Page 189 - Duct Tape Marketing

Chapter 12

Broadcasting Ads on Radio and TV

In This Chapter

ᮣ Figuring out how much airtime to buy
ᮣ Understanding broadcast media terminology
ᮣ Adhering to broadcast ad guidelines
ᮣ Producing radio and television ads
ᮣ Advertising with infomercials

With television sets in more than 98 percent of U.S. homes and radios in
the dashboards of 95 percent of all cars, it’s unquestionable that your
customers are tuned in to the broadcast world. If you want your advertising
to meet them there, this chapter helps you prepare your strategy and master
the terms and guidelines that apply to broadcast advertising, whether on
radio or television.

Venturing into the broadcast advertising arena is a lot like taking a first-time
trip to a foreign territory. The language is new (avails, dayparts, GRPs, TRPs,
flights, reach — yikes!) and the rules are different from other, more familiar
environments.

As you plan your foray into the world of broadcast ad production, schedul-
ing, and placement, count on the following pages to help you translate the
lingo and guide your decisions.

Buying Airtime

If you’re placing ads on just a few stations in your own hometown market,
you can probably handle the task on your own. But if your marketing needs
involve multiple market areas, or if you’re spending more than $10,000 on a
media buy, use a media buyer to wheel, deal, apply clout, and bring the kind
of muscle that comes from experience in the field. (See Chapter 9 for help
choosing and hiring media buying professionals.) You’ll pay an hourly fee or