Page 233 - DMGT507_SALES AND PROMOTIONS MANAGEMENT

Unit 13: Broadcast Media and Media Planning

Notes
Example: The jingle of "Videocon Washing Machine", or "Washing Powder Nirma"
broadcast on radio can create image transfer of ads shown on TV.
Image transfer means that when consumers hear the same ad message or jingle on radio, they
connect it to the TV commercial and visualise images. Thus, radio and TV ads reinforce each
other.

Limitations

Like any other medium, radio too has certain limitations. These include lack of a visual element,
audience fragmentation, limited research data, limited listener attention, and clutter. These are
important factors and media planner must consider them because radio is not an ideal medium
for every type of advertising objective.

1. Lack of Visual Element: The most fundamental problem associated with radio is lack of a
visual element. The radio advertiser cannot show or demonstrate the product, or make
use of any other visual appeal. As discussed earlier, in creating brand awareness, package
identification often is critical for many advertisers considering the increasing number of
large retail stores in cities with self-service. In rural markets, where the literacy rates are
quite low, package identification plays a major role in brand selection.
2. Audience Fragmentation: Large number of radio stations creates audience fragmentation.
The number of audience tuned to any particular station is usually quite small. Advertisers
who want to reach broad market areas through radio, with language differences, have to
buy time on a number of stations reaching specific geographic areas.
3. Limited Research Data: All India Radio has an Audience Research Unit (ARU) to gather
data on prime time listening, programme preferences and radio audiences' qualitative
assessment of programmes. NRS also collects data on radio audience. However, the research
data on radio is limited compared to television, newspapers, and magazines.
4. Limited Listener Attention: It is difficult to attract and retain radio listeners' attention to
commercials. Programme switching is frequent among listeners and they often miss all or
some of the commercials. Possibilities of distortion in radio broadcast are high, and this
irritates the listeners and commercials are missed.

5. Clutter: With the increasing intensity of advertising, clutter has become a problem in
advertising media, and radio is no exception. Commercial channels carry many advertising
messages every hour and it is becoming increasingly difficult for ad messages to attract
and retain audiences' attention. Much depends on the precision of script writing,
accompanying sounds, and level of distortion.

Task Make a note of five ads from five different general channels and five ads
from different time slots from a particular channel. Are they of similar
product type and class?

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