SUMMARY KOMUNIKASI PEMASARAN

CHAPTER 11

Evaluation of Media: Television and Radio

Advantages of Television Advertising​

Some advantages of television advertising include the following:

• Television reaches very large audiences – usually much larger than the audience your local newspaper reaches, and it does so during a short period of time.
• Since there are fewer television stations than radio stations in a given area, each TV audience is divided into much larger segments, which enables you to reach a larger, yet, more diverse audience.
• It has the ability to convey your message with sight, sound and motion, and can give a product or service instant validity and prominence.

Television always has been a popular medium for large retailers, but because of lowered production costs and the ability of cable to reach smaller market areas, its use by small and medium size businesses is becoming more popular. Television is often referred to as the “king” of the advertising media. It has proven its power to influence human behavior again and again. But it is also the “king” of advertising costs as well.

Advantage: Strong Impact

Television advertising uses audio and visual effects to create a lasting impact. Marketers interact color, sound, sight, drama and motion to ensure that their message is strong and persuasive. Additional tactics and props, such as attractive models, elaborative sets, enchanting graphics and audio-visual effects further enhance impact.

Advantage: Mass Coverage

According to an article published in the New York Times, 96.7 percent of American households own television sets. This amounts to more than 300 million people who have access to television. Cable networks, 24-hour programs and satellite channels have further hiked television viewership in the country, making the television a substantially lucrative mode of conveying an advertisement.

 

Limitation: Intrusive

Consumers often bemoan the intrusive nature of television advertisements and find ways to avoid commercials. This limits the effectiveness of television advertising. Consumers either take time out during a commercial to make a trip to the refrigerator or surf programs on other channels. Furthermore, different technological innovations enable consumers to block advertisements all together. The V-chip is a device that consumers can program to block unwanted content on television, including advertisements. TiVo is another similar device that allows users to store television programs without commercials.

 

Limitation: High Costs

Television advertising costs more than other forms of media, such as radio, magazine, newspaper and Internet advertising. Quality commercials are expensive to produce. Typical production costs range between $200,000 to more than $1 million for each commercial, writes William Arens in his book "Contemporary Advertising." Airtime costs are equally high, ranging from $200,000 to $400,000 for a 30-second slot, according to Arens. These costs can prevent detailed messages from being delivered and most advertisements end up being brief and fleeting.