Get Powerful Cheap Commercials by Staying Ahead of the Ratings Game

Radio and TV commercials are price according to the ratings. High ratings mean lots of viewers and listeners and high priced spot rates to go with them. Makes sense, right?

Interestingly, this isn't a perfect world. Media ratings have lots of flaws. You can get extra value if you know about some of these problems (don't expect your ad exec to tell you--most don't understand it themselves).

Ratings are notoriously inaccurate. People in the audience can't remember what station they listened to, what timed they turned the radio off, or if they caught that TV show at the beginning or half-way through. Yet, that is what detailed ratings claim to know. High advertising rates are often based on a handy fiction.

Keep in mind that it may take months or even years for ratings surveys to show a particular station or show is popular. By keeping your ear to the ground, you can figure out which media programs are popular with growing audiences long before ratings reflect that. In the meantime, advertising rates stay low.

Talk to media employees about what stations and programs they think are getting big audiences. Ask other merchants what media buys work for them. Trust your own instincts if you find a low-rated program is getting you big results.

Kevin Nunley provides marketing and copy writing. Read all his free tips at http://DrNunley.com Reach Kevin at kevin@drnunley.com or 603-249-9519.

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