate, can prove to influence businesses.
• Social/cultural environment: Interpreting the trends of society, which includes the study of demographics, education, culture etc…
• Technological analysis: An analysis of technology helps improve on old routines and suggest new methods for being cost efficient. To stay competitive and gain an advantage over competitors, businesses must sufficiently understand technological advances.

Media Strategy Components

These are the steps involved in creating your media plan:

Research and Identify Your Target Market: Take the demographics of your target audience into consideration. The more you know about your target market, the more effective your overall marketing strategy will be. Identify your market, where and how they spend their time, and the media and messaging to most effectively reach them. For example, marketing through mobile apps and social media would be more effective to reach the teenage demographic than advertising in print and traditional media.

Set Measurable Objectives and Goals: Keep in mind your overall marketing objective and goals during the strategy creation process. These must be measurable and specific. Use the SMART method, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Based. The simple goal to “Make more money” can be measured, but “Increase profits by 20% by Q3” is a much more specific goal and it offers a way to create a timeline that keeps you on track.

Determine Your Marketing Budget: The marketing budget is also part of your media strategy. Without a budget, it is possible to throw thousands of dollars at a problem and get no clear solution. Having a set budget encourages you to think each tactic through and be more creative in your problem-solving. It protects you from overspending or spending money you do not have. 

Craft Your Message: The marketing proposition is the customer problem your business will solve and how it will do it. The message is based on your research into what will appeal to the target audience. You can have different messages for different objectives, all tying into one theme. Remember to include a call-to-action.

Learn From Your Results: The most effective media strategies evolve over time. If you launch one strategy that doesn’t have the expected business results, your company can learn from where it went wrong and improve subsequent launches.

Out-of-home (OOH) advertising, also called outdoor advertising, outdoor media, and out-of-home media, is advertising experienced outside of the home. This includes billboards, wallscapes, and posters seen while “on the go;” it also includes place-based media seen in places such as convenience stores, medical centers, salons, and other brick-and-mortar venues.

OOH advertising formats fall into four main categories: billboards, street furniture, transit, and alternative.

The OOH advertising industry in the United States includes more than 2,100 operators in 50 states representing the major out of home format categories. These OOH media companies range from public, multinational media corporations to small, independent, family-owned businesses.

Digital out-of-home

Digital out-of-home (DOOH) refers to dynamic media distributed across place-based networks in venues including, but not limited to: cafes, grocery stores, bars, restaurants, health clubs, colleges, arenas, gas stations, convenience stores, barber shops, airports and public spaces. PQ Media defines DOOH by two major platforms, digital place-based networks (DPN) and digital billboards & signage (DBB); DOOH networks typically feature independently addressable screens, kiosks, jukeboxes and/or jumbotrons. DOOH media benefits location owners and advertisers alike in being able to engage customers and/or audiences and extend the reach and effectiveness of marketing messages. It is also referred to as digital signage.

DOOH includes stand-alone screens, screens on buildings, kiosks, and interactive media found in public places. The availability of inexpensive LCD screens with built-in media players has opened the door for companies to add interactive video messages in point of purchase (POP) displays. The displays allow consumers to get additional information at the moment of decision on a product or service. Growth in the DOOH industry has been increasing in 2009, with more POP manufacturers, advertisers, and content developers moving to digital. Technological improvements are holding down costs, and low-cost digital signage is making it easier to reach consumers on a larger scale. For example, beacons are small devices placed on out-of-home advertising structures that use Bluetooth technology to connect with mobile devices.

Types:

Aerial advertising: Aerial advertising includes towing banners via a fixed-wing aircraft as well as airships like blimps and other airborne inflatables above beaches, events and gridlock traffic.

Billboard bicycle is a new type of mobile advertising in which a bike tows a billboard with an advertising message. This method is a cost-efficient, targeted, and environmentally-friendly form of advertising.

Brochure Distribution: Information displays in public gathering spaces such as transportation centers, lodging facilities, visitor centers, attractions, and retail environments are targeted methods to distribute effective messaging to a targeted audience. This method is slightly different from traditional OOH as the consumer self-selects the messaging material, and can take that message with them.

Billboard: Billboards (or Bulletins) are usually located in highly visible, heavy traffic areas such as expressways, primary arterials, and major intersections. In the US bulletins are usually illuminated. The ad artwork, commonly digitally printed on large vinyl-coated fabric membranes, is often “rotated” by the outdoor plant operator amongst several locations in a metropolitan area to achieve the desired reach of the population as defined in the sales contract. With extended periods of high visibility, billboard advertisements provide advertisers with significant impact on commuters. This is the largest standard out of home advertising format, usually measuring at 14ftx48ft in overall size. Vinyl decals allowing use of windows, on a side and rear advertisement for alcohol on a Berlin bus

Bus advertising: Firmly establish brand awareness and generate quick recall with high-profile exposure near point of purchase locations.

Commuter rail display: Reaches a captive audience of upscale suburban commuters. Additionally, reaches lunch-time patrons, shoppers and business professionals.

ComPark advertising: ComPark is a device used for car park advertising, which is placed onto the parallel lines of a bay and is able to gain instant exposure from motorists that have parked their vehicle. The ComPark also serves as a guide to assist motorist in adhering to the parking bay size.

Gas Station Pump Top Advertising: Printed Signage is inserted into sign holder frames above the Pumps. These are called Pump Top advertising and are generally eye-level height. Average dwell time for customers to refuel their vehicle is 3-5 minutes which make this form of advertising very effective to reach automobile drivers.

Inflatable billboard: Similar to regular 2D billboard, but imposed on 3D object. Best used to market physical products rather than services. A cost-effective approach that is able to achieve high brand awareness and increase product purchases.

Lamppost banner advertising: Lamp columns are sited everywhere, allowing advertisers and events to use banners to target precise geographical locations and create massive promotional awareness.

Mobile billboard: Mobile billboards offer a great degree of flexibility to advertisers. These advertisements can target specific routes, venue or events, or can be used to achieve market saturation. A special version is the inflatable billboard which can stand free nearly everywhere. This product can also be used for outdoor movie nights.

