The philosophy of a media strategy is simply to put your money where your business is…. or where you want it to be. It’s a more precise extension of the marketing strategy.
You can contribute most to the media process in the definition of objectives (what you want the plan to accomplish)
Media objectives are built around answers to five questions: who, when, where, how often, and in what way?
WHOM DO YOU WANT TO REACH?
Describe your audience’s demographics: their age, sex, income, education, family status, and occupation, buying habits.
Be precise. Not “primary emphasis on men” but “70 percent of messages directed to men, 30 percent to women.”
If you know their lifestyle or attitudes (“psychographics”), describe these.
Translate descriptions into actionable terms. Not “influentials,” “college education, incomes over Rs. 50 lacs p.a.”
Give the media planner an understanding of how the decision processworks. Sometimes buying decisions can be influenced by other family members.
Families are the best customers for fast-food restaurants. Parents may decide to eat out, but kids usually select which restaurant.
WHEN DO YOU WANT TO REACH THEM?
Do people buy your product year-round, or [primarily in the summer, or on weekends or just when it rains? Some products are keyed to holidays-crackers for Diwali, colours around Holi, etc.
Allocate your media to periods when people decide to buy, not necessarily when they make the purchase.
The higher the price tag, the longer the longer the lead-time. Travel to Europe peaks in the summer, for example, but the decision is made in the spring.
WHERE DO THEY LIVE?
Geography-whether to advertise nationally or locally-maybe the hardest decision for national marketers. All business is local-and varies all across the country. Be specific in describing your key markets-and what percent of business they represent.
The brand development index (BDI) identifies your best markets in terms of sales per thousand population. You may sell more in New York than Boston, but Bostanians may be better customers.
Beyond markets, you’ll want to identify where your prospects live in terms of country size, city size, suburbs, etc.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU WANT TO REACH THEM?
The issue of advertising intensity is a complex question. It involves concepts of audience reach and frequency and impact.
Your media objectives, however, should include goals for the minimum number of messages necessary to make a sale, and how those messages should be timed.
IN WHAT WAY DO YOU WANT TO REACH THEM?
The best environment for the copy, for example. Does it require color or action? Would it be more effective in a news medium or one that offers service information to women? Should it have an impact on the trade (to get displays) or on employees (to improve morale)? Special considerations like these must be considered as objectives.
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