Media scheduling and types

1. MEDIA SCHEDULING

2. Scheduling
Once the media planning and selection is accomplished to the
satisfaction of both advertisers and agencies, the attention is diverted
to the task of deciding the media scheduling. It concerns answering
such questions as how many of each media vehicles space and time
units be bought? Over what and time units, this will be bought? Over
what period, should such buying be? Do we want a steady schedule or
do we want a `pulsed' campaign, concentrating heavily in the beginning
and later slowing down ?

3. What is scheduling?
Scheduling refers to the pattern of advertising timing, represented as
plots on a yearly flowchart. These plots indicate the pattern of
scheduled times advertising must appear to coincide with favorable
selling periods. The classic scheduling models
are Continuity, Flighting and Pulsing.

4. Continuous
This model is primarily for non-seasonal products, yet sometimes for seasonal
products. Advertising runs steadily with little variation over the campaign period.
There may be short gaps at regular intervals and also long gaps—for instance, one ad
every week for 52 weeks, and then a pause. This pattern of advertising is prevalent
in service and packaged goods that require continuous reinforcement on the audience
for top of mind recollection at point of purchase.
Advantages:
• Works as a
• Covers the entire purchase cycle
• Cost efficiencies in the form of large media discounts
• Positioning advantages within media
• Program or plan that identifies the media channels used in an advertising campaign,
and specifies insertion or broadcast dates, positions, and duration of the messages.
Continuous
Time

5. Flighting (or "bursting")
In media scheduling for seasonal product categories, flighting involves
intermittent and irregular periods of advertising, alternating with
shorter periods of no advertising at all.
Flighting
Time
Burst
Time

6. Advantages:
• Advertisers buy heavier weight than
competitors for a relatively shorter period
of time
• Little waste, since advertising concentrates
on the best purchasing cycle period
• Series of commercials appear as a unified
campaign on different media vehicles

7. Pulsing
Pulsing combines flighting and continuous scheduling by using a low advertising
level all year round and heavy advertising during peak selling periods. Product
categories that are sold year round but experience a surge in sales at intermittent
periods are good candidates for pulsing. For instance, under-arm deodrants, sell all
year, but more in summer months.
Advantages:
• Covers different market situations
• Advantages of both continuity and flighting possible
Pulsing
Time

8. The number of different people or households and the number of times a person
or household is exposed to a communications vehicle or an ad or campaign over a
specified time period (usually four weeks).Thus, to an advertiser, the following six
types of schedules are available.
• Steady pulse: Steady pulse is the easiest types of schedules to prepare. For
instance, one ad per week for 52 weeks or one ad per month for 12 months may
be prepared.
• Seasonal Pulse: Seasonal nature of products dictate the use of seasonal pulse in
advertising. Examples include Ponds Cold cream; ceiling fans; airconditioners etc.,
in the months of winter and summer respectively.
Reach & Frequency

9. • Period Pulse: Scheduling of media at regular intervals but not related to the,
seasons of the year, is called the periodic pulse. Examples may include media
scheduling of consumer durables (e.g. mixes) and during Puja or X-mas festivals, for
gift purposes.
• Erratic Pulse: When advertising is spaced at irregular intervals, it is called erratic
pulse. Erratic pulse by itself is not to be ignored. It is quite likely that the advertiser
is trying to cause changes in typical purchase cycles. For instance, ceiling fans, soft-
drinks etc. Advertising in months other than the summer months, could attempt to
even out purchases throughout the year.

10. • Start up Pulse: It is quite common to see a heavily concentrated media
scheduling to open either a new product or a new campaign. This is called as start
up pulse. For instance, the scheduling adopted by Maruti Suzuki for its NEXA
showrooms have a distinct start up pulse.
• Promotional Pulse: This scheduling pattern suits only a particular promotional
theme of company. Thus, it will be more in the nature of onetime only and
advertising will be heavily concentrated during a particular time. Examples of
promotional pulse would include the recent advertising for Big Bazaar

11. Some of the key factors that influence the scheduling pattern for a
brand are as below-
• Marketing Objective
• TG Viewership
• Sales Trend
• Product Availability
• Markets
• Competition
• Budget

12. Thank You!