Abstract:

The objective of media planning is to prepare a schedule which, for a given cost, obtains registration of the message by the largest possible proportion of the target population. This criterion of effectiveness is measurable. One can at any time, by means of a survey, know to what extent the target population is aware of the information or impression the advertising is intended to communicate. Moreover any media schedule consists of exposing the population to a series of messages placed in different media, each individual being exposed to a different number of messages according to his behaviour vis-d-vis the media used. The effectiveness of this schedule depends on the manner in which these message exposures are distributed on the target population; the objective being to reach the greatest number of prospects with sufficient frequency as to obtain registration of the message. It is thus realistic to start with the distribution of exposures in assessing the effectiveness of a media schedule. The first problem then is to know the distribution of exposures produced by a media schedule. To do this, account must be taken of both the phenomena of duplication and accumulation of audience reached by the media used... and that is not easy. Operational Research techniques can be used. The Media Planex simulation model enables this problem to be resolved.