TELEVISION, PLAY-BY-PLAY Create a Heavy-Hitting Advertising Plan GET IN THE GAME Advertising is mandatory for the success of all businesses, no matter what their size. The right medium gives you a chance to connect with existing customers, expand your client base, compete with other businesses, and establish your brand s identity. Any major-league hitter can tell you that making contact is only half of what it takes to hit a home run. To get the ball out of the park, you need impact. In advertising, impact is about combining sight, sound, motion, and emotion to fully engage your target consumer. While many advertising media use some of these, only television incorporates all four and makes it easy to deliver your message when people are ready to tune in. THE MEDIACENTER 7000 Kennedy Blvd. East, M-9 Guttenberg, NJ 07093 Tel:866.921.1026
TELEVISION, PLAY-BY-PLAY Create a Heavy-Hitting Advertising Plan 2 TELEVISION: THE MVP OF YOUR AD CAMPAIGN Television ads aren t just for big business. The fact is that top brands rely on television ads because they re so effective. You might wonder if a television-centered ad campaign can make an impact on your business. There s no doubt that television has a broad reach, which positions TV advertisers for success right off the bat, but there are a number of other things that will determine your ad campaign s effectiveness. TVʼs Starting Lineup Reach Targeting Captive Audience Creative Capabilities Flexibility Public Perception Measurability National Advertiser Ad Dollars by Medium (in billions of dollars) Year Total TV Radio Newspaper Internet % Spent on TV 1995 62.2 26.3 2.4 4.0 N/A 42% 2000 107.1 43.0 4.5 7.2 6.5 40% 2005 117.6 48.3 4.3 7.5 7.8 41% 2006 123.8 51.3 4.4 7.1 9.1 41% 2007 128.1 50.7 4.3 6.6 10.5 40% 2008 131.3 54.8 4.2 6.2 11.8 42% 2009 115.1 47.7 3.2 4.8 11.2 42% Source: Media Dynamics, TV Dimensions, 2010 Reach Like baseball, television, has fans in every demographic. 99% of Americans have at least one TV set at home; 83% have at least two, meaning that more people can tune in than ever before. Television transcends the demographic boundaries that other media struggle with. For comparison: Newspapers are circulated to about 43 million households, with the majority of readers being white and age 45 or older. With a 98% household penetration rate radio nearly matches TV s reach, but the average American only tunes in for 17.5 hours weekly, half the time spent watching TV. Only 61% of homes have cable TV. Another 28% have satellite or another alternative cable delivery source. Average TV Hours Age Demographic Time Spent Daily (hours:minutes) All Americans (age 2+) 5:5 Kids (age 2 11) 3:41 Teens (age 12 17) 3:30 Adults (age 18 34) 4:12 Adults (age 35 49) 5:14 Adults (age 50 64) 6:20 Adults (age 65+) 6:59 Source: Nielsen, Three Screen Report, April, 2010
TELEVISION, PLAY-BY-PLAY Create a Heavy-Hitting Advertising Plan 3 Targeting Just like baseball games are divided into innings, the TV day is divided into dayparts. Dayparts are blocks of time that have their own distinct programming and audience demographics. To refi ne your ad campaign even more, you can select specifi c shows. Captive Audience Engaging consumers is about timing and impact. When people tune in to watch their favorite shows, they turn their attention to the screen. Even during commercials only about 5.6% change channels or tune out, according to Nielsen Media. Composition of TV Audience Daypart Weekday Daytime: 10am 4pm Early Evening: 4:30pm 7:30pm Primetime: 8pm 11pm Late Evening: 11pm 1:30am Men 18+ Women 18+ Source: Media Dynamics, TV Dimensions, 2010 Teens 12 17 Kids 2 11 31% 52% 4% 13% 32% 45% 8% 15% 37% 46% 6% 11% 42% 46% 6% 5% Public Perception People are TV fans. In an Adweek Media poll, consumers rated TV ads the most helpful of all advertising media. More than half of audiences say that funny (61%) and informative (51%) television ads engage them. Creative Capabilities Television has all your bases covered. It s one of the only media that combines sight, sound, motion, and emotion to create a high-impact ad experience that can hit your message home. Flexibility Television offers so many options: when to run your ad, how long to make it, what to include, what approach to take, and how to tie in other media. Measurability Television advertising makes it easy to keep score. Your local station will be able to tell you how many people were exposed to your ad. Compare sales and traffi c during and following your TV campaign with pre- TV traffi c fl ow. Be prepared to be surprised. TVʼs Key Stats 99%: TV s household penetration 61%: Percent of people who consider TV ads to be trustworthy 115,000,000: The number of homes with broadcast access 95,450,000: The number of homes with multiple TVs 35.5 hours: How much the average American watches each week
TELEVISION, PLAY-BY-PLAY Create a Heavy-Hitting Advertising Plan 4 PRE-SEASON PLANNING Everyone wants to win the World Series, and preseason planning plays a huge part in determining the outcome of the championship. Before you start picking actors and soundtracks, outline the concrete goals you want your TV ad to help you reach. Determine a specific goal. Perhaps you want to move older merchandise, improve your business image, or promote new merchandise. Maybe you want to keep up with a competitor. Set a sales goal and a target completion date to help you focus your message and track progress. Plan an analysis strategy. Decide how exactly you ll gauge the effectiveness of your ad campaign. Keep track of customer zip codes and purchases. Train salespeople to ask customers how they heard about the store or what made them decide to visit. Identify your target market. Observe your current customers to understand your business natural client base. Consider your market potential and the available customer population of the local area. Select a target demographic. Know as much as you can about these potential customers including: age, gender, income level, ethnicity, and interests. Develop a focused strategy. Keeping your specifi c goal