Poster: Target local audiences with these billboards, which are visible to vehicular traffic, and are ideal for the introduction of new products/services. Marketers use posters to achieve advertising objectives and increase brand awareness by placing multiple units in strategic locations while lowering the cost per thousand impressions. This is a standardized poster format, typically measuring 12’3″ x 24’6″; formally known as a 30-Sheet Poster.

Premier panel: Premiere panels combine the frequency and reach of a poster campaign with the creative impact of a bulletin.

Premier square: Bright top and bottom illumination on a premiere panel provide extra impact after dark.

Street advertising: The use of pavements and street furniture to create media space for brands to get their message onto the street in a cost-effective approach.

Taxi advertising: Taxi advertising allows advertisers to highlight their products, whether brand awareness, or a targeted message, directly to areas where people work, shop, and play.

Wallscape: Wallscapes are attached to buildings and are able to accommodate a wide variety of unusual shapes and sizes. These billboard advertisements are visible from a distance and provide impact in major metro areas.

Aircraft Advertising: Aircraft advertising includes product or service branding inside and outside the aircraft. This includes wrapping the aircraft with printed SAVs, baggage tag branding, boarding pass branding, tray table branding and more.

Walking Billboards: These billboards are strapped on to the human shoulder and are carried along the targeted geographic area. These billboard advertisements are also visible during night.[citation needed] It helps the local advertisers as it is very cost effective and can be geographically targeted to a particular area.

Other types of non-digital OOH advertising include airport displays, transit and bus-shelter displays, headrest displays, double-sided panels, junior posters and mall displays.

Factors Affecting OOH Planning Decision

1. Plan a budget

Budget is the base of all your advertising plans, it can range from small to very large and is dependent on the type of marketing you want for your product. Making a proper budget plan for the advertisement helps you select the right media and locations you will be using for your outdoor advertisement.

2. Know the target market

Identify your target consumer and start advertising from there. For example, if you are selling clothing for working women, start from those areas which have most of the offices of the city. Outdoor advertising companies will advise their clients about the geographical facts that can decide a successful marketing campaign. Advertising a product on a very large scale yet still unable to find an increasing demand in the consumer market? This is usually the result of neglecting to analyze where your target market is and missing the opportunity to best to communicate your message to the targeted, potential consumer.

3. Collect information about your competitor’s strategies

Find out who your competition is, and who’s already advertising a similar product or service that may have the same appearance as your brand. Then research and analyze them to get useful information. What outdoor advertising strategies are they using? What kind of messages are they conveying? Are these messages precise or are they suggestive? What types of illustrations and visuals and are being used? Understanding your competitors will help you boost the effectiveness of your outdoor advertising campaign.

4. Consider offering promotional incentives

Offers that announce discounts or prizes can be likely to get more attention. Examples include offering prizes for the first few customers, discounts for repeat customers, or cash-based referrals for referring a friend or neighbor. Always be cautious when using this technique though as not to “cheapen” your brand.

Advantages

Outdoor advertising offers a number of advantages as depicted as under:

• Frequency: Because purchase cycles are typically for 30-day periods, consumers are usually exposed a number of times, resulting in high levels of frequency.
• Wide coverage of local markets: With proper replacement, a broad base of exposure is possible in local markets, with both day and night presence.
• Geographic flexibility: Outdoor advertising can be placed along highways, near stores, or on mobile billboards, almost anywhere that law permits. Local, regional, or even national markets may be covered.
• Ability to create awareness: Because of its impact (and the need for a simple message), outdoor can lead to a high level of last minute awareness and reminder of a product.
• Creativity: Outdoor ads can be very creative. Large prints, colours, and other elements attract attention.
• Efficiency: Outdoor usually has a very competitive cost per thousand measures when compared to other media.
• Production capabilities: Modern technologies have reduced production time for an outdoor advertising to allow for rapid turnaround time.
• Effectiveness: Outdoor advertising can often lead to increased sales, particularly when combined with a promotional program.

Limitations

• Limited message capabilities: Because of the speed with which most people pass by outdoor ads, exposure time is short, so messages are limited to a few words, and/or an illustration. Lengthy appeals are not likely to be effective.
• Waste coverage: While it is possible to reach very specific audiences, in many cases the purchase of outdoor advertising results in a high degree of waste coverage. It is not likely that everyone driving past a billboard is part of the target market.
• Wear out: Because of the high frequency of exposures, outdoor advertising may lead to a quick wear out. People are likely to get tired of seeing the same ad every day. Moreover, because of the severe weather conditions, the life of the outdoor banners and posters is generally very short.
• Measurement problems: One of the more difficult problems of outdoor advertising lies in the accuracy of measuring reach, frequency, and other effects.
• Cost: Because of the decreasing signage available and the higher cost associated with inflatable, outdoor advertising can be expensive in both an absolute and a relative sense.
• Image problems: Outdoor advertising has suffered some image problems as well as some disregard among consumers. People do not consider this medium a very authentic and prestigious. So, most of the renowned companies do not use this medium for advertising their products.
• Legal constraints: This medium also confronts lots of legal problems from time to time.

Television has often been referred to as the ideal advertising medium, and to many people it personifies the glamour and excitement of the industry. Radio, on the other hand, does not enjoy much of a respect from many advertisers. Dominated by network programming and national advertisers before the growth of TV, radio has evolved into a primarily local advertising medium.

Radio advertising sales represent the sale of airtime on local radio organizations, typically to local businesses and nonprofit organizations. This type of advertising is one of the oldest forms of business advertising. Different factors can affect radio advertising sales made to businesses, and many of these factors depend on the local market and radio station. These factors include time of advertisements, competition with other stations, types of advertisements available and cost of advertisements. Other economic factors might result in times of greater or lesser sales, just like with any other business.

Factors:

Radio Advertising Cost 1: Time and frequency

The time of day and frequency of playing your ad are important factors for radio advertising costs.

