Marketing Ganga

Author: Shabbir Chunawalla

  • Advantages of Magazines

    Selectivity : The reading habits of the audience make advertising targeting possible.

    Supplementary medium : Magazines are found to be a good supplement to television. They reach special interest groups that cannot be targeted well with television. They provide more information to those consumers whose initial interest has been generated by the television.

    Editorial environment : The editorial environment enhances the effectiveness of the ad.

    Engaging medium : Magazines are pricey. They are read by a loyal subscriber group carefully. The noticeability of the ads thus improve.

    Long shelf-life : Most magazines are not read in one single sitting. They are picked up and read several times till the new issue arrives. Many times an old issue is kept after the new issue has come Advertisements in magazines receive full attention of the readers.

    High fidelity reproduction : Magazine ads are good in quality in terms of printing and colour. The paper used also adds to the quality.There is excellent reproduction of art and colour work.

     

  • How to Measure TV Viewership ? — Television Metrics

    TV viewership is measured either by the diary method or meter method. The diary system used until 1996 consisted of putting a diary in TV viewing households to record viewership. In this method, there were quarter hour slots across the rows and the channels across the columns in the diary. This diary was given to a panel of households. The programmes viewed in different time slots across the channels were jotted down in the diary. In essence, it is a reporting system. Sometimes, the diary entries were made at the end of the week. The reported entries may not be correct — a programme not watched might be reported. There were chances of popular programmes being reported, and chances of omitting the new shows, in spite of viewership. This is called telescopic effect. The meters or peoplemeters were introduced in 1996. These have two units — a recording device attached to a TV set, and a remote which helps the family to log in and log out. The recording device actually records the viewing, and this distinguishes it from the diary method. The two reporting systems in India are TAM and Amap.

  • Magazines

    Magazines could be weeklies, fortnightlies or monthlies. Next to newspapers, this is the second print medium available to the advertisers.In many respects, magazines differ from the newspapers. The newspapers appeal to all kinds of people. The magazines appeal to particular kind of people. Newspaper ads have a short life, magazines have a longer shelf life. Newspapers are basically a local medium, whereas magazines could be national medium. There are regional editions of national magazines in the local languages. Newspapers  attract readers in general. Magazines attract readers with a specific interest, e.g. women’s magazines provide useful information  on housekeeping, gardening, embroidery and cooking. Sports lovers read Sports Week and auto lovers Auto Ride. Magazines help people to relax, and escape from the drudgery of everyday life. They impart considerable knowledge on different subjects. Magazine readership, overall, is not growing, but the launch of special interest magazines continue unabated.

    Magazines could be in different sizes — pocket book size, full size or standard size, flat size and large size. Magazines could be classified on the basis of readership  — business magazines, sports magazines, women’s magazines etc. Generally, they are either general interest or special interest magazines. There are also professional magazines for medicos, pharmacists, architects, chartered accountants. There are institutional magazines  such as a magazine published by the Institute of Costs and Works Accountants of India (ICWAI). There are house magazines of different business and service organisations, e. g. Kshema of Corporation Bank. Magazines could be information providers or leisure reading material.

  • Disadvantages of TV Advertising

    Time consuming production: Production is to be planned. The flexibility of the press and radio could not be availed. If the production is shoddy, the commercial looks crude.

    Transient: The commercial lasts for a few seconds, and goes off air. The jingles are repeated. They become insistent. The sales messages remain the same. The whole commercial is repeated frequently. TV ads alone are not enough. They need supportive ads in other media. The viewing is passive. It leads to inattentiveness and multi-tasking by the audience. The remote enables the audience to surf channels.

    Immobile: Radio can be listened to on the move. Newspaper can be read at home or outside. TV is watched only at home. It requires a captive audience. This is an advantage as well as a disadvantage.

    Time constraint: In a few seconds, we can put forward only one selling proposition.

    High production costs: As compared to print production, the production cost of a TV commercial is very high.

    Fragmentation: There are 500 plus channels. All channels have a diversity of programmes to attract viewers. This leads to fragmentation of audiences. It is difficult to convey a message in such a situation. The relationship with TV is extremely flirtatious.

    Clutter: A number of commercials accompany a programme. The viewership of commercials is less than the viewership of the programme. There is further erosion of viewship on account of passive viewing. The clutter leads to poor ad recall. Due to clutter, when the message is repeated, it leads to higher costs.

    Waning interest: A commercial packs too much, in too short a time. At first, it may be interesting. But later, the repetitions become montonous. Different versions of commercials can be put on air to overcome this problem.

    High total costs: Due to fragmentation, a commercial must be aired on a bouquet of channels. It involves high costs.

    Inventory issues: The amount of air time for advertising is capped. The inventory issues, therefore, arise. Some ads are bumped off by the channel. It affects the overall media plan.

  • Advantages of TV Advertising

    Immense impact : No other medium can match TV on its audio-visual appeal. It has the capacity to arrest the attention immediately. Computer graphics and animation make it still more effective. It arouses interest in the product. In print, there is deliberation.On TV, it is spontaneous.

    Evocation of experience : It simulates the experience of using and owning the product.

    Demonstration : Product benefits can be demonstrated. Product in use can be demonstrated. By time compression, the benefits could be shown in a 10-second commercial.

    Animation : It is possible to use animation with the product and its logo. Animation makes the commercial consumer-friendly.

    Production quality : TV commercials have improved in quality. Sponsored programmes carrying commercial time too have improved.

    Familiar, friendly voices : Those who endorse the brands are our familiar models and film stars. We are at home to listen to what they wish to convey in the commercial and what they do in the commercial.