and customer in mind, decide which marketing strategy will be most successful. To boost sales, discounts or fi nancing offers might appeal to customers. To boost image, focus on unique services or qualities your store offers. Determine a timeline for your campaign so you can reach your goal by the target date. Create a meaningful and motivating message. Choose one or two messages to drive home in the campaign. This will leave consumers with a clear, lasting impression. If you re running a promotion, focus on that. If you want to get consumers excited about a specifi c line of products, highlight what makes them special. Select the best media to use. Determine what your target market is watching, reading, and listening to. Ask your customers about their favorite radio stations, TV programs, newspapers, and magazines. Don t interrogate them, but see how much you can fi nd out. Decide when your target market is watching TV and which other media would best supplement your TV campaign.
TELEVISION, PLAY-BY-PLAY Create a Heavy-Hitting Advertising Plan 5 YOUʼRE READY TO HIT THE DIAMOND Get creative. For pitchers, the difference between strikeout and a walk is all in how they throw the ball. Some situations call for a fastball, others, a slider. Keep your target market and message in mind to ensure your ad will be engaging and effective. Consider all the aspects of a TV commercial sight, sound, motion, and emotion to maximize the medium. Choose the setting, develop the script, and decide on background music, sound effects, and visual effects that will convey your message. Envision your commercial so you know what types of camera shots and pans work best. What do you need? Once you have a clear idea of what will happen in your commercial from beginning to end, make a list of everything you ll need. Account for actors, props, music recordings, lighting, and anything else you plan to include. This will help you get organized and also help you stay within your budget. Your local TV station may have a production department that can help you with the technical side of things so your ad can look professional. How long should your commercial be? A selection of lengths is one of the reasons why TV is such a fl exible ad medium. Depending on your idea or budget, you may opt for a long or short ad. The 30-second commercial is the most popular among all advertisers. In 2009, 73% of spot television ads ran for 30 seconds, 15% were 15 seconds, and 7% were 60 seconds. Local advertisers usually have luck with the following commercial lengths. 10 Seconds 30 Seconds 60 Seconds A 10-second commercial can make a huge impact, but it also takes a lot of planning to condense your message. Keep the ad basic and stick to one simple point. This is the most popular commercial length. A 30-second ad offers more fl exibility and time to convey your desired image. There is also room for a more involved ad concept, details about a service or promotion, or to include two clear messages. Advertisers that wish to include lots of information may opt for a 60-second commercial. The longer timeframe also gives viewers a chance to become deeply engaged with an advertisement, resulting in a stronger memory of the business message.
TELEVISION, PLAY-BY-PLAY Create a Heavy-Hitting Advertising Plan 6 When is your target market watching? The price of running a television commercial is determined by the size of the audience at a given time. The higher the viewership, the higher the price. Often the priciest time slots are in demand because advertisers are looking for the greatest exposure. Use the following daypart guidelines to determine who s watching when. Diamond Ads on a Peanuts Budget: Cost Control Tips Plan Ahead. This will help you estimate costs and develop an ad within your budget. It will also minimize production time and avoid expensive last-minute changes. Daytime 10am 4pm Early Evening 4pm 8pm Primetime 8pm 11pm The daytime audience is comprised of mostly women, especially stay-at-home mothers and college-age women. It also includes a growing number of male and female retirees. Daytime TV is effi cient, reliable, and cost effective. The same audience is likely to tune in each day, which means they ll be exposed to your message multiple times. The early evening audience is diverse. It includes a mix of working and nonworking men and women, as well as teens and children. This is also an effi cient and cost-effective daypart. While the audience isn t as large or loyal as primetime, advertisers can still reach a range of consumers at a lower price. The primetime audience is the biggest and the most diverse. It includes families, teens, and working and non-working men and women. Competition for primetime commercials is fi erce, and the price tag refl ects the daypart s premium size and scope. Audiences are particularly loyal to fi rstrun programs, which are usually aired during primetime. This results in attentive viewers and repeat exposure. Storyboards. A storyboard is a rough layout of what your commercial will show, play-by-play. It acts as a guide for the director, production crew, and talent so everyone can work effi ciently. Simple Sets. A plain background is inexpensive and practical. Lots of details don t show up clearly on TV and a simple set won t distract audiences from your message. Outdoor Settings. Outdoor settings reduce lighting and location costs, but lower costs come at the expense of the technical control of an indoor studio. Voiceovers. Using a voiceover instead of on-camera actors can cut costs substantially. Shorter Ads. Go for a 10-second ad if you re budget is tight. Shorter spots are cheaper and also have lower production costs. If you can make it high-impact and engaging, people will still remember your message. Late Night 11pm 2am Late-night audiences include male and female household decision-makers and more educated, affl uent consumers. Late-night TV s smaller audience also comes with a smaller price tag. Advertisers can benefi t from reaching a high-quality consumer with infl uence and spending power.
