Media: An Unseen, but Integral, Part of Advertising
You may know this story, but I think it is worth repeating. Our current president and founder Jim von Hoff had a vision over 32 years ago to build a full-service advertising agency under one roof. Today, our 12-person team helps our 80+ clients create Communication with substance and uses our media resources to deliver that content to the right people at the right time.
So, yes, we talk creative a lot at Insight. The message and the look and feel of creative is very important to the effectiveness of a campaign. But our media department, including myself and Molly Setzer, really are the most important pieces of that puzzle (wink wink).
It falls on the media team to deliver this amazing and effective creative to the right audience at the right time when they are willing to accept the message. We consider several things to make our buying decisions just that.
Our media partners bring a lot to the table. The old adage, “two heads are better than one” is true in this case. We partner with them to scour data, research and media options to find the sweet spot for our clients. We use our collective experience to develop media plans that reach out and have an effective frequency. These partnerships bring the best local minds to the table when determining media choices.
The next step is determining what media to use. That depends on the audience, the creative and what we want the result to be. Based on the target audience, we develop a media mix that matches their media usage. What media, what time of day and in what format are all things we consider. Our decisions are not just based on simple demographics anymore, such as women 25-54. Instead, we have sophisticated data and our client’s knowledge of their customers to develop a campaign persona. This persona has tendencies that determine what media are the best fit.
For example, we may decide that digital ads are the media we want to use (that is likely the case for every campaign now). While digital can be intrusive, it also provides an opportunity to talk one-on-one with customers who match your target persona. So, how does the messaging change, what type of digital do we use … video, display, search, all of the above? There are great opportunities in the digital realm to meet your customers where they are, when they are looking for your product or service.
In any case, we are a multi-screen society. Expect that your customers watch TV and look at their phones at the same time. They binge-watch shows and work on their laptops. Very seldom do we consume just one media at a time. Use this to your advantage when planning a media buy.
Two final points: Covid has changed how we do things, and every business should look at how they can be more efficient and effective with their marketing dollars. Communicating to YOUR customers now about how you are handling their next visit is very important to them. Use your social platforms to keep them up to date. Update your signage and website with current information. Shoot a video of your location demonstrating safety precautions. Stay current and connected with your customers however you can. I am happy to see our local communities supporting local people and their businesses. It is not easy right now.
Experience is your most valuable resource. At Insight, our media buying decisions are driven by our “experience aided by research.” Those are wise words from my mentor and former colleague Bill Quigley. Previous campaigns or conversations help us determine the best course of action for our upcoming campaigns. And we use research to validate those decisions. While the creative elements are what you see and hear, it’s the media choice that allows those campaigns to connect with your audience.
If you need help with media buying, put the Insight Creative team to work and reach out today!
