Buying TV and Radio Advertising
Tips For Buying TV and Radio Advertising
President and Founder Melanie Querry and CEO Andreas Beck talked about tips for buying TV and radio advertising during Their recent episode of Beyond the Scenes award-winning video podcast.
When it comes to TV advertising, Querry says there is a lot to look at to get the most impact from your campaign. “When buying TV or radio [advertising,] you really want to watch the ratings,” Querry said. “But it goes way beyond the ratings. Really you want to watch all cost efficiency. So, the reach and the frequency, making sure you’re reaching enough people, enough times.”
Querry uses a Super Bowl ad as an example to explain. Getting a great rate on a Super Bowl ad sounds like a dream, but without the right strategy, it could fall flat. The Super Bowl has a massive audience, but that audience will only see your ad one time.
“We are bombarded with exposure, ad exposure, and in today’s world, the more times you can see something the more likely we are to buy that product,” Melanie said. One ad can only go so far, but by building an ad campaign around it on multiple platforms, you can maximize the effectiveness of your marketing and see a direct impact on sales.
“We really research, research, research,” Beck said. “Making sure we’re getting those ads in front of the right eyeballs. Just making ad purchases does not necessarily get your campaign in front of potential customers. Different mediums offer different audiences, and research is key to ensuring your campaign targets the right one.
“I like to laugh and say that, ‘Media outlets are all number one. All you have to do is ask them,’” Querry said. “And so, our job is to do the research as a third-party view, making sure that the overall buy with all the pieces combined are effective and efficient.”
Querry goes on to explain how each individual TV or radio station offers a niche audience. Targeting that audience with the right messaging at the right time can help make your ad campaign more impactful.
“Through the years, I have seen from small business owners that get a package from a representative,” Beck said. “There are benefits to those packages, but there are also benefits on buying it in a different way.”
Making sure a pre-determined package fits the needs of your business is key. Querry explains that these marketing packages are often created using unused inventory. The package may offer a deal, but the ad placement it offers may be ineffective or inefficient when it comes to seeing results. Negotiating a pre-determined package to better fit your needs is often possible.
Many packages also offer added value that can increase the benefit your business sees from these campaigns. This can come in many forms, such as web placement, in-broadcast tags, or discounts on production. These are considered added value because it is content and ad placement that your business is not directly paying for but still exposure you are getting.
“A lot of these things do have a true big value, they also have a hard cost,” Querry said. “Every station is different and every company that owns those stations allow for different things.” Querry suggests anyone looking to advertise on TV or radio do their own research into what they would be paying for before finalizing a purchase. “Don’t just buy what is placed in front of you,” Querry said.
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