Time

A 15-second ad played during prime hours may cost the same as a 60-second ad played outside of peak periods. Keep in mind the morning and evening hours are more expensive than airtime in the middle of the day since many listeners turn on their radios during their commute.

Because the size of the radio audience changes drastically during the day, the radio rates will reflect the number of listeners you are expected to reach at any given time. For instance, during the midday, or from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., there may be few employed listeners tuning in to the radio station. This situation is because many people do not listen to the radio while at work.

The best airtimes to maximize the size of your audience are from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. After this hour, people tend to switch to television time. Note that radio stations often provide their audience data when you enquire about the slot you are interested in taking.

Aside from the time slot, another factor that may cause a price surge is when there are events in your area, such as festivals or elections. Many companies or candidates may want to advertise during these times, so expect to shell out extra money during these times.

Frequency

Another factor that will affect your radio advertising costs is the frequency of playing your ad. The key to a successful ad campaign is consistency. If your target audience only hears your ad once, it may not stick in their mind. If you want to engage current and future customers, your ad should run regularly over a suitable period of time. This tip will not only lead to increased foot traffic but also improved social media statistics.

Most brands use the 21/52 strategy, which specifies that your ad should run 21 times per week throughout the year. By following this, you will have around 1,100 opportunities to connect with your audience in the span of one year.

Radio Advertising Cost 2: The Market

One of the major factors that can affect your radio advertising costs is the radio market size of your preferred station. This consideration covers the surrounding area and communities, as well as the households and listeners that tune in to a particular station.

If you run a marketing campaign in large cities such as New York, expect to pay a higher fee compared to fees in a small town. When a radio station has a broader reach, this larger audience commands higher advertising costs.

Radio Advertising Cost 3: Ad quality

When it comes to your radio advertising costs, you get what you pay for. This factor is not only true when it comes to the time slot, but also your radio ad quality. The efficiency of the production, creative side, copy, and even call to action of your radio ad will significantly impact its effectiveness in urging customers to act. Your radio ad should be consistent across all marketing channels. So, it is highly recommended that you invest in hiring experienced professionals that can tailor your ads perfectly to your goals and vision.

Radio Advertising Cost 4: Regional rates

You may run your radio ad on local stations and pay less because they do not have the same number of listeners compared to a national radio station. If you have a small local business, there is no need to invest in national exposure. You just have to shoulder the flat rate of the local radio advertising costs. Because of this, you can run radio ads even if you’re on a tight budget.

Radio Advertising Cost 5: Negotiating Factors

When considering radio advertising costs, what you see isn’t always what you get. In other words, keep in mind that prices can be negotiable. For example, a local radio station might give you a larger discount if you commit to running an ad for a longer period.

Advantages of Radio Advertising

Radio has many advantages over other media, including cost and efficiency, selectivity, flexibility, mental imagery, integrated marketing opportunities etc. Some of the important ones are listed as under:

Selectivity: Another major advantage of radio is the high degree of audience selectivity available through the various program formats and geographic coverage of the numerous stations. Radio lets companies focus their advertising on specialized audiences such as certain demographic and lifestyle groups. Most areas have radio stations, which format such programs as adult contemporary, classical music, news, talk shows, top 20, to name a few. Some of the radio programs are meant exclusively for women and children. This provides radio geographic selectivity as well as target audience selectivity.

Cost and efficiency: One of the main strengths of radio as an advertising medium is its low-cost. Radio commercials are very inexpensive to produce. They require only a script of the commercial to be read by the radio announcers or a copy of the pre-recorded message that can be broadcast by the station. The cost for radio time is also low. The low cost of radio means advertisers can build more reach and frequency into their media schedule within a certain budget. Radio commercials can be produced more quickly than TV spots, and the companies can run them more often.

Flexibility: Radio is probably the most flexible of all the advertising media because it has a very short closing period, which means advertisers can change their message almost up to the time it goes on the air. Radio commercials can usually be produced and scheduled on a very short notice. Radio advertisers can easily adjust their messages to local market conditions and marketing situations.

Mental imagery: A potential advantage of radio that is often overlooked is that it encourages listeners to use their imagination when processing a commercial message. While the creative options of radio are limited, many advertisers take advantage of the absence of a visual element to let consumers create their own picture of what is happening in the radio message. Radio may also reinforce television messages through a technique called image transfer, where the images of a TV commercial are implanted into a radio spot. The idea is that when consumers hear the radio message, they will make the connection to a TV commercial, reinforcing its video images. Image transfer offers advertisers a way to make radio and TV ads work together synergistically.

Widest possible geographic coverage: Radio can and does reach almost every where, in India. Even at those places, where there is no television connectivity, people cannot read and write, still, they do have a radio or a transistor with the help of which they connect themselves with the rest of the world. This makes radio a truly mass media.

Mobility: Radio is extremely mobile. It follows the listener’s from room to room, goes to the beach, and rides in the car. There are few places it cannot go. It can even follow workers to their place of business.

Integrated marketing opportunities: Radio provides marketers with a variety of integrated marketing opportunities. Radio stations become an integral part of many communities, and the DJs and program hosts may become popular figures. Advertisers often use radio stations and personalities to enhance their involvement with a local market and to gain influence with their local retailers. Radio also works very effectively in conjunction with place-based/point-of-purchase promotions. Retailers often use onsite radio broadcasts, combined with special sales or promotions to attract consumers to their stores and get them to make a purchase. Live radio broad casts are also used in conjunction with events marketing.

Mass appeal: Radio as a medium is good for people from all the backgrounds, whether they are rich or poor, literate or illiterate, from every religion, caste, creed, or sex.

Sales promotion schemes: Radio is a very effective medium for the introduction of a new product, or a special announcement or for the promotion of a new sales promotion incentive.

Audio element: It depends solely on the spoken words in human voice. Listeners can hear the programs and the commercials, while doing other things such as driving a car or doing other household work. The touch of human voice also adds to the reception of radio commercials. Human voice has a warmth and persuasiveness in conveying a message that can be most effective. So, radio commercials call for least effort on the part of the target audience to listen to the commercials and get the message across.

