Advertising Scheduling
Scheduling directly refers to the patterns of
time in which the advertisement is going to run. It helps fixing up the time
slots according to the advertiser so that the message to be delivered will
reach target audience in a proper way with proper timings.
Media
scheduling is one of the important decisions in advertising programme. Company
should carefully decide on media timing for a maximum market response.
Media scheduling is simply a time-table showing:
(1)
The time decision – when to advertise,
(2)
The duration/space decision – how much to advertise each time, and
(3)
The frequency to advertise the message through different media – how many times
in a year (or specified time period) the message should be advertised in each
of the media.
However, the first decision, i.e., time decision, is more relevant to
media scheduling. Media scheduling calls for consideration of various factors
to arrive at appropriate media timing. The decision is vital due to the fact
that demand is subject to vary as per cyclical trend and/or seasons. To realize
the maximum benefits of advertising costs, the most effective time is selected.
Those executives or experts responsible to carry out advertising activities
take a media scheduling decision.
Types Scheduling Strategies:
A
company has following alternative scheduling strategies to decide on micro-scheduling:
1. Continuous Advertising:
This
scheduling involves advertising the message evenly throughout a given period.
For example, if company wants 48 television/radio spots, it will advertise 4
times in a month or once in a week, or on every Monday.
2. Concentrated Advertising:
This
scheduling involves giving all the advertisement in a single period. Thus, the
concentrated advertising means to spend the entire advertising budget within
one flight. It is applicable when product is sold in one season, event,
festival or holiday. For example, the company advertises 48 spots within four
days during Diwali festivals, 12 times a day.
3. Fighting Advertising:
This
scheduling involves giving advertisement at specific intervals. Company
advertises for some period, followed by break of no advertisement, followed by
the second flight of advertisement and likewise. Company with seasonal,
cyclical, or infrequently purchase products follows such scheduling. Company
with a limited fund prefers to advertise during a specific season or festival
only.
4. Pulsing Advertising:
This
scheduling is the combination of both continuous and fighting advertisements.
It includes continuous advertising at low-weight level, reinforced periodically
by waves of heavier activity. In other words, the company spends certain
portion of advertising fund for continuous advertising, and the remaining fund
for fighting advertisement.
For example, the company may advertise once in a day with a brief
advertisement message. And, its detail advertisement appears for a week
regularly after every three months. This timing is preferred by the financially
sound companies.
The
advertiser has to consider two types of media scheduling problems:
Macro-scheduling:
The
macro-scheduling involves allocating advertising expenditure and frequency
(repetition/reproduction of message) in relation to season or broad picture of business
cycle. The macro-scheduling problem concerns with how to schedule advertising
in relation to seasonal and business cycle trends.
The broad picture of seasonal and/or cyclical trend
is considered. This is due to the fact that the demand is fluctuated as per
seasons and/or business cycle. Therefore, it is desirable to vary advertising
expenditures to follow seasonal patterns. Company, as per its calculation, can
spend more or less during the season or particular phase of business cycle.
According to experts, advertising does not
have immediate impact on consumer awareness, sales, or profits.
Micro-scheduling:
The
micro-scheduling problem concerns with allocating advertising expenditure and
frequency within a short period to obtain the maximum response or impact. In
other words, the problem deals with how to distribute advertising expenditure
within the given time.
For example, a company has decided to advertise specific message 60 times
(that requires approximately Rs. 500000) through daily regional newspapers in a
year. Now the question is to decide on which days/weeks/months/seasons the 60
times advertisement is to be allocated. Similarly, the same issue is related to
radio or television spots.
Factors Affecting Advertising Scheduling:
The
allocation of advertising expenditure/frequency over time depends on advertising
objectives, nature of product, type of target customers, distribution channel,
and other relevant marketing factors. But, mostly, following five factors are
considered to decide on the timing pattern.
1. Buyer Turnover:
It
shows the rate at which new buyers enter the market. The rule is, the higher
the rate of buyer turnover, the more continuous the advertisement should be.
2. Purchase Frequency:
It
shows the number of times during the specific period that the average buyer
buys the product. The common rule is, the higher the purchase frequency, the
more continuous the advertisement should be.
3. Forgetting Rate:
It
shows the rate at which the buyer forgets the brand. The rule is, the higher
the forgetting rate, the more continuous the advertisement should be.
4. Financial Condition of
Company:
It
shows an ability of a company to spend for advertisement. The rule is, the more
is the ability to spend, the more continuous the advertisement will be.
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