The way information is available to consumers is evolving and so should your way of reaching them as advertisers. So how do you reach elusive customers? A strong start is to have an integrated marketing plan that consists of different mediums. It is necessary to define who your target audience is and how you plan on effectively reaching them. For example, car companies trying to reach young adults 18-34, have been using product placement in comic books, video games, commercial spots in videos seen via cell phones and various Internet tactics. They still use TV and print, but are finding that is not enough to reach young adults. What is the difference between the way it was and the way it is now?
Internet
The internet is different from conventional advertising media in several respects. First, it can serve as not only a communications channel but also a transaction and distribution channel. B-to-B and B-to-C customers can get information and make purchases and payments all through the Internet. No other medium can accomplish these marketing functions instantly, without utilizing other outside means.
Second, the Internet is by nature interactive. Users can initiate a shopping experience by visiting a website and clicking on hyper-linked text for more information. It is a two-way communication, with the Internet serving as a provider of customized content that meets an individual's needs.
Third, it has the capacity for multimedia content. It can carry not only text and graphics but also audio and video content. The multimedia nature of the Internet is ideal for high-impact advertising. The Internet has become an integral part of the media mix for many advertisers, and new forms of advertising have filled the www landscape, including animated banner ads, rich media, sponsor logos, interstitials, “advertorials,” “advertainment” and 3-D visualization.
Television
It’s come a long way baby since the black and white days of the 1950’s. When television was first introduced to the public only three channels existed. Today there are multiple TV delivery outlets. There are four major English language networks: ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX, who will be joined by CW and My Network TV this fall. PBS is also included in this broadcast mix. The main Spanish language television networks consist of Univision and Telemundo.
Then there are cable and satellite television, where the number of smaller networks and channels continues to grow each year. Each channel is segmented to reach a narrow demographic. Mix in hundreds of stations and HD programming, new technology will surely provide more options.
Why does TV still work? It provides an entrée into viewers homes and hearts. When you consider that more than 99.9% or 1,102,000 of American homes have them, it remains a tough medium to beat.
Radio
Remember the images of families gathering around the radio for news and entertainment? It seems absurd in today’s world that that little box used to deliver such a stronghold. When TV arrived, radio adapted to its changing role by adding more music-only stations and diversified offerings.
Today, there is a format for any type of audio experience you enjoy. In addition, subscriber based networks like Sirius and XM Satellite provide an ever broader array of genres without strict FCC regulation.
Despite all the changes, radio is still a stable and personal media that has an average of six distribution systems (sets) in every Household. Radio reaches 99% of the population each week. It’s informational, targeted, free and convenient. Radio gives you top-of-mind awareness. Radio's ability to provide frequency and targeted reach makes it a major weapon in the ongoing battle for market share. And radio’s out-of-home reach is incomparable; virtually 50% of adults who've made a purchase in the past 24 hours were reached by radio within an hour of their purchase. How about that for the last word?
Outdoor
Formerly, the outdoor sector of advertising referred to a few hand-painted billboards lined up near freeways and popular intersections. Now, outdoor consists of mall kiosks, mobile billboards, bathroom signage, busses, taxi tops and digital electronic signs. The list continues to grow as the demand to reach consumers increases.
So why is outdoor advertising still so popular? It is a cost effective way to reach people at a high rate of frequency (24 hours a day). Outdoor advertising conveys stability, stands alone without clutter, has a larger-than-life visual appeal and a true ability to reach the masses.
Direct Mail
Back in the day, most postcards were sent to friends and family from vacation spots. Now, postcards are sent for everything under the sun. Direct mail grew almost 6% last year, to over 100 billion mailed pieces sent by dozens of direct mail providers. The sheer quantity of pieces mailed creates a highly competitive marketplace. In order to capture the recipient’s attention, enticing copy and show stopping design must work together to boost effectiveness and response rates.
Many people today want to duplicate direct mail via email. That mentality could leave the sender open to serious federal litigation. Therefore, internet laws are driving the resurgence in the use of direct mail.
Newspaper
Once a family tradition and the primary source for extended news, daily papers have become extinct in some areas. In order to survive and thrive, many newspaper publishers now deliver news across the internet, via cell phones and have established co-branded partnerships with TV outlets.
Local newspapers have begun to shift their focus to more regionally based stories by narrowing their content down by zip codes. This makes local news programs more valuable commodities by delivering what national giants cannot.
Newspapers give advertisers an effective, frequent vehicle in which to stand out in their neighborhoods. Today’s typical newspaper reader is more a mature demographic.
Print
Remember receiving your favorite magazine in the mail? Today, most consumers don’t just have one preferred magazine, they have dozens. Subscription rates have steadily declined at about the same rate as the number of titles has increased.
Today’s magazine industry is similar to TV by narrow-niching demographics. It is also similar to newspaper in which strategic online and TV form alliances to cross-brand and deliver content. The good news for advertisers is that the demand for magazines seems to match the number of titles, and technological sophistication provides the ability to reach national publication audiences with regional insertions.
The vast array of print advertising mediums, including newspapers and magazines, makes it possible for both consumer and business advertisers to pinpoint the delivery of their message to highly select target markets in a variety of fields or geographic locations.
Today’s world is simply more sophisticated, which is why marketing expertise is so important. An integrated marketing campaign using a variety of today’s sophisticated delivery vehicles will deliver the greatest results.
Television:
- As we predicted, Televisa confirms they will make a bid for Univision. The Univision Network was the #5 network in the country in primetime among all A18-24, A18-34, A18-49 and Total Viewers 2+.
- Katie Couric has only a matter of days until she makes her big move to ABC in June. What, if any, impact will this have on the Today Shows ratings, who continue to lead the market in their time period?
- The upfront, where the networks showcase their fall lineups and try to secure advertising dollars, takes place this month. Which network’s shows will create the most hype? Stay tuned to find out.
Radio:
The winter survey is out.
Adults 18-49 Top Stories
- Spanish radio station KHOT retains its #1 reign for the sixth consecutive survey.
- Rock places two stations, KUPD and KSLX, in the top five for the first time in three years. Trends show that rock stations tend to have better ratings in the summer, too, so let’s see if they can sustain their hold in the next survey.
Here is the list of the top 10 stations in the valley Adults 18-49:
1. KHOT- La Nueva 105.9
2. KUPD- 97.9
3. KPKK -The Peak 98.7
5. KSLX- 100.7 makes top five for the first time in six years
5. KISS- 104.7
6. KQMR/OMR – 100.3
7. KKFR- Power 92.3
8. KMXP- Mix 96.9
9. KDKB- 93.3
10. KNIX- 102.5
Folks, this is the list per the survey provided. And yes, we can count.
Now for the big news, Power 92.3, “Where hip hop lives”, will be no more. Bonneville has purchased Power 92.3 from Emmis Communications for $77 million dollars and plans to turn Power into a FM version of KTAR. What impact will this have? Stay tuned to find out.
AT&T is currently purchasing Cingular’s parent company, BellSouth, and will remove the Cingular name, replacing it with the euphonious AT&T Wireless. Gone, too, will be the dancing orange fellow we all know and love. Branding and building the Cingular line cost BellSouth $4 billion. Oh well. |