Limitations of Radio Advertising

Several factors limit the effectiveness of radio as an advertising medium, among them, creative limitations, fragmentation, chaotic buying procedures, limited research data, limited listener attention, and clutter. Media planner must consider them in determining the role the medium will play in the advertising program.

Fragmentation: Another problem with radio is the high level of audience fragmentation due to the large number of stations. The percentage of the market tuned to any particular station is usually very small. The top-rated radio station in many major metropolitan areas with a number of AM and FM stations may attract less than 10 percent of the total listening audience. Advertisers that want a broad reach in their radio advertising media schedule have to buy time on a number of stations to cover even a local market.

Creative limitations: A major drawback of radio as an advertising medium is the absence of a visual image. The radio advertiser cannot show the product, demonstrate it, or use any type of visual appeal or information. A radio commercial is, like a TV ad, a short lived and fleeting message that is externally placed and does not allow receiver to control the rate at which it is processed. Because of these creative limitations, many companies tend to ignore radio, and agencies often assign junior people to the development of radio commercials.

Limited research data: Audience research data on radio are often limited, particularly compared with TV, magazines, or newspapers. Most radio stations are small operators and lack the revenue to support detailed studies of their audiences. And most users of radio are local companies that cannot support research on radio listenership in their markets. Thus, media planners do not have as much audience information available to guide them in their purchase of radio time as they do with other media.

Clutter: Clutter is just as much a problem with radio as with other advertising media. Most radio stations carry an average of nearly 10 minutes of commercials every hour. During the popular morning and evening rush hours, the amount of commercial time may exceed to 12 minutes. Also contributing to the clutter problem is the practice of some stations to offer “commercial-free” blocks of music to attract listeners.

Limited listener attention: Another problem that affects radio is that it is difficult to retain listener attention to commercials. Radio programming, particularly music, is often the background to some other activity and may not receive the listeners’ full attention. Thus, they may miss some or all of the commercials. One environment where radio has a more captive audience is in cars. But getting listeners to pay attention to commercials can still be difficult.

Transient Quality: Radio, like any time medium, is fleeting. The message is not available for reference or for rereading.

Keeping your finger on the pulse of your competition is one of the best ways to learn what works and what doesn’t. How successful are they in using certain channels? Chances are, they’re after the same demographic you are, right? Learn from them and make yours better.

Digital trends come and go. Instagram and Vine were extremely useful for many brands, but that doesn’t mean they were right for yours. Hang back and see what works for others before you spend money that could be wasteful.

Once you understand the pros and cons to various media, you can better determine what is right for your target consumer. Print ads in the paper will probably never be seen by a millennial, for example, who goes first to digital content. Whereas a baby boomer may not catch that Pinterest ad you’re running. Research, investigate, test. Then you’ll determine the right mix for your campaign.

Honest considerations about your product and brand.

• Budget carefully. Figure out how much money you’re working with. This will help you narrow down and prioritize the channels that will give you the best ROI.
• But know that just spending lots of money won’t automatically bring high results. The most important factor weighing on your campaign is the message. Invest in good branding and writing so that your ads have substance.
• Understand and define your product, brand, and value proposition. This will help you craft a message that speaks to who you are.
• Know your audience. Know not just who they are and where they shop, but also what they value so that your message reflects those same values.
• Know where your competitors are advertising. This can give you an indication of where you yourself may get the best ROI.
• Set realistic goals and then measure them. There’s no better way to refine your marketing strategy than by monitoring your results and implementing the findings on future campaigns.

Strategy:

Find the Right Media Mix

Using multiple advertising mediums to promote your products and services is often a great idea for a campaign, but it’s important to get that mix right. Different combinations work better with different audiences. It’s essential that you understand your target audience to determine what media mix to use to use. The choices you make in your media strategy will determine how successful you are with your advertising strategy.

Here are two key thoughts for guidance with your eventual media mix:

1) Defining your target audience with a reasonable amount of certainty.

2) Backing up your choices of media with accurate and current data of your audience’s media consumption habits.

Define the target audience

Defining the target audience for your product or service should take into account basic demographic data like gender, income, age, location and education levels. You should also know who are likely customers for your offering. Your team can develop customer personas to further drill down on your likely target audience types.

Use good data to choose media targets

Collecting more data on your target audience increases your opportunities to see relevant media matches, across formats, platforms and time zones. This should be clean data. This data can include organic research, industry research, competitor audits and more. Learning how to gather, analyze and effectively use data is one of the most important tools in any digital marketer’s toolkit.

Check the data from media viewing research sites including comScore, Nielsen, and local network affiliates, depending on your product or service. Collect specific data on gender, income, and region. Using the right data can provide the insight needed to boost engagement among target audiences and increase return on investment (ROI).

Omnichannel approach

Marketers are increasingly adopting an omnichannel approach to online advertising. Instead of narrowly focusing on a few niche channels, advertisers are going wide across the board. This means using retargeting, web ads, email marketing, online display ads, direct mail, social media ad programs, and pay-per-click channels to gain the attention of online customers.

The ultimate goal in an omnichannel approach is to spread the touches with your customers. The more times they see your ads, the more attention you can bring to your product or service

Use different media effectively

Maybe your budget doesn’t allow for for a wide omnichannel approach. Maybe your target audience stays glued to YouTube sports clips every evening. You’ll find this out by analyzing the YouTube viewer data for your preferred target customer. If that’s the case, you can concentrate a portion of your ad spend on this particular platform.

The concept of Mass Communication entails the transmission of messages to a large number of assorted, heterogenous people who are anonymous. These recipients or receivers of the messages delivered through the process of Mass communication are also called the Audience.

