Marketing Focus – Choosing the right advertising media
We recently published a video online explaining the pros and cons of radio advertising and it has generated a lot of questions about how you choose the right advertising methods as part of a marketing campaign. Now of course this depends on your objectives, what you’re selling and how much money you have to spend, as each method has characteristics that make it more or less suitable for a particular project, service or goal. However, the table below should give you an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of each media option, and remember we’re always here to advise you on marketing strategy and assist with advertising planning and buying.
There are seven main media for advertising – Newspapers, Magazines, TV, radio, cinema, outdoor (billboards etc) and the Internet. Press advertising is still the most heavily used advertising medium, as it is relatively cost-effective and easy to produce. As you’d expect, internet advertising is the fastest growing advertising medium and very popular as it’s cost effective and easy to track.
Here is a guide to the different media available for you to advertise in and the strengths and weaknesses of each media type. Once you understand how each media type can work for you, it’s easier to know how to combine them into a powerful campaign. Remember, it’s not easy for any one media to perform well on their own, so the right marketing mix is key!
| Media | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Television | * Engages with sound, vision, colour & movement * Intrusive – delivered into the home * Glamourous * Wide reach |
* Many people try to avoid ads by leaving the room or fast-forwarding and now download shows so they are not exposed to advertising in the same way as before * Very expensive – a national TV campaign in the UK can cost £1 million * Difficult to measure success * Can’t be referred back to |
| Cinema | * Engages with sound, vision, colour & movement * Intense experience as it’s on the big screen * Difficult to avoid the ads * Low cost airtime compared to TV |
* Low reach – cinema audiences are in decline * High production costs typically £100,000 * Limited number of screens and locations |
| Radio | * Powerful at evoking images in people’s minds * Cheap and quick to produce ads, allowing flexibility * Highly targeted as it is well-segmented * Excellent support media to other more high profile options |
* It is a background medium which is easy to ignore * Many people prefer to listen to non-commercial stations * Low national audiences * No visual element * Hard for people to act on a call to action |
| Newspapers | * National papers offer large readerships * Local papers offer geographic targeting and cheap advertising rates * Newspapers offer defined readership groups via area, class, education, or interests * Ads are supported by the editorial environment * Low production costs |
* Image reproduction can be poor * Space can be expensive for the most popular national papers * Short shelf-life and often readers only scan before they bin it * Local newspapers often have a bad reputation for being low-quality |
| Magazines | * Good photographic reproduction * Format appeals to women who make a lot of the purchasing decisions * Special interest magazines have a very defined readership * Read at leisure and the ads become part of the reading experience * Long shelf-life and multiple readers per copy |
* Difficult to choose the right publications as there are so many * Magazine space is expensive * Your ad can be lost as there is so much advertising |
| Outdoor | * High impact * Located in urban areas with high numbers of people passing * Can reach a working audience several times a day who may not watch TV or read a paper * Excellent way to reinforce other media e.g. TV advertising to promote a food, supported with a billboard outside a supermarket |
* Easy to miss if driving by * Can be obscured by sun, shadows or other billboards * Not suitable for lots of information * Subject to damage by weather/ vandalism * Difficult to measure |
| Internet | * Global * Interactive * Measureable * Targeted |
* Low conversion rate as there are many options which customers can search * Requires support by traditional media to raise awareness of brand |
By using a combination of the media above you can benefit from their strengths and overcome the weaknesses of each individual media type.
If you need any support with Costa del Sol advertising planning, production and media buying please contact Shaw Marketing Services by email info@shawmarketingservices.com or call 952 903 154.