If there’s one thing TV advertising is good at, it’s delivering numbers. Want millions of eyeballs on your ad? No problem, TV will deliver! When planning a TV campaign many people focus solely on reach but can this be a problem?
In short, yes. Numbers aren’t the be all and end all. You need a more considered approach to TV campaign planning if you want to see a good return on your spend. Cheap CPTs may deliver a truck load of viewers but they don’t necessarily translate into sales. There’s no point reaching a million C1s if your audience is AB, you have simply wasted your money.
Wastage is the enemy of advertising efficiency. Luckily, at AJ we know all the tricks on how to plan a TV campaign that reaches your audience efficiently and cost effectively.
So what’s our secret to efficient TV campaign planning?
Know your audience
Before you can target your audience you need to REALLY know who they are. Clients often come to us thinking they know their audience and they’re generally right. Generally…
If you haven’t profiled your customer database recently you can’t be 100% sure you’re talking to the right people. Often an audience profile will largely confirm what we already suspected but there are almost always little nuggets of insight that we weren’t expecting. This information can open up a whole new world of opportunity and is the key to efficient TV campaign planning.
At AJ we take every bit of data we can get our hands on and use the latest profiling tools to really get a grip on who our clients need to be talking to.
Establish your target
Your target audience is unique to your business. It’s not just about who your customers are right now. We assess not just the demographics of your typical customer, we establish who might be a customer in the future and who could be a customer right now but has been missed by current targeting.
By considering all possibilities we create a target audience profile that will be receptive to your message and we use this as the backbone of our TV campaign planning.
Recommend the best value media strategy
AJ is an independent agency so when planning a TV campaign we can “cherry pick” channels according to what suits our clients and not what meets our own objectives. Unlike many agencies we have no network share deals or tie-ins that restrict our channel options. Every channel we recommend is purely based on what offers value for money for the client.
Once we have established a target audience, we run a channel profile to establish what the top indexing channels are for this demographic. We use this information to lead our media schedule and channel mix. Not every agency can do this as pre-existing arrangements mean some can only offer a channel package or a particular channel mix.
A carefully considered schedule
When planning a TV campaign getting the channel mix right is just part of the media strategy.
With the correct channels selected, we start looking at content and hone in on the programming most relevant to the target audience. This increases the number of target audience reached and minimises wastage.
Our years of experience and excellent relationships with the networks mean we can spot and exploit opportunities that other agencies may well miss.
Our ongoing analysis and monitoring deliver best value
We don’t just let a TV campaign run. Once on air, we put all our focus into monitoring and refining the schedule. Real time results are measured using sophisticated software. This enables us to measure the performance of channels, programmes, time of day, day of week and time-length.
Our attention to detail when planning and executing a TV campaign ensures we keep a step ahead, and can identify any tweaks or changes that can be made for an even better ROI.
Keeping you in the picture
We know how important it is to clients that they know what their TV campaign is delivering. As standard, we provide a weekly snapshot of a campaign, reporting top-line performance.
We don’t bombard clients with figures, but we provide enough information so they can feel totally confident their campaign is being looked after.
We always want to over deliver and exceed client expectations. At AJ we don’t just want a schedule that delivers good results; we aim for a campaign that delivers the best possible results.
Sounds good? Could your TV campaign planning be better?
Do you feel your TV campaign is not as targeted as it could be, or suspect your TV buying audience is out of sync with your actual customer profile? Chances are you’re paying to reach people who aren’t relevant to your business. If your CPTs are low but you aren’t getting good results, it’s worth considering whether you’re getting the quality of audience you need.
If you’re not sure if your TV campaigns are as efficient as they should be, get in touch. We can provide you with a FREE, no obligation TV schedule audit.
If you want honest, unbiased feedback, we offer a free, no obligation campaign audit. Simply send us your schedule and we’ll assess it against your key objectives. If there are improvements that can be made, we’ll let you know and if not, you can feel reassured you’re getting best value for your budget.