The term Mass Media Audience is often identified by the choice of Media made by the Audience. For instance the Audience of a ‘Newspaper’ includes the readers of a Newspaper; the audience of a particular Author or a series of books like Harry Potter, are its readers from all across the world; the audience of an FM channel on Radio or a given Radio Station are its listeners who regularly tune into the channel; The audience of a given Television Channel or a News Channel are those who watch the particular channel or serial from all across the world; the same applies in todays context for OTT content (Over the Top Content) like Netflix and Amazon Prime, Hotstar, etc which are accessible on your mobiles or your laptops, etc. The audience downloads these apps for a price and starts watching programmes, movies or series of serials which are available for them on these applications.

The Mass Media Audience is often characterised by the term Mass which enumerates how a Mass Audience is. The term Mass can be identified here as a large number of people who are heterogenous, assorted and anonymous in nature.

‘Large’ here would mean a relatively big audience or people who are many in number. However, it does not include everyone. People have their own choices in the consumption of Mass mediated messages. The Mass Media audience could be a small community with a thousand listeners or a large audience with billions glued to watching the Football World Cup finals.

‘Assorted’ here would mean a varied lot. Mass Media Channels have a huge audience but they are often assorted and spread out. They need not always be accumulated in the same place. The audience for a particular Media channel can differ not just from place to place but even in the precincts of a house. For instance, the children in the house may only prefer to watch cartoons on a particular channel, however, the parents may want to watch news, sports or any other tele-serial. The audience is scattered. Children in different homes from all across India may be watching a particular cartoon. Due to satellite Technology, this serial could even have an audience across countries. They may or may not be from a particular geographical context. They are assorted and from different places. However, for a Mass Media channel like a Community Radio, the audience is normally a particular community of people to whom the channel caters.

As Marco Dohle (2008) writes on the topic ‘Audience’ in the book, ‘The international Encyclopedia of Communication- Vol 1’ Contrary to the traditional Audience, the mass media Audience is not assembled where the received contents take place or are produced. The audience of Mass media is dispersed: as a general rule, the individual audience members are spatially separated from each other or, at the most, assembled only in small groups (Co-viewing). The members of an audience do not know or see each other; they do not communicate with each other either. However, they are aware that they are not the only recipients of mass media content, but that co- audience exists.

‘Heterogeneous’ here would mean that the audience includes different types of people. A Mass Media channel may have viewers from rich or poor backgrounds, educated or uneducated based on the content, it could be youth or adults, bureaucrats or ordinary middle- class family members.

‘Anonymous’ would mean that the audience is nameless and unspecified.  While analysis can predict the number of hits a channel gets or the popularity a particular serial or book garners, once cannot identify the specific characteristic of every individual audience member. You may identify the place in which your audience exists but you will not be able to identify the person by his or her name. The Audience is Anonymous.

However, in some cases, in todays digital arena where the Mobiles have people’s identity registered, it is easier to recognise the Audience from the details fed into the App.

Another factor that accompanies the Mass Media Audience member is the fact that a particular Mass Media Consumer can be part of the News Paper audience, an avid book reader, and a particular tele-serial follower at the same time. Which means such a person categorises as an audience for a newspaper as much as he or she categorises as a book reader or a Particular tele serial audience.

Media Reach

The owners and producers of the mass media conceive the total population whom their communications can reach. The signals of All India Radio are available to about 95 per cent of the population living in about 85 per cent of the country’s area.

So, the total population of India may be treated as audience for All India Radio. Similarly, Doordarshan can claim more than 80 per cent of the population as its audience because its signals can reach that many people. For a newspaper, audience would be defined in terms of all individuals who are within the distribution range of the papers. For a cable TV system, the audience reach will include all residents within the wired area.

Media Access

Mass media may be available but the capacity or willingness tome the media may not be there. A large section of the population does not have the radio receivers or television sets. Thus, only those who own the radio sets may be treated as audiences of All India Radio. But access may not overlap ownership. In fact, there are many people who watch television programmes at the houses of neighbours or friends or in community centres. Groups watching a popular television programme at a television shop is a common sight.

Media Exposure

Everyone who has access to radio or television does not necessarily use them. In a family that subscribes to a newspaper, everyone does not read it. So only these individuals who actually expose themselves to the media are the media audiences.

Media Effects Another way to think about audiences is in terms of individuals who have been exposed to mass communication products and have undergone a change in their knowledge, opinions, attitude or behaviour. A person may not recall anything of the information received after listening or watching a news Programme. The same person, after watching an advertisement, may immediately rash to buy the advertised product. Voters generally do not change their voting preference after listening to election broadcasts by the representatives of political parties.

Mass Media Audience and the Social Context

The Social Context also plays an important role in defining some of the Audiences. Particular serials in particular languages or dialects or cultures are often aimed at a particular audience. McQuail says, “Actual audiences were shown to consist of many overlapping networks of social relations based on locality and common interests, and the mass media were incorporated into these networks in different ways. Many Media operate in local environments and are embedded in local cultures. Since most people make their own media choices freely, they do not feel manipulated by remote powers.”

The audience may be large and assorted, but may follow similar cultural contexts. For instance, some serials that are popular in the Hindi language in India are often dubbed in other languages for people’s consumption across India. And these have a varied Indian Audience who just the same identify with the Indian culture and its practices and context.

As McQuail says, “Audiences are both a product of social context, (which leads to shared cultural interests. Understandings and information needs) and a response to a particular pattern of media provision. Often, they are both at the same time, as when a medium sets out to appeal to the members of a social category or the residents of a certain place. Media use also reflects broader patterns of time use, availability, lifestyle and everyday routines”.

A Targeted ‘Mass Media Audience’

Another important factor, that one should remember is that Mass Media Content is often made keeping in mind a target audience. For instance, Harry Porter series was a huge craze among children and teens. Cartoons like Mickey Mouse or Duck tales are meant for Kids. In case of Mass Media like Television or Radio, we need to understand that Tele- serials are made keeping in mind the Audience of the place the serial is aired. Or the Music aired on particular Radio Channels are aimed at particular audiences.

