Page 235 - DMGT507_SALES AND PROMOTIONS MANAGEMENT

Unit 13: Broadcast Media and Media Planning

13.4 Steps involved in Media Planning Notes

The media class refers to the general category of message delivery systems available to carry
advertising messages to a targeted audience. For example, print media, broadcast media, and
outdoor media etc. are media class. Within these categories are media subclasses (medium) such
as newspapers, magazines, TV, Radio and so on. The media vehicle is the specific message
carrier within a medium, such as Hindustan Times, Business Today, and Star Sports are examples
of media vehicles in print and broadcast media. Media schedule specifies media scheduling and
the timing decisions.
Media owners and managers try hard to fulfill consumers' needs for entertainment and
information. Once a medium or vehicle gets established and builds a significant audience, it is
viewed as important and is in a position to attract advertisers who are willing to pay for the
advantage of reaching that audience with their ad messages.
Broadcast, press, outdoor, posters, and cinema are often referred as above-the-line-media. Direct
mail, sales promotion, exhibitions, merchandising, and sales literature etc. are referred as below-
the-line-media. This distinction in media type is based on whether the agency gets a commission
or not. In case of the former category (above-the-line), the agency gets a commission, while in
the later (below-the-line) there is no commission.
Some basic terms associated with media planning need to be defined. Media planning refers to
a series of decisions required in an effort to delivering the ad message to the largest number of
the target audience in the most effective manner at the lowest cost. The media plan specifies
media objectives and media strategies to accomplish the pre-determined objectives.

Coverage means the potential audience that might get exposed to the message through a media
vehicle. Reach is a measure of the number of target audience members exposed at least once to
a media vehicle in a given period of time. 'Coverage' refers to potential and 'Reach' refers to
actual target audience exposed to the message vehicle and expressed in percentage terms (though
% sign is not used). Frequency refers to the average number of times the audience is exposed to
a media vehicle in a given period of time (usually determined on a weekly basis for ease in
advertising schedule planning).

The basic goal of media plan is to formulate a particular combination of media (media mix) that
would enable the advertiser to communicate the message successfully and effectively to the
maximum number of potential and existing customers in the target market at the lowest cost.
Any mistakes in this function may result in wastage of substantial amounts of money.

13.4.1 Market Analysis and Identifying the Target Market

While undertaking the overall promotion planning analysis, a complete review of internal and
external factors is done.
During developing a media strategy, the focus of analysis is on the media and delivering the
message. The key questions at this stage are:
1. Who is the target audience for advertising?
2. What internal and external factors may influence the media plan?

3. Where (geographic areas) and when (timing) to focus the advertising efforts?
The market analysis may reveal more than a few target markets. To decide which specific
groups should be addressed the media planner works with the client, account executives,
marketing department, and the creative directors. At this stage, the media planner may need
some secondary or primary data regarding the audience size, composition, and exposure figures,

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