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Marketing
Association Logos | Trusted Choice | Guide to Buying Advertising
Guide to Buying Advertising
IIA of IL offers tips to help agencies plan their media buy. These guidelines will help you customize and produce your agency's advertising campaign. |
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| Newspaper & Print |
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Before buying print advertisement, you should thoroughly review the publication in which you intend to advertise. By doing so, you will gain a sense of the publication's audience, the editorial nature of the publication, competing advertisers, and where you would like to see your ad placed.
To buy ad space, you should:
- Contact the advertising department of the newspaper or publication.
- Introduce yourself, the name of your agency, the nature of your business, and where your office is located.
- Explain that you intend to place a display ad in the newspaper or publication.
You will then be assigned to an advertising sales representative. Be prepared to fax a copy of your ad in order to discuss placement and rates. You should also discuss customizing your ad with the salesper-son. Explain that you need to strip-in your agency's name, address, phone number, and web address. PIIAI ad slicks provide you with adequate space for your customization.
Do not be afraid to negotiate a contract rate for your advertising based upon your budget versus adhering strictly to the publication's rate card. Your account executive will forward a media kit with a comprehensive selection of materials detailing information about the publication, sample rates, sample advertisements, and more.
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Research has shown that radio, both network and spot, represents a steady medium on which to advertise. The advantages of radio include a wide distribution of products and services by way of efficient and effective technology.
To make an effective radio buy, you should:
- Contact the sales department at the radio station(s) that you have identified as most likely to provide the audience you want.
- Introduce yourself, the name of your agency, the nature of your business, and where your office is located.
- Explain that you intend to place advertising and ask to speak with an advertising sales representative.
You will then be assigned to an advertising sales representative. Be prepared to fax a copy of the radio script you plan to record. If using a PIIAI produced radio ad, explain that your spot has already been pro-duced but it needs to be tagged with your own personalized message. Confirm that production services in connection with your media buy are provided at no additional cost to you, the advertiser.
The station's account executive will discuss your options in terms of placement and rates based upon a number of key variables including your budget, the length of your spot, and the time of day (day-part) dur-ing which you wish to advertise.
Local, or spot, radio advertising rates are flexible as a result of competition among a number of region-al broadcasters. For the most part, it is a buyer's market. Negotiate rates and times.
Your account executive should forward a media kit containing a comprehensive selection of materials detailing demographic information about the station, ratings, day-part placement rates