REACH, FREQUENCY & CONTINUITY
There are basically three important concepts
that are generally incorporated in the media planning process:
(a) Reach
(b) Frequency
(c) Continuity.
(a) Reach:
The total number of
people who have seen / listen your advertising or content.
Reach refers to the total number of
households that will be exposed to the message through a particular media
vehicle over a set period of time or it is measure of the number of different
audience members exposed to at-least once to a media vehicle in a given period
of time.
Advertisers are mainly interested in the
percentage of the total market that they can make reach their message through
the media in a given area of coverage. Reach is usually expressed as a
percentage of total number of households in a prescribed area that have been
exposed to the advertising message.
The purpose of reach is the optimal
exposure. The idea behind the strategy of greater reach is that the
advertisement be received by as many people as possible at the first instance.
Achieving awareness requires reach i.e. exposing buyers to the message.
New brands or products need a very high
level of reach since the objective is to make all potential buyers aware of the
new entry. High reach is also desired at later stages of the product life
cycle.
The strategy of greater reach is desirable in
following circumstances:
1. When introducing the new use for the
product in order to expand its market share.
2. To improve the image of the company.
3. When the new product is introduced.
(b) Frequency:
The number of times a
person must be exposed (see or listen) to an advertising message before a response
(final purchase) is made.
Frequency refers to the number of times
the receiver is exposed to the media vehicle in a specified vehicle, or refers
to the number of exposures to the same message that each household supposedly
receives. Since the frequency may differ for different set of households the
average frequency is
Average frequency =
Total exposure for all households / Reach
Frequency primarily means repetition of
the same message and the objective of greater frequency is to promote interest
and desire for the product on a continuous basis.
It is advisable to go for high frequency under
the following situations:
1. When the message is not easy to remember.
2. When the direct order from people is
desired as a result of a given advertisement.
3. When competitor is using high
frequency to reach the same segment of the market.
4. If the product or brand is not
sufficiently differentiated from products and brands of competitors.
5. When a reaction is desired within a
limited time period.
Factors Important in Determining Frequency
Levels:
These factors can be broadly classified as:
(i) Media factors
(ii) Marketing factors
(iii) Message or creative factors.
(i) Media Factors: It includes:
(a) Attentiveness:
The higher the level of attention
achieved by the media vehicle; the less frequency is required. Low attention
getting media will require more repetitions.
(b) Number of Media used:
The fewer media are used, the lower, the
level of frequency required.
(c) Clutter:
The more advertising that appear in the
media used, the more frequency is needed to break through the clutter.
(d) Repeat Exposure:
Media that allow for more repeat
exposures—for example, monthly magazines require less frequency.
(e) Editorial Environment:
An ad that is consistent with the
editorial environment needs lower levels of frequency.
(f) Scheduling:
Continuous scheduling requires less
frequency than does flighting or pulsing.
(ii) Marketing Factors: It includes:
(a) Brand Loyalty:
An inverse relationship exists between
loyalty and frequency. The higher the loyalty, the lower the frequency level
required.
(b) Usage Cycle:
Products used daily will quickly needed
to be replaced. A higher level of frequency is desired.
(c) Brand History:
Is the brand new or established? New
brands generally require higher frequency levels.
(d) Target Group:
The ability of the target group to learn
and to retain messages has a direct effect on frequency.
(e) Brand Share:
An inverse relationship exists between
share and frequency. The higher the brand share, the lower the frequency level
required.
(f) Competitive Share of Voice:
Higher frequency levels are required when
a lot of competitive noise exists and when the goal is to meet or beat
competitors.
(g) Purchase Cycles:
Shorter purchasing cycles require higher
frequency levels to maintain top of mind awareness.
(iii) Message or Creative Factors: It
includes:
(a) Image Versus Product Sell:
Creating an image requires higher levels
of frequency than does a specific product sell.
(b) Message Complexity:
The simpler the message, the less
frequency required.
(c) Advertising Units:
Larger units of advertising require less
frequency than smaller ones to get the message across.
(d) Message Uniqueness:
The more unique the message, the lower
the frequency level required.
(e) Wear Out:
Higher frequency may lead to wear-out.
This effect must be tracked and used to evaluate frequency levels.
(f) New Versus Continuing Campaigns:
New campaigns require higher levels of
frequency to register the message.
(g) Message Variation:
A single message requires less frequency.
A variety of messages requires more.
Effects of Reach & Frequency:
1. Beyond three exposures within a brand
purchase cycle or over a period of four or even eight – weeks, increasing
frequency continues to build advertising effectiveness at a decreasing rate but
with no evidence of decline.
2. Although there are general principles
with respect to frequency of exposure and its relationship to advertising
effectiveness, differential effects by brand are equally important.
3. Since one exposure is usually in
effective, the central goal of productive media planning should be to enhance
frequency rather than reach.
4. One exposure of an ad to a target
group within a purchase cycle has little or no effect in most circumstances.
5. The data strongly suggest that wear
out is not a function of too much frequency; it is more of a creative or copy
problem.
6. The evidence suggests strongly that an
exposure frequency of two within a purchase cycle is an effective level.
7. Nothing we have seen suggests that
frequency response principles or generalisations vary by medium.
(c) Continuity:
As the impact of an advertisement reduces
after a certain period of time so it is important that the advertisement is to
be repeated after a certain period of time to make an impact.
When a consumer continues to view or hear
about the product or the company in a positive way, it helps him to remember
the product continuity has a cumulative effect of advertising on the consumer
and is dependent upon the length of the time the advertisement runs.
Gross
Rating Points (GRP):
The media buyer typically uses a
numerical indicator (GRP) to know how many potential audience members might be
exposed to a series of commercials.
GRP = Reach x Frequency.
GRP is the total audience that might be
reached by a media schedule.
Flexibility
in Media Planning:
An effective media strategy requires a
degree of flexibility. Because of the dynamism of the environment, strategies
may need to be modified.
Flexibility in media planning is required
because of the following reasons:
(a) Market threats
(b) Non availability of media
(c) Changes in media or media vehicles
(d) Market opportunities.
(a) Market Threats:
Internal or external factors may pose a
threat to the firm, and a change in media strategy is dictated. For example, a
competitor may alter its media strategy to gain an edge. Failure to respond to
this challenge could create problems for the firm.
(b) Non-Availability of Media:
Sometimes a desired medium (or vehicle)
is not available to the marketer. Perhaps the medium does not reach a
particular target segment or has no time or space available. There are still
some areas of this country where certain media do not reach.
Even when the media are available,
limited advertising time or space may have already been sold or cut-off date
for entry may have passed. Alternative vehicles or media must then be
considered.
(c) Changes in Media or Media
Vehicles:
A change in the medium or in a particular
vehicle may necessitate a change in the media strategy. For example, the advent
of cable TV opened up new opportunities for message delivery, as will the
introduction of interactive media.
(d) Market Opportunities:
Sometimes a market opportunity arises
that the advertiser wishes to take advantage of. For example, the development
of a new advertising medium may offer an opportunity that was not previously
available.
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