Abstract:

Multimedia reach and frequency applications are perhaps some of the most widely used tools in the media planner's analytic arsenal. These tools allow planners to craft media schedules using a variety of vehicles to reach a specific target audience a predefined number of times. These tools also provide estimates of multimedia reach and frequency using vehicle estimates of exposure as the basis for the reach calculation. The 'holy grail' for many media planners is to possess an application that uses sales response (Stage 8 of the ARF Media Model) as the basis for its reach calculations instead of more mundane estimates of vehicle exposure (Stage 2 of the ARF Media Model). The authors compare and contrast multimedia exposure and variations in consumer sales response by analyzing response values linking the two stages (i.e., vehicle exposure and consumer response) and how different media communicate to the consumer.