Audience as Market

The Audience and its receptivity of a particular Media product decides the fate of that product. Thus, before producing a product or making a product for general consumption of the people, a lot of hard work and Money is spent on Target Analysis and ‘Audience Research’. Secondly, if a particular Media product has a huge audience, the Advertisement revenue garnered for this serial is also big. Which would mean, the audience is actually compelled to see a particular Advertisement, due to the popularity of the serial. We are prospective consumers being doled out to an Advertisement company for the sale of their products.

Keval J. Kumar (2010) in his book ‘Mass Communication in India’ says, “The primary objective of market research is to provide advertisers and advertising agencies with quantitative data about the access and exposure of selected (segmented) audiences to the various mass media or to their various components. Armed with such ‘reliable’ data (believed to be ‘scientifically’ collected), advertisers can ‘slot’ their advertising spots in newspapers or magazines with the highest readership among audiences that have a good purchasing power (often termed ‘target audience’) or on the radio or TV programmes which have the highest rating or even on websites, search engines, blogs and social networks hat have the highest number of ‘page-views’, ‘hits’ or ‘click throughs’.”

McQuail puts it rightly in his book ‘Mass communication theory,’ “In an innovative and sophisticated move, the Canadian Dallas Smythe gave birth to the theory that audiences actually work for advertisers (thus for their ultimate oppressors). They do so by giving their free time to watch media, which labour is then sold by the media to advertisers as a new kind of; commodity.’ The whole system of commercial television and the press rests on this extraction of surplus value from an economically exploited Audience. The same audience has to pay yet again for its media, by way of the extra cost added to the advertised goods.”

Growth in the definition of the concept Mass media ‘Audience’

Thus, Mass Media Audience which was once relegated to town halls, theaters, stages and forums of rhetoric in different parts of the world has today become a diversified concept. In India too, this concept has existed over a period of centuries, where there has been preaching and talk, dance and folk dance performances, folk lore and folk art have drawn mass audiences in a time when Mass communication using mass media did not exist.

The concept of Audience was initially considered to be those who entered a hall to hear a talk or watch a Live performance, etc. It was with the arrival of the Mass Media, especially the Printing press, the radio and the television in the second half of the nineteenth and the early twentieth century, that the concept of a Mass Media Audience began getting defined.

In the words of McQuail (1997), one can’t speak of a “Mass media audience” before the circulation of printed- books and their use by a reading public at the end of the sixteenth century.

In the twenty-first century, the concept of Audiences has gone through a drastic change. Digitised content, the internet and the world wide web, has led to the Audience no more remaining passive in their behavior. The mediatisation of daily life where, people are buying, reading, shopping, banking, and interacting online has transformed the concept of Audience and its feedback. Audiences are responding, giving feedbacks, and are reciprocating to Mass Media content. The ‘Online’ world is virtual, large and perhaps unidentifiable but none the less, it is for real.

The social networking forums where Media content gets displayed has active audience interactions. Audience’s comment, are free to like or dislike and state their grievances on different forums. While there may be blocks, today’s audience finds its own way of sending its message loud and clear. The advertisers too are making drastic move towards online audiences with the huge increase in the number of people who are active online.

Various Categories Of Media Audiences

• The Mass Audience represents the dominant majority in a society. They are relatively average people. Mass audience represents almost all segments of the society.
• The Elite Audience comprises of highly educated people and their number in the society in relatively small.
• The Specialized Audience refers to the special interest groups in the society.
• The Interactive Audience consists of those who have control over the communication process in a society. They may be newspapers journalists or Radio or TV broadcasters.

Media mix is used to refer that the combination of communications channels which is used for the purpose of advertising particular goods or services by any particular business entities. The main objective of the media mix is to help the businesses in meeting up with the various marketing objectives.

Typically, these include newspapers, radio, television, billboards, websites, email, direct mail, the Internet and social media, such as Facebook or Twitter. Combining these channels in a media mix enables you to communicate in the most effective way with different types of customers and prospects at different stages of the purchase decision, according to Entrepreneur.

Integrated Media Work Harder

The components of a media mix are more effective when they are integrated. The benefit of an integrated campaign is that the media mix is more effective when the components work together and communicate consistent messages each time, according to MMC Learning. In practical terms, that means using the same creative themes and marketing messages across all elements of your media mix. Prospects viewing an advertisement, website page, direct mail piece or product guide from an integrated campaign would receive consistent messages, with each element of the mix reinforcing the others.

Right Message to the Right Audience

An effective media mix delivers the right marketing message to your customers and prospects at the lowest cost and with minimal waste. If you want to reach a consumer audience across the country, you might use a media mix that includes national newspapers, radio or television. If you wanted to reach a specific group of business decision-makers, such as technical directors, your mix might include specialist business magazines or exhibitions aimed at those directors. To reach a small number of key executives who influence a major purchasing decision, you might include personalized direct mail or an executive briefing session in your mix.

Aligning Media Mix With Buying Stages

Entrepreneur notes that the emphasis in the media mix changes at different stages in the buying cycle. When prospects are looking for information, they may read publications covering their interests, search websites, visit trade shows or check product review sites. So, it’s important that you have information in the places they are likely to visit. The emphasis in your media mix would be on raising awareness through advertisements, press releases, product pages on your website, participation in trade shows or comments on social media.

When prospects have expressed an interest in your products, you can use a different media mix to nurture them and move them toward a buying decision. The mix at this stage might include email offering detailed product information, a seminar or a customized sales proposal.

Fine-Tuning the Mix

Analytical tools are available to assess your media mix and improve the results you achieve. These tools identify the strengths and weaknesses of your marketing programs and your media mix. By demonstrating how changes in the mix can affect results, the tools help you to reallocate your budgets and create a better mix to improve marketing performance.

Advantages

• It helps the marketers in understanding the latest marketing trend that is going on in the market.
• Its take into account various external factors which makes it an effective tool for planning of the budget.
• It also helps in formulating a better strategy so that more and more people can get encouraged to buy the product.

Disadvantages of media mix

The disadvantage of them is that it is not able to provide gradual and person level insight which one important factor on which most of the modern marketers truly rely on. This way the media missing dens did not help in measuring the digital and the traditional form of marketing ROI when combined together.

