Advertisers, both big and small, like to know all the facts before choosing one media form over another or combining them to create the most effective mix.
The information below will help advertisers to make well-informed decisions regarding the best marketing mix for their businesses.
Compare cable television advertising with other media advertising options to see why cable TV has the most options for an effective advertising media mix.
Newspapers
One of the oldest forms of mass media, newspapers can reach a loyal audience, nationally or locally.
Advantages:
Immediate reach
Allows for in-depth product explanation
Variety of creative commercial sizes and coloration
Ads can be targeted to certain demographic groups through placement in specific
sections
Tangible
Good for co-op advertising for local/national promotion
Disadvantages:
Declining circulations
High out-of-pocket pricing for large units
Readers rarely look at all sections
Difficult to reach younger audiences
Visual only, non-intrusive
Questionable measurement
Clutter
Radio
Radio is a "portable" medium that reaches its peak audience during the morning and evening rush hours.
Advantages:
Targeted
Copy change flexibility
Low out-of-pocket pricing
Mobility (i.e. in the car listening)
Low production costs
Promotions, tie-ins
Disadvantages:
Lack of visual
Poor measurement
Difficult to build audience reach
High commercial clutter
Audience is not actively engaged
Time spent listening declines each year
Local Broadcast Television
Local broadcast television provides mass-market coverage and the opportunity for advertisers to run commercials during the local news and popular network and syndicated programs.
Advantages:
Broad reach
Buzz-worthy programs
Full DMA coverage
Intrusive/immediate impact
Sight, sound and motion
Strong branding capabilities
Disadvantages:
Declining ratings
High out-of-pocket cost
Weak summer ratings/programming
High production costs
No ability to target specific areas within a DMA (i.e. wasted reach)
National Cable Networks
With groundbreaking original series, respected news networks and 24-hour sports programming, national cable networks draw in diverse and passionate viewers, making cable [or national cable networks] a highly targetable and impactful medium for advertisers.
Advantages:
Deeper consumer connections
Viewer migration from broadcast to cable
Original, water-cooler programming
Sight, sound and motion
Intrusive/immediate impact
Strong brand capabilities
Affluent audience with higher disposable income
Disadvantages:
National in scope
No full DMA coverage
Lower-rated programs
Internet
The Internet, the fastest-growing medium to date, can precisely target engaged customers who are a click away from accessing information about a company or purchasing a product.
Advantages:
Accountability/ROI
Drive directly to advertiser website
Engaged audience
Unique creative units
Strong targeting capabilities
Ability to interact with ad
Disadvantages:
Some advertising seen as too intrusive
Must have a website to link to
Declining click-through rates
Advertising clutter
Direct Mail
Direct mail places tangible advertising directly in the hands of the consumer, delivering the advertisement at the time when he or she is likely to read it along with the other mail.
Advantages:
Targeting by location, personal interest, buying habits
Unlimited message length
Coupon offerings
Relatively easy to track response
Low cost per thousand
Disadvantages:
Non-intrusive (i.e. could be thrown away unlooked or unopened)
Only as good as an advertiser's mailing list
Can be impersonal (e.g. addressed to "resident" or "occupant")
Production costs can be high depending on size of piece
Out of Home
Out of home offers broad or targeted reach and efficient frequency by targeting consumers while in transit.
Advantages:
Broad reach
Ability to target specific locations
Large units can make strong impact
All-day, all-week exposure
Low cost per thousand
Disadvantages:
Short exposure time (6-8 seconds)
Limited message capability
Questionable measurement
Creative can be vandalized or easily damaged
High out-of-pocket cost for large units
Audience is disengaged
Magazines
Especially effective at brand imaging and demographic targeting, magazines allow advertisers to utilize high-quality images with detailed layouts in a wide variety of publications — with genres from general news to special interest.
Advantages:
Psycho graphic and demographic targeting capabilities
Engaged audience
Ads can be reviewed/studied at readers leisure
Portable/Tangible
Variety of creative sizes/units
Online companion website opportunities
Disadvantages:
Non-intrusive (i.e. reader can ignore ad )
Long audience cume takes time to build reach
Most publications are not mass reach
Long shelf life makes it difficult to promote a time-sensitive message
Clutter
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