Campaign Critique

BUS302

Broadcast Media

Learning objectives

• Understand the structure of the local television industry.

• Identify the advantages and limitations of using different media and vehicles.

The Australian television industry

• Watching TV is one of Australia’s favourite pastimes.

• TV is Australia’s favourite form of broadcast media.

• Free-to-air (FTA) television has 99.7% penetration in Australia.

• Pay TV accounts for a low 29% penetration.

• 61% of Australian homes have two or more TVs.

• A rural/metropolitan divide exists in the industry.

• The industry is also split between FTA and subscription broadcasting.

• FTA TV: viewers do not pay to receive programs (e.g. ABC, Channel 7, SBS, etc.)

Advertising spend on TV

Daytime

• Early morning (6 a.m.–10 a.m.)

• Daytime (10 a.m.– 4 p.m.)

• Adult (news), then children’s programs; afternoon finance and soap operas

Fringe time

• Early fringe (4 p.m.–7 p.m.)

• Starts with reruns (children), moves towards adult programming

• Late fringe (young adults)

Prime time

• Prime access (7 p.m.–8 p.m.)

• Prime time (8 p.m.–10 p.m.)

• Late fringe (11 p.m.–2 a.m. or later)

• Most popular and expensive programs

Television programming day-parts

• The time of day has considerable influence on when to purchase advertising time.

Network television advertising

• Network television advertising reaches potential customers throughout the country via network and local affiliates.

• The cost of advertising on television depends on the time of day, the popularity of the program and the time of year (typically highest in cooler months, June to September, because people tend to stay indoors).

Television advertising decisions TV advertising strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

• Demonstration ability

• Intrusion value

• Ability to generate excitement

• One-to-one reach

• Ability to use humour

• Effective with sales for trade

• Ability to achieve impact

Limitations

• Escalating costs

• Audience fractionalisation

• Zipping and zapping

• Clutter

Infomercials

• Infomercials are:

• an alternative to conventional television ads

• a long commercial (28–30 minutes)

• a blend of entertainment and selling

• expensive to produce

• an especially effective promotional tool for those products that require detailed explanations

• originally used by unknown brands, but now well-known brands use this method (e.g. Avon, Hoover).

Brand or product placement

• Advantages of product placement in TV programs include:

• potentially larger audiences

• more frequent exposure

• global reach.

• Five types of placement.

• The brand needs to be displayed in a context that appropriately matches the brand’s image.

• Product placement involves potential loss of control.

• Most effective when not seen to be an advertisement for the product.

The process of measuring television audiences

Radio advertising decisions

• Factors that influence radio buying choices:

• compatibility of station format

• location of listeners and geographic coverage

• expense and attractiveness of day-parts • morning drive (6 a.m.–10 a.m.) (more expensive)

• midday (10 a.m.–3 p.m.)

• afternoon drive (3 p.m.–7 p.m.) (more expensive)

• evening (7 p.m. to midnight)

• late night (midnight to 7 a.m.).

Radio advertising

Strengths

• Ability to reach segmented audience

• Intimacy

• Economy

• Short lead times

• Transfer of imagery from television

• Use of local personalities

Limitations

• Clutter

• No visuals

• Audience fractionalisation

• Buying difficulties