Launch an Advertising Campaign

Now that you are able to identify your target audience, you will have to choose which media channels are the most appropriate to broadcast your advertising campaign.

We will discuss these different questions in this new chapter.

Find Out What Channels Exist

The advertising channel is the place where you get your message across to your target audience. Since the advent of digital technology, you can rely on six major channels.

Television

This channel combines terrestrial and satellite or cable television stations and was the dominant advertising channel for many years. Television is typically used as a mass media channel, i.e., to reach a broad audience quickly.

Radio

In the U.K., 89% of adults listen to the radio for an average of over 20 hours a week (Source: RAJAR, 2020). Over 15,500 radio stations reach a similar proportion of the country in the U.S. - generating $14 billion (source: Statista, 2019). Radio is often considered a support channel to reinforce the message delivered elsewhere.

Press

This channel comprises various printed media, such as newspapers (daily or weekly; local or national) and magazines (typically monthly or weekly). This channel has had a challenging ride since the arrival of the internet, and most titles now offer a combination of online and offline access to their audience. That access can take the form of paid advertising or earned P.R.

Cinema

Cinema is a high impact channel that is often used to expand a television campaign. The vast screen and immersive sound can bring an epic quality to a commercial that can enhance its effectiveness.

Outdoor

Outdoor is a traditional channel with many different formats. It is also a very forward-looking medium that is continually reinventing itself thanks to new technologies and possible interactions with smartphones (QR-code, for example).

Digital

This channel is now the dominant vehicle for advertising spending. Digital is an umbrella term for a wide range of media choices, including computers, mobile phones, tablets, and other devices such as interactive televisions. Forrester Research estimates that in 2020, digital marketing will account for 45% of all advertising revenue. 

A helpful way to think about the digital channel is with the PESO model's help, which categorizes media as paid, earned, shared, and owned.

When you make your channel selection, you don't have to limit yourself to just one of these options - many of the most successful advertising campaigns succeed through reinforcing their message across a mixture of these channels.

Choose the Right Channel for Your Campaign

So how do you choose the right channel - or the right combination of channels - to build your campaign? A good place to start might be to decide which channels you should not use.

Eliminate Unsuitable Channels First

• For legal reasons: Many countries have rules that prevent certain types of products being advertised. For example, the U.K. has stringent rules governing television advertising for gambling or alcohol, where children might view it. 

• For timing reasons: Time constraints can lead you to make strategic choices. Some advertising formats take longer to create than others. For example, producing a television commercial typically takes longer than recording a radio spot.

• For reasons of availability: Availability can vary according to the media and the season. For example, the start of the school year or the month of November is more in demand than the summer months. Timing can impact whether media is available or might rule out certain choices due to additional cost. 

Evaluate the Possible Channels

You will need to consider several criteria.

The Channel's Affinity With the Target Audience

Affinity measures the correlation between the channel's audience and your target audience.

The Channel's Effective Reach

The reach is how many people see the advertisement.

A more advanced version would be the number or percentage of a target audience exposed a sufficient number of times within a period to trigger some measurable effect.

That measurable effect varies according to your goals, but might include:

• The intention to buy.

• The message recall.

• Brand recognition.

In other words, you want to measure both the ability to reach the target audience and create a desired reaction.

The Channel's Ability to Add Value to the Message

Below is a table that will allow you to assess how well each channel can match your defined goals.

🥤 Discover Which Channels Bio Boost Opt For

How would you choose the most suitable channels for the Bio Boost🥤start-up? Bearing in mind that we haven't yet tackled the notion of budget, and there aren't any constraints, let's consider all options for the energy drink:

• ✅ Television: this is an interesting channel to choose for a product launch. It offers impact and immediacy and can be an excellent way to introduce something new to your audience.

• ✅ Radio: this could be selected to announce the product launch via the brand's usual radio ad, depending on the target audience.

• ❌ Press: this might not be the best choice if the target audience aren't regular readers of printed newspapers or magazines.

• ✅ Cinema: this media that can be interesting to work with - and can support television campaigns. Example: you can tie your cinema ad plan to a particular film or selection of films that appeal to your target audience. 

• ✅ Outdoor: ideal for short, sharp messages to gain visibility during the launch and reinforces the television campaign.

• ✅ Digital: this media can be used on all four of the PESO categories, which will show how to use each of them for media optimization.

Let's Recap!

• Today you have access to at least six major media outlets to promote your products and services. They operate independently and are also very complimentary, which makes them extremely powerful when properly combined.

• To determine which choices you can make, you should consider in selecting the right media mix:

  • Audience reach

  • Audience affinity

  • Persuasiveness

You can also call on specialized media planning agencies to help you manage your media plan. You will then need to determine your available budget and define your organizational planning to make the right decisions. And that's what we'll explore in the next chapter - see you there!