TELEVISION, PLAY-BY-PLAY Create a Heavy-Hitting Advertising Plan 7 Tips for a TV Home Run Keep it simple. This will prevent you and the viewer from getting confused. A signifi cant but simple benefi t of your business will keep audiences on your wavelength. Focus on one basic idea. Give people one big reason to become your customer. It s easier for you to plan, and for viewers to remember. Be clear. Don t undermine your message with a complicated presentation. Be direct. Be unique and unexpected. Your ad will stand out if you do something different, but make sure it still makes sense in the context of your message, your business, and your target audience. Involve your viewer. Give audiences a way to connect with your ad. Make the viewer curious or provocative to trigger a response. Use emotion. Try to hit a nerve. If consumers can relate to what they see in your ad, they ll feel more connected. Consider production elements. Use sight, sound, motion, and emotion together to create a powerful experience. Prove the benefi t. Demonstrate that your claim is true and trustworthy. Identify yourself. Include your business name and identifying information so clearly that it stands out. It s the most important thing for consumers to remember.
TELEVISION, PLAY-BY-PLAY Create a Heavy-Hitting Advertising Plan 8 THE DUGOUT LINGO Cost-per-Point (CPP): The cost of reaching one percent of the specifi c target audience. CPP is calculated by multiplying the CPM (See CPM) by the total target audience, then dividing by 100,000. Cost-per-Thousand (CPMs): The cost of reaching 1,000 members of a specifi c target audience via a television advertising schedule. CPM is calculated by dividing the total cost by the total target audience and multiplying by 1,000. Cume: The net number of homes or people reached by a television advertising schedule over a specifi c time period (exclusive of duplicates). Daypart: Time blocks of telecast (e.g., daytime, primetime, late night). Designated Market Area (DMA): A term created by the Nielsen Company to describe a group of counties in which home-market TV stations hold the most hours viewed. Frequency: The number of times the average household or viewer is exposed to a particular commercial (based on those who have seen it at least once). Fringe Time: The dayparts just before and after primetime (e.g., early evening, late night). Gross Rating Points (GRPs): The sum of the ratings of each ad message in a schedule. Homes Using Television (HUT): The percentage of all households in a survey area that have at least one television set in use during a specifi c time period. HUT differs from rating because it accounts for all viewing, regardless of program. Metro Area: The central city area of a market. This is usually based on the government s primary market statistical area (PMSA) designation, which is the most densely populated trading area for many local advertisers. Rating: The viewership a particular program or station receives, expressed as a percentage of the total audience population. (Note: The percent sign isn t used.) Ratings can be represent households, individuals, or a specifi c demographic. Reach: The number or percentage of different homes or people exposed to a particular commercial at least once over the course of the advertising schedule (or a specifi c period of time). See also Cume. Roadblock: Scheduling commercial time on all available stations at the same time. Run of Schedule (ROS): Ad time that is bought by advertisers but not scheduled in advance. ROS commercials will be run during any available time, at the station s discretion. Schedule: The dates and times an advertiser s commercials (or a station s network programs) are planned to run. Share: The audience of a particular TV program or station expressed as a percent of the total viewing population at that particular time. Share is usually reported on a household basis. Spot: Television time that is bought market-by-market when an advertiser wants commercials to run in multiple markets. It is also sometimes used interchangeably with commercial announcement. Storyboards: Drawings that illustrate the sequence of a television commercial and include all major visual elements. Target Audience: The segment of the audience that is most likely to become an advertiser s customer. It is usually identifi ed by gender and age (i.e., women 18-34). Universe: All households in a particular market or all people in a particular demographic. Sources: Adweek, www.adweek.com, 10/18/10; Arbitron, RADAR 101, 6/09; Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism, State of the News Media 2010, 10/10; Media Dynamics, Inc., TV Dimensions, 2010; New York Times, City Room blog, 3/2/09; Nielsen, Three Screen Report, 1Q 2010, Global Online Consumer Survey, 7/09; SmartMoney, www.smartmoney.com, 9/22/10. Updated: 10/10