Technology has made it possible to Out Of Home advertisers to engage consumers through creative tactics, giving a huge advantage over other mediums. With billboards being the second largest growing form of advertising, digital and interactive signs have only made it even more possible for this medium to stamp a larger footprint in the minds of consumers. Out Of Home advertising has proven to have outstanding reach and frequency relative to a low CPM or cost per thousand.
Today's format is going to be a little different. For the most part when somebody goes out of there way to do something, they make their best attempt at being Number One. So we are going to take a look at "Who Does it Right" in our local media.
Keys to Local Media Planning Success
First, matching media with markets that they will be most successful in is an important process for overall success. Different clients or businesses are unique in their own ways. Each will most likely need to be matched with the media that most fits their specific needs, whether those needs be extremely specific or broad. Choosing the correct media requires market research and is a process in which accurate information can be obtained from a unique process of information gathering. As Marian Azzaro says in her book Strategic Media Decisions, "Location, Location, Location." Geographic consideration of advertising is equally important as geographic location of the business itself. When considering geographic location, most metropolitan areas offer a slew of mediums on different levels of production, such as local or national newspapers, radio (local, national, satellite, online,), Television (local, national, online, sattelite, cable), magazines (niche, local, national, or online), Out of Home (billboard types, Non-traditional advertising), Direct Marketing (direct mail), or New Media (store kiosks, social media, web page banners, or interactive web videos).
Second, conducting a Local Market Profile will help get a better understanding of the market itself, the pople in the market, the media in the market, and how the market behaves. This will assist the planner in becoming an expert in the area needed. determining the proper local media source is imperative to the successful delivery of the creative message. These are many of the proper media sources.
Third, research on a local level. It seems kind of backwards, but pinpointing your secondary research could determine the type of primary research that would be required to make a campaign successful. Chamber of Commerce reports are a great start to provide your research with local demographic of the population and provide information about local businesses, schools, churches, a list of the top employers and contact information for them. Other valuable sources of secondary research are the publication by Marketing Management magazine called "Survey of Buying Power", Donnelly demographics, U.S Census data, U.S. Government Studies and booklets, U.S. Statistical Abstract, Regional Studies, Industry publications, specialized reports from industry sources, "Instant Backgrounders" such as information that is already provided through industry related organizations, local newspapers and magazines, national newspapers and magazines, advertising journals, and CD-ROM databases. Secondary research is less expensive because much of the information has already been gathered and made public.
Now that we have gathered our Secondary research, we can determine which primary research would best suit our goal (surveys, interviews, focus groups, ect.). This step can get pricey so knowing the vision of your research is imperative. By getting the proper research the team is able to "1. look for clues and opportunities, 2. identify the marketing problem, and 3. put them all together into a program that solves that problem and builds long-term growth," according to Marian Azzaro, author of Strategic Media Decisions.
The Different Mediums and Who Does it Right
Medium: Amarillo Globe News Media (Newspaper and Magazine) Advertiser: Jack Sisemore Travelland Rationale: The Amarillo Globe is the industry leader in the area because it is the largest newspaper publication with the largest readership. AGN also is expansive to an online publication that reaches younger readers and consumers. AGN readership is unique because it has such a large area that it covers due to the rural local areas. Readership has potential to reach the whole Texas and Oklahoma panhandles and New Mexico border areas.AGN also runs several magazines like the Amarillo Magazine and Pigskin Preview which have a large local and regional circulation.
Medium: Cumulus Radio Advertiser: Amarillo Civic Center
Rationale: Cumulus Radio has the ability to advertise through several genres of music stations and has the ability to reach the largest audience in the local region than any other in the industry. Cumulus has a strong history of reaching large amounts of listeners through quality radio advertising. As the Cumulus website states, "our local media brands typically reach more consumers than the newspaper, local TV news, or dozens of combined cable channels."
Medium: Suddenlink Communications (Television and New Media) Advertiser: Fred Loya Insurance
Rationale: Suddenlink Communications is the territorial owner of cable television and internet in the Amarillo area. Advertising through Sudddenlink provides a very tailored product toward a specific target market. Fred Loya is proud of being a Latino owned company and capitalizes on targeting a growing demographic in the Amarillo and Texas Panhandle area. Suddenlink has the ability to reach audiences through multiple mediums and target specific audiences.
Medium: Lamar Advertising (Out of Home)
Advertiser: Amarillo National Bank
Rationale: Lamar is the industry leader in the Amarillo area and owns billboard sites that reach the most consumers with the best Cost Per Thousand. Location, Location, Location!