It is a very powerful strategy to help advertise a product or any service that is being newly launched in the market.  The only things that should be taken care of are that it should be prepared by first researching well.

Usage of media mix

It is majorly used in the marketing industry. It is considered to be one of the masters marketing strategies and should be inculcated by all the businesses that are planning to grow at a rapid rate and survive in the industry for the longest time.  The media mix is used by all kinds of companies be it a new startup or a small company to any really big and well-established company.

Media mixing is a selling strategy which is compulsory for all. it is used by these companies to select the right kind of advertising channels that will help them advertise their products as many people as possible.

Thus, there is plenty of usage of the media mixing and when it is used with the right kind of approach will help the companies to generate a lot so sales revenue and profit.

Importance of media mix

It is a powerful media to help advertise the goods and services of a particular business entity so that its sales revenue and profit can grow at a rapid rate.  The importance of the media mix can be stated from the fact that if it is used in the right manner, the companies are able to deliver exactly the same kind of message that they want to.

It prospects lower cost and minimum waste. it holds importance as it lets the company reach to even those parts of the locations which are quite separated from the rest of the world.

No to reach for a particular ours which includes all kinds of decisions makers, the technical analyst then it is possible for the media mix to consist of business magazines and even a few of the exhibition which is entirely aimed at those directors. Also, it helps in reaching a small segment of the population which can be done by contacting the customers via personalized email and even an executive session in the media mix.

Also, a well-planned media mix helps in strengthening the media channel so that more and more people can get influenced.  The media mix helps in coordinating creativity with the right kind of timing and an apt frequency.

This creates a powerful impact on the demographic and encourages them to purchase the goods or the services that are being advertised. The media mix is also important because it does not remain fixed with time.

It understands the need for continues changes that people are going through and hence is adjustable according to the demand of the time. Also for a media mix to be effective is essential that continuous research is done and progressive changes are eking made to keep in touch with the latest trends and create an impact on the masses.

Print media advertising is a form of advertising that uses physically printed media, such as magazines and newspapers, to reach consumers, business customers and prospects. Advertisers also use digital media, such as banner ads, mobile advertising, and advertising in social media, to reach the same target audiences. The proliferation of digital media has led to a decline in advertising expenditure in traditional print media, but print isn’t dead.

Print advertisements are only effective when people see them. When people browse through newspapers and publications, these advertisements should grab the attention of the potential customer. Therefore, these advertisements should be created in such a manner that they can hold the attention of the customer to some extent. Usually, a team of individuals is required in order to design the advertisements.

The newspaper or magazine ad should be such that it should compel people to spend money on the products. This is just what the advertising team does. To create such an ad, the team members work on a concept and develop the wordings and images of the ad. These wordings and images are then brought together to form the final ad. Then there are people who deal with the placement of the ad. They have to make sure that if the client has paid for premium place, they get the desired exposure. For example, an ad on the first page will get instant attention of the reader than the ad on the subsequent pages. Likewise, an ad which occupies greater space is likely to get more attention. All these factors have to be looked into while designing the ad.

Factors Affecting Selection of Print Media Decisions

Class of the audience: Firstly, the advertiser must note the class of the audience to be influenced by the medium. The audience can be classified into different groups by their social status, age, income, educational standard, religion, cultural interests. They may also be divided into men and women.

Extent of coverage: Secondly, the advertiser must consider the number of audiences to be covered by the medium. Every media has a general as well as an effective circulation. The general circulation is made up of the total number of people who read or subscribe to the media. The effective circulation is the number prospective customers who read it and the number of those who influences sales, though they may not buy for themselves. Effective circulation must be considered while estimating the number of people to be covered. The extent to which the medium reaches the same audience as that covered by some other media i.e., the percentage of over-lapping must also be taken into account.

Nature of the product: Nature of the product itself is a principal factor governing the selection of the medium. Products can be classified into various kinds; consumer’s products and manufacturer’s products etc.

Nature of the competition: The nature of the competition exerts greater influence of the selection of the media. If the competition is stiff utmost care is needed in the selection of medium and a larger advertising budget is also required. In many cases where the advertising copy is similar or the choice of the media solely determines the effectiveness of the campaign as compared with that of the other competitors.

Reputation of the medium: Newspapers and magazines can offer a beautiful illustration for the reputation of the media. There are a few newspapers and magazines which have international reputation with a high readership. Advertisements in such magazines and newspapers are generally recognized and believed as true. Such advertisements also add prestige to the product.

Cost of the media: Cost of the medium in most cases, is an important factor in the selection of the medium. Advertisements in certain media are expensive. For instance, TV and Radio advertisements. Magazines and newspaper advertisements are generally considered as less expensive. Yet, certain magazines and newspapers, having larger circulation and high reputation charge higher rates. The rates also differ depending upon the space occupied and the preferential positions. The first page of a newspaper is rarely missed by the reader. Hence, they have more attention value, than the advertisements presented anywhere inside the newspaper.

Time and location of buying decisions: The location of the audience and the time by which it should reach them must also be looked into. This consideration also enables the advertiser to keep his retail outlets in the proximity of the customers.

Newspaper Advertising. Newspaper reading is a common habit among most of the educated people. Besides daily newspapers, there are bi-weekly and weekly newspapers also Newspapers reach almost every place and are read by all kinds of people. Therefore, newspaper can be used as a medium of advertisement with great advantage. While selecting a newspaper for this purpose, an advertiser has to take into consideration the strength of circulation, the class of readers it serves, the geographical region over which it is popular, and the cost of space.

Magazine Advertising. Magazine or periodicals are an excellent medium of advertisement when a high quality of printing in colour is desired. Magazine advertisements can be directed towards a particular class of people. . Thus, marketers can avoid wasteful expenditure on advertising.

Magazine advertising is considered to be superior to newspaper advertising because of the following merits:

• Magazines are read more carefully and at greater leisure. Advertising through magazines is more effective.
• The life of the magazine advertisements is longer. Magazines are preserved for a long period of time and are read time and again.

