Average frequency gives the average number of times people / households in our target audience are exposed to a media vehicle.

Average frequency = Total Number of Exposures / Total Audience Reach

If 1500 people in the target audience tune in to FM radio programme 3 times during a week and 1500 people 6 times, the calculation would be :-

Total Number of Exposures = ( 1500 x 3 ) + ( 1500 x 6 )

=  13500

Total Audience                        =  1500 + 1500

=3000

Average Frequency           = 13500/300

=  4.5

In this example, we reach 3000 people 4 1/2 times on average. It does not necessarily mean each one has 4.5 exposures. It is just an average.

Generally a single exposure may not work either in creating awareness or provoking someone to buy. The more the exposures, the better the impact. Besides, more exposures make us rise above the competitive noise. It is good to plan how many times we would like our audiences to see the message in a given medium. While introducing a new product, we need more frequency. When the ad size is small, we need more frequency. When the message is complex we need more frequency. Higher frequency helps us stand out in the clutter.