MEDIA SCHEDULING

 Media Scheduling

 

Media scheduling decisions are the decisions about the timing, continuity, and size of the ads.

We must plan out when to advertise, for how long, and for what time period.

We have to also decide the size and placement of our ad.

 

Timing: Advertising message can be timed in four ways depending upon our objectives

 

I. To time the message in such a way that the customers are most interested in buying that type of a product, e.g. fridges or air conditioners in summer, soft drinks in summer, woolens in winter, gift items during Deepavali.

 

II. To time the message in such a way that it stimulates demand in the lean period, e.g. ice creams in winter, holiday resorts in monsoons.

 

III. To time in such a way that it by-pass competitive campaigns, e.g. Pepsi commercials are to be aired when there are no Coke commercials.

 

IV. To time in such a way that the message is carried by the media when the audience is receptive to it, e.g. household products in the afternoon slot of TV when housewives watch TV.

 

The importance of time element must be understood in the purchase behavior of the customer by doing suitable research.

 

Most Organizations Use One of These Three Scheduling Strategies

 

Three Scheduling Methods

 

1. Continuity: Placing media throughout the year with equal weight in each month. When an ad is run in the media for a long period without any gap, we are using continuity scheduling. It is used for those products, which are in demand round the years. The ads are in the form of reminder.

 

2. Alternative to continuity is fighting:

Where advertising runs for some period and then there is a gap, and again it runs for some period. Thus, it is a scheduling strategy in which planned messages run in intermittent periods. The interval between two advertising runs comes after a flight.

The message can be scheduled to correspond to peak purchasing periods or at a time when the audience is most receptive. When we have a media mix alternative flights are adjusted in such a way in different media that overall continuity is achieved.

 

3. Pulsing is another option.

A combination of flighting and continuous scheduling that provides a "floor" of media support throughout the year with periodic increases. It represents a consistent low-level advertising activity, and addition of pulse to make a high-level of advertising during certain periods.

A pulse is a period of intense advertising activity.

The pulses can occur at the start while launching a new product.

There can a promotional pulse of one shot, e.g. financial advertising of a company’s issue. Bursting is a technique for scheduling TV ads. Here the commercial is repeated on the same channel time and again to reinforce the message for a short period.

 

Characteristics of Scheduling methods:

 

METHOD	ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGE
Continuity	a.       Serves as a constant reminder b.      Covers the entire buying cycle c.       Allows media priorities	a.       Higher costs b.      Overexposure c.       Limited media allocation
Flighting	a.       Cost efficiency of advertising during purchase cycle b.      May allow inclusions of more mediums or vehicles	a.       Competitors may take advantage b.      Chance of wear out high
Pulsing	A combination of all of the above points	Not required for seasonal or cyclical products