Types of Print Media

Print media include those media of communication which are controlled by time. It can be read at any available time and can be kept for record. Following are the major print media of mass communication.

Book

It is most effective mass media. It is best source of education. It is best and cheapest means of storing and transmitting to others the records. It is best example of print mass media. By books people easily get information and knowledge

Newspaper

It is most effective and important media of mass communication. Its valuable services to the community like information, education, entertainment, record facility etc. It gives information to the people in the printed form. It is good example of print media

Magazine

It is most important print media of mass communication. It gives information to the people. In magazines people show their talent in the form of anything. it is predecessor of the daily newspaper.

Advantages

Higher Frequency of Viewing

One of the best benefits of print media is that it has a higher frequency opportunity of viewing than online ads. Since the newspaper or magazine may sit on a table or rack at a business or home, repeated exposures are allowed. Flyers, brochures, and other physical pieces are often reviewed multiple times and shared with other prospects. Unlike digital messaging, print media does not disappear after generating an impression. It piles up, creates clutter, and is thereby reviewed once more, even before recycling or discarding. Because of this long shelf life, you can benefit from having your ad seen by more people, more often.

Holds Readers’ Attention

If you’ve ever tried to read a lengthy article online, you’ll understand how much the digital age has nearly killed the human attention span. People surf the Internet with multiple tabs open, while texting their friends, and half-listening to the television in the background. With all this constant stimulation, it’s almost impossible to focus on a single thing for very long. That’s why print media is the better option for your advertising. Print readers cannot multitask while they are reading your magazine or newspaper. This means they can focus on what they see and be more receptive to the ads within the publication. This benefit of newspaper advertising is one of the reasons why so many big brands still post ads in print.

Flexibility

Print ads are amazing at allowing you to target your audience. You’re in full control of exactly what section of the newspaper or magazine you place your ad in, and you can do this based on information about where your audience is most likely to read. You can run your ad in specialty magazines related to your topic or in general papers that deliver to your geographic locations. You can also run your ad on a specific day of the week. You can tailor your campaigns to suit your budget by changing the size and colour of your ad. Even more, you will be working with a human being when you buy your ad space, so you won’t be at the mercy of an online algorithm that decides where your ads are seen. Print media provides you much more customization than digital ads.

Credibility Increases Reader Loyalty

Print publications are better able to increase reader loyalty because they are credible. Many people subscribe to magazines and newspapers because they understand and believe that the information provided to them is credible and accurate. Publishing an article in print takes a lot more effort than publishing something online. This is because you only have one chance to get every word and image right before it gets published. With online ads, you can go back in to change or tweak your ad and send it back out. Since there is this pressure on accuracy and credibility and print media, readers are more likely to trust this platform. This works to your advantage by generating leads and sales much easier. As an added benefit, this trustworthiness leads to better reader loyalty.

Control over Appearance

Another newspaper advertising advantage is that you can control the way it looks. You have complete power over the colours you use and the characteristics of the paper. Every aspect of typography, colour choices, graphics, and design allow you to create a presentation that meets the expectations of your prospects. Other types of media provide less control over these aspects. Digital media can be subject to operating systems and browser configurations, and television advertising only appears and sounds as good as the technology it is presented upon.

Encourages Action

When people use the Internet, they try to avoid ads at all cost. It’s easy to click the “X” button within seconds of an ad popping up on the screen it’s almost instantaneous. Online users hate ads. There are even apps designed to block ads from showing up on webpages. This isn’t the case with print media. Most print readers are motivated to take some form of action after viewing a magazine or newspaper ad. For example, ads for a local grocery chain product sale encourage customers to visit the store and buy the product right away, instead of waiting until they actually need it. The idea that the item, at such a good price, could go out of stock sends signals to the reader that they need to take immediate or soon action, so they don’t miss out.

More Accurate Targeting

It’s hard to know exactly whether print media or digital media are better at reaching a targeted audience. Print allows you to choose a publication that your target audience is most likely to read. This can be a trade magazine that caters to a specific industry or a local newspaper. This is why many say print is better at reaching local audiences. Print media allows you to advertise directly to your audience, by publishing your ad in magazines that rely on subscriptions. For example, if you sell gardening tools, you can post your ad in gardening and home magazines. Since digital ads can get lost on the Internet and are subject to algorithms, you can benefit from choosing a print media marketing solution. You have the time to better understand your target audience and specify your ad to appeal to them.

Sensory Experience

Some people simply enjoy the act of flipping through magazine pages, creating “dog ears” on the pages they want to turn back to, and carrying the information everywhere they go. When people wait at a doctor’s office, it’s second nature to pick up the magazine or newspaper on the front table and start reading. When people take a flight on an airplane, they often bring reading material to enjoy as they relax and try to get their mind off how high up they are. This sensory experience of touching the page of the ad is on improves the impact it has on consumers.

Limitations

Competition for attention is fierce: Research shows that Americans now engage with seven different types of information sources each day from print, TV and radio to online videos while spending one of every four minutes on a social media platform. Rather than fight this trend, savvy business owners work to ensure that their media mix covers all the opportunities available to them.

Print media requires multiple exposures: Consumers need to see an ad several times before they will take action. Marketing professionals call these exposures “touches.” This is why print ad buys are usually made in bundles for multiple exposures. Print media can quickly add up to be a costly proposition for the small business owner, which is why it’s imperative to select the different media carefully, so that you increase the chance of a return.

Print media requires longer lead times: The immediacy of social media has cast a brighter light on the meaning of the word “long.” Even if it’s not particularly well done, an ad can be written and posted on a social media platform within minutes. Competition has helped shorten lead times, but print ads must be written, produced and distributed. Knowing this, small business owners should plan accordingly, designating print media for messages that are less time-conscious in nature and are less likely to change at a moment’s notice.

• Requires multiple exposures
• Not for a global audience
• Requires a lot of planning
• Hard to target a specific audience
• Competition for attention is fierce
• Higher cost
• Requires longer lead times