MEDIA BRIEF

MEDIA BRIEF

The brief

Their media brief was to basically cover these 3 points –

· To develop a composite media plan using all available forms of media so as to ensure that the key target markets are reached with the core messages.

· To create better awareness of the use of Debit Cards.

· To build the SBI Debit Card “brand”.

To encourage more users to use the Debit Card services provided

The media brief can be referred to as a checklist for the media planners to help them prepare media plan for a client organization. Media planning is not an isolated function but an integral part of an overall campaign planning. Hence a media planner needs to have a thorough knowledge of all the variables.

Media brief gives a background to the whole planning. It will cover details on the product/service, the overall marketing strategy, and the proposition being made.

Ideal media brief. In other words, what should it contain to help the media planner in making an ideal plan to help facilitate decision-making at the client’s end? With the proliferation in the media and media markets becoming more complex, given the heterogeneity of the target audience, special efforts are made to prepare the media brief. A good media brief should ideally include the following:

• Marketing information checklist: This should reflect the marketing objectives and proposed strategies, product characteristics, distribution channels, brand category, expenditure level and ad. expenditure of close competitors, ad. expenditure for the current, previous years and proposed appropriation.

• The objectives: The media brief must indicate the objective or objectives; the proposed advertising is trying to accomplish. This must clearly indicate whether the objective is to introduce a new product, increase awareness about the existing brand, reinforce the current position, reposition the current brand, relaunch a declining brand, elicit direct response, improve or enhance the company’s reputation or change the people’s attitude towards the company, brand or product category. It would also indicate the source of business, i.e., the target audience, profile of the current users, proposed users, etc.

• Product category information: It is pertinent for the media planner to have a thorough knowledge about the product category and the positioning of the brand being handled. This helps in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the brand and also helps in setting achievable targets.

A brief description is required with respect to the product itself, its uses, the pack, the price, the method of distribution,etc. what sales movement are taking place with respect to the product of this category, is the market expanding or is steady.

With respect to competitors, how are their brands advertised or promoted.Is it an established brand or a new brand fighting for a bench head.

The other information details can be : market share of the various brands, sales volume of each brand, life cycle stage for brand/category (new, mature, stagnating or near extinct), market expansion opportunity, interest level (high/low), responsiveness to advertising, purchase cycle of the product-to help determine the scheduling pattern.

• Geography/location: The media brief helps the planner in knowing his media markets. In other words, for example, if the product is only available in the metros, then the planner will restrict his media options to only those vehicles, which reach the target audience in the metros. In case, however, the product is being launched on all-country basis, the media planner although keeping in view the holistic approach will also keep in mind the consumption pattern in various geographical locations for giving relative weightage to areas, where the product usage is more. Besides this, he will also keep in view the brand development index, sales volume and local market problems and opportunities.

• Seasonality/timing: Information regarding seasonality of the product is an important consideration for the media planner. In the Indian context, where there are extreme climates in different parts of the country at the same time, some products are season-specific.

The sale of woolens is always there in the hilly areas especially, Srinagar, Himachal Pradesh and higher reaches of Uttar Pradesh, while in southern India, except probably in some parts of Karnataka, woolens are generally not available. The North experience severe cold for some months, hence one sees a spurt in advertising during this period. Besides, the planner should keep track of the sales pattern, influence factors such as festivals, holidays and the weather, spending considerations, specific sales promotion drive, and client mandated spending constraint, etc.

Even in case of rural advertising generally the consumers have a high buying power immediately after the harvest hence showing advertisements at this point of time would be a good strategy then showing it all year round.

• Target audience: it will be futile to aim the advertisements at every body. In that way the effort is diffused and no one thinks the advertisement is meant for him. Hence there should be a precise definition of the people the advertising is to reach. The definition of the target may be a simple.

A profile of those who buy the existing category as also those who buy competitive brands is a very important consideration for the media planner. Buying habits must also include information about buying cycles, purchase points, frequency of purchase, etc. This helps the planner to know the consumer characteristics by category, brand and competitor; demographics-age, income, education, occupation and motivation; special market segments like doctors, architects, children, etc. as also media usage data for heavy users, light users of various media vehicles.

• Budget: At the briefing stage the planner also needs to know the media budget-after the cost of producing the advertisement and the other expenditures have been deducted.

In a nutshell, the media brief should aim at answering-in which markets are the media to be concentrated; what is the product category-media relationship; how do competitors use the media; who is the media talking to (the specific target audience); and how much weight needs to be placed on various media in terms of ad appropriation.