1. Selecting the Media The media carries a message to an audience. The media selected for an advertisement determines the way an advertisement is made. Factors to determine the media to be used are: reach, frequency, selectivity, durability, lead-time, mechanical requirements, clutter and cost.

2. 1. Reach What percentage of the target audience will be exposed to the message? Magazine and newspaper publishers have access to statistics which indicate the degree of the reach. TV & radio express reach in terms of a percentage of viewers like the Neilson ratings.

3. Frequency How many times will the target audience see or hear (be exposed to) the same advertising message over a given time period? A radio ad has a frequency of 1, a newspaper ad might have a frequency of 2 and a magazine ad might have a frequency of 5, meaning that once a radio ad has been aired, it can no longer be heard, but once a newspaper or magazine advertisement appears, it may be viewed more than once.

4. Selectivity Can the chosen media zero in on a target audience? Example: Golf club manufacturers would like to reach golfers, and golfer are the only consumers who read golf magazines. Having a print ad in the golf magazine (eg., Golf Digest, Golf Magazine) would be a successful advertising campaign. A TV ad on The Golf Channel would also be very effective.

5. Durability How long will the ad last? Is there an opportunity for the ad to be viewed more than once? Newspapers last for 24 hours; magazines can last much longer. Radio and television advertisements do not last at all.

6. Lead-Time What amount of time is necessary to prepare the ad to run in the media? T.V. and magazines require a lead-time of several weeks for production and layout. Radio and newspapers have lead-times of only a few days. When a sports team wins a major event (will the Leafs win the Stanley Cup this year?), media with short lead-times can congratulate the winner in an ad the next day.

7. Technical Requirements How complex is the process of preparing the ad for the media? TV ads are complicated and radio ads are simple. The technical requirements also affect the cost of advertising.

8. Clutter How many competitors are vying for the target audience’s attention within the media and within the area in which it is being heard or seen? A newspaper has internal clutter when ads on the same page compete with each other for the reader’s attention. External clutter is the activity which accompanies the consumption of the media. (eg., is the newspaper reader relaxed at home or on a commuter train with hundreds of jostling passengers?)

9. Costs How much money is involved in preparing an advertisement and paying for space or time in the media used to run it? TV commercials can cost anywhere from a few thousand to a million dollars to air (Super Bowl ads are very expensive) and anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars to make.