    Retailers are viewers : Retailers too watch TV. They may miss the print ads. However, they are exposed to TV ads. Thus they feel inclined to stock the advertised products.

    Comprehensive technique :  There is blend of sight, sound, colour, movement. It has more attributes than any other medium. It, therefore, produces quick results.

    Creative use of editorial environment : The programme accompanying the advertisement can be strategically used to air the commercial.

    Emotive : TV evokes a variety of emotions and this enhances its impact.

    Mass reach : TV can be watched by one and all. Print can be read only by the literate.TV delivers the message to a large mass of people. It is ideal for FMCG products.

    Cost-efficient : For mass market products, it is the most cost effective media.

    Segmented coverage : Regional channels can be used for regional products. Language channels can be used to reach the audience of a particular language.

  • TV in India

    TV first appeared in India in Delhi in September, 1959. In 2009, it completed its golden jubilee. It reappeared in 1965 in Delhi with a daily transmission. It spread to other cities including Mumbai in 1972. Till the late 1980s, DD was the only broadcaster. In the early 1990s, satellite TV came in the wake of the Gulf War. Zee TV was launched in 1992. Many more satellite channels were launched thereafter. Currently, there are 500 plus channels. We have a whole bouquet of TV channels — General Entertainment Channels (GECs), news channels, music channels, kids channels, religious channels, movie channels, sports channels and so on. The choices are on the rise. There is too much of fragmentation of viewers. The numero uno position of DD was surrendered to Star and then to Zee and then to Colors. The position keeps on changing. The channels have introduced daily soaps and reality shows to retain viewers. Regional channels too have picked up. The television rating points (TRPs) of the programmes are important for the advertisers. Apart from ad revenues, channels are also trying to tap other sources of revenues — SMS contests, syndicated programmes, placement of ads and pay channels. The set-top-boxes (STBs) after digitalisation and DTH – Direct to Home transmission have made distribution transparent. Most ad revenues is attracted by the GECs, followed by the News & Current Affairs channels. part from FMCG products, TV ads attract telecom, auto and finance ads.

  • Disadvantages of Newspaper Advertising

    Durability : Newspaper ads have a short life span of a day. They are thrown away as soon as they are read.

    Local : Newspaper ads are local in nature. This is an advantage as well as a limitation.

    Reproduction : Newspapers are printed on newsprint. The finer details in photographs may not be reproduced faithfully. Newspaper ads cannot compare in terms of quality with the ads in magazines. This deficiency is compensated by colour supplements given as add-ons.

    Position : Newspaper ads in not-so-preferred positions are likely to g0 unnoticed. Preferred positions atract a higher tariff. Most ads are accepted on ROP or run-of-paper basis giving freedom to the newspers to place the ad anywhere at its discretion.

    Not leisure/pleasure medium : Newspapers are not a leisure and pleasure medium. They are read in a hurry. Many skip over the ads.

    Selectivity : Newspapers are not demographically selective.

  • Advantages of Newspaper Advertising

    Local advertising : Local advertising is in fact possible only in newspapers. Barring a few national advertisements, newspapers contain mostly local advertising.

    Time Flexibility : Newspaper ads can be inserted at the last minute to take advantage of some special marketing situation.

    Reach : Newspapers have a wide reach. It reflects the strength of the press.

    Family medium : Newspapers are read by the whole family. They are suitable for messages for all age groups.

    Testing easier : It is easier to test the newspaper ads.

    Choices : They offer a wide variety of sizes and positions.

    Medium of Choice : As a result of fragmentation of the TV medium, we see a rennaisance in print advertising. Print seems to be the only way to acquire a presence for the brand today.

    Selectivity : Print has geographic selectivity.

    Editorial environment : The editorial matter can be used strategically to place the ads. Newspapers are bought to read the editorial matter. The stronger the editorial environment, the better it is for the ad messages.

  • Newspapers and Advertising

    Advertising in newspapers continue to reign supreme in India despite all the odds. Nespapers have geographic selectivity. Though FMCG are yet to embrace print wholeheartedly, it is mainly durables who rely on print. Nespapers are used in combination with other media to get the multiplier effect. There are several types of newspapers — daily, weekly, morning/evening etc. They could be national, regional or local nespapers. This is advantageous to deliver the advertising message to a select geographical audience. In India, there is English press and vernacular press. Newspapers in vernacular language help the advertiser to reach the reader of that language. English print, which has only a 10 per cent share of readership, attracts large advertising chunk especially for SEC-focussed products.Newspapers differ in sizes too — they could be broadsheets or tabloids. A standard broadsheet has about 8 columns, each approximately two inches wide and 22 inches deep. The tabloids or tabs are appoximately half the size of the standard broadsheet. They have 5 columns and are 14 inches deep.

  • Limitations of Radio Advertising

    Distortion in communication : There are possibilities of distortion in communication. Precision script writing is a very challenging task. In TV, visuals accompany the words and so there is no misunderstanding.  Khurram khurram papad  on TV are conveyed effectively, whereas poorly on radio.

    Overselling : Instead of precise explanation,there is overselling. An announcer has to do a hardselling job, and so much is stake on his presentation. An insistant voice really irritates. TV does this job effortlessly.

    Montonous : Repetitions are montonous.

    Transient : Radio is a transient medium with no durability of message.

    Audience research: Radio audience research data is not available in credible form.

    Fleeting message: It is a passive medium. There are no vital inputs.

    Support medium : Radio is not a main medium, and acts as a secondary frequency builder.

    Audience attention : Audience may do multi-tasking while the radio is tuned in.