Getting Started on the Media Plan

1. Getting Started on the Media Plan Chapter 11

2. Know Your Market • Familiarize yourself with the market • Get to know the sales reps of the respective mediums available for your audience • Find and use research tools to analyze media options Ex: Ag Media Research (AMR) radio study • The (AMR) measures stations' listenership levels and compares them on factors such as farming enterprise and geography.

3. Information Sources • Other available information for the media planner includes: • Reports on market share for chemicals and seed by Maritz • Association of Equipment Manufacturers Report (AEM) on equipment market share and purchase information • Doane reports on acreage and chemical usage • The USDA Census of Agriculture which is conducted every four years and is available online at www.usda.gov. • Many manufacturers have substantial databases on the agricultural market.

4. Budgeting • Zero-based budgeting- Come back to client with costs, efficient if client is big • Most clients have a predetermined budget • Get a solid figure from the client and work to best achieve the client’s objective • Determine goals after your input and initial analysis

5. Budgeting cont. • Make the most of your budget • Be flexible and ready for changes • Know how many potential customers you can reach with the budget • Have justified data and rationale to support your recommendations • Avoid emotional arguments

6. The Target • The client and agency should agree on: • The target audience • The prioritized market geography • Media research will allow you to break out the results based on these factors • Effectively and efficiently invest your client’s money to reach the right people with the right message with the optimum frequency

7. Geographic Considerations • Get agreement on the selected geography • Target geography is determined on a county basis • Single most important factor to agree on • Allows for the most effective spending • Much of the information, i.e. weather, market prices, and legislation is of a local nature

8. Timing • Timing is crucial and needs agreement • When is the smartest time to advertise to your target? • What are you trying to accomplish with the advertising? • Is it brand awareness? • Brand preference? • Product news? • Price announcements? • Special deals? • Insect or weed treatment? • Are you trying to change a cultural practice? • Why are you advertising? • Is it corporate awareness or brand awareness?

9. Timing • Takes time for any campaign to become effective • The shorter the lead-time, the greater the frequency and reach level of media it may take to be effective • Know what the client expects the media to accomplish

10. AMR Reports • The Ag Media Research project measures listenership levels for Ag radio yearly • Deals with farming enterprise • In even numbered years, the Midwest states are surveyed • In odd numbered years, the states outside the Midwest are measured

11. AMR Methodology • Uses unaided recall gathered by telephone interviewing • Participants must operate a farm/farms generating more than $40,000 in sales • The respondents are then asked to identify what stations they listened to • Min. of 100 in the sampled demographic to generate a ratings report

12. AMR Methodology • To determine commodities, the respondents are asked if in the previous year they produced the following acreage or livestock levels: • 200+ acres of cotton • 100+ acres of corn • 100+ acres of sorghum • 100+ wheat acres • 50+ acres of soybeans • 50+ acres of hay • any rice • any sugar beets • any sunflowers • any tobacco • 25+ head of cattle for beef • 200+ head of hogs • If they milked 25+ head of dairy cattle • Or if they are a horse-owner family (starting in 2002)

13. AMR Methodology • Counties surveyed are determined by the participating station or network • Local stations pay for survey • Ratings are weighted based on the total population of Class I+ farmers • A station’s call letters must be mentioned by at least three different respondents to be reported

14. Basic Definitions • Average Quarter Hour Rating (AQH Rating) • Average Quarter Hour Share (AQH Share) CUME Rating • Average Quarter Hour Persons (AQH Persons) • CUME Persons

15. Definitions Cont. • AQH Persons: The average number of Class 1+ farmers ($40,000 plus in farm sales) listening to a particular station for at least five minutes in a quarter hour within a specific day part. Unduplicated AQH Persons for all affiliates mentioned are used for networks. • AQH Rating: The AQH Class 1+ farmers expressed as a percentage of all Class 1+ farmers being measured. • AQH Share: The AQH Class 1+ farmers expressed as a percentage of the total radio listening by all Class 1+ farmers being measured.

16. CUME Persons • CUME Persons: Total number of different Class 1+ farmers who listen to a station or network’s affiliates for at least five minutes in a day part; also called the unduplicated audience. Unduplicated CUME Persons for all affiliates mentioned are used for networks.

17. CUME Rating • CUME Rating: The CUME Class 1+ farmers expressed as a percentage of the population of all Class 1+ farmers being surveyed. • Ratings represent unduplicated listening to stations and groups of stations in specific hours or day parts. • Ratings do not represent listening to specific programs or specific farm broadcasters. • Network ratings represent farmers listening to all affiliates and include those not listening to network programming. • The AMR program will give you reports for hourly time periods between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can also generate quick reports that include the following time periods: • 5 a.m. – 7 p.m. • 5 a.m. – 8 a.m. • 8 a.m. –11 a.m. • 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. • 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. • Also included in the AMR package is a reach and frequency program.

18. Primary Market Areas • PMA’s indicate where the participant believes its strength lies • Usually a smaller geography than the total signal area. • Ratings give the buyer an indication of where strength is & how competition compares • PMAs of competing stations won’t have identical geographic boundaries

19. PMA’s Cont. • Know which counties have been surveyed and how the interviews were distributed • Responses are weighted based on the total population of Class 1+ Farmers • Compare the distribution of surveys to target geography to see if there is a correlation • Can get print outs of the following information: • Distribution of interviews • Listing of Farm Programming with air times • Participants in the AMR Study

20. The Quick Report • Shows the data for 5 key day parts • Allows you to compare how competing stations and networks deliver your audience in the PMA • It is expected that every participant would have the best audience delivery in its own PMA • Able to determine if farmers listen to the station throughout the day or just tune in for specific farm programs.

21. Hourly Report • Shows how the audience varies from hour to hour. • Shows what level of audience is being delivered by each station and network. • Can determine which stations are worth paying for

22. Selected States or Counties • Can select any group of counties desired • Using the hourly report will allow you to negotiate more specific air times for your commercials • Examining how individual stations perform will give information needed to negotiate on which stations you want to pay for • May be possible to negotiate some geographical or priority stations.

23. What’s next? • Match initial station/network choices with the target audience and geography determination along with how you plan to use radio • Contact the sales reps and organizations of these stations and networks. • Inquire about any special programming opportunities that might be available • This is an opportunity to get an idea of initial costs • Know whether you plan to run :60 or :30 second spots, and have an idea of when you plan to run your flights

24. Finalizing the Plan • Determine the initial list of which stations/networks you plan to use, the proper number of ads needed, and cost. • Establish a minimum frequency standard to be successful • Have an idea of how radio will work with other media you might use • Look at the performance of different combinations of stations and networks to “fine tune” your selection. • Determine how much media weight you want to assign to each vehicle you are using.

25. Analysis of Results • Imperative that you know to measure campaign goals • Will there be follow up awareness research? • If a sales goal is the objective then how much of an increase is it? • How long will the client expect the results to last? • Don’t be afraid of having your work evaluated

26. Success • A successful campaign relies on: • Strategic planning • Quality of the creative • Where and how the message is delivered • How often it is heard

27. Negotiations • Get an agreement on a budget and general then start the final stages of the planning/buying process— negotiating. • There are many styles to use in media negotiating • KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! The more you know about how various stations/networks perform, the better you can negotiate • Ask about features that include extra free promotional announcements • There is more detailed information available in ag media • Can create a target geography and audience, then match/compare media reach and cost • Maximize your media dollars efficiency and effectiveness.