This research was planned in order to check the observations made based upon theoretical works on the complementarity of magazine and television advertising. Although few media-planners doubt the beneficial effects of this complementarity on ideas such as coverage and GRPs, little work has been done which effectively demonstrates that this complementarity also contributes to improving a plan's qualitative performance ; i.e. it's impact on the targets. Thus if almost everyone is convinced that, for an equal budget, replacing a number of television spots by magazine advertisements improve the plan's performance, the survey aims to show that this also improves the campaign's performance . Beyond the punctual character of this research, the positive conclusions that it reveals are very interesting, for if they are considered alongside results from other surveys on media complementarity (e.g. the visual transfer shown between T.V. and radio), it can be concluded that a combination of several media is always more efficient than one single media, with an equal budget. The research shows that this rule applies provided that a minimum level of effectiveness or, in other words, a certain level of advertising investment, has been reached. Once this threshold is passed, it is clear that it is more opportune to generate impact by creating new sensations (by messages stemming from other media) which maintain the level of attention rather than cumulating with repetition which results in little marginal gain, or even, at worst, generates boredom and loss of attention.
In this line, we have designed a large research programme, SESAME, which started in France last February, supported by media and advertisers. This programme will provide tools for media mix, through measuring the value of each main medium for each class of criteria. Results will allow for a media mix decision adapted to the specific campaign goals from the beginning. Such second order feed-back process should constitute a milestone in media research, and will speed up the present ad hoc adaptation process.
In this line, we have designed a large research programme, SESAME, which started in France last February, supported by media and advertisers. This programme will provide tools for media mix, through measuring the value of each main medium for each class of criteria. Results will allow for a media mix decision adapted to the specific campaign goals from the beginning. Such second order feed-back process should constitute a milestone in media research, and will speed up the present ad hoc adaptation process.
Closing remarks form the ESOMAR Seminar 1984 on Media Research.
Invited to make a contribution about "recent trends" I am in a dilemma to find out: what is "recent" - the last year, the last three, five or ten years ? I think we should accept the following definition: It is not important, since what time a trend was to be seen, but when at last it was realised. In the markets and market shares of the publishing industry the developments are not very quick; often we have to review many years to find any noteworthy variations. Instead of a conclusion I will try to show the development of using more than one medium by the audiences for information and entertainment. Also in advertising, the media-mix is becoming more and more important. Communication is a work of partnership, not competition.
Our Basic Research Group was asked to improve decision making on advertising activities by marketing and advertising people by working out model concepts of the process of advertising effects as well as to develop adequate test procedures. Since there was a very strong need for decision aids in this field, this research group was compelled to adapt working methods which vary considerably from those normally practised in research at universities, namely that the slightest progress in research had immediately to be put to practical use due to the pressure of practical requirements .
The paper shows the problems of deciding on media-mix, which is one of the most difficult marketing measures. Although most media analyses are so-called multi-media-analyses, they do not provide the vital data dealing with the completely different standards between media exposures and exposures to the message.