Abstract:

The media planning process traditionally uses data on media habits of a target group defined in terms of broad demographic variables to make decisions about the media mix and specific vehicles that are relevant to a brand. Media mix decisions are generally based on considerations of exposure and cost efficiency of different media in a demographically defined target group. However, it is our hypothesis that the very pattern of media consumption itself has a relationship with product consumption, and that the media mix selected and the objectives set for each medium in a brand plan should be based on an understanding of what media mix the core target audience consumes. For example, where the considerations of cost efficiency and exposure dictate the sole use of television, it may be possible that the group with the largest propensity to consume ( the product in question) are heavy consumers of press and moderate consumers of television. In such a case, clearly, there is an opportunity to attain greater effectiveness by the use of press in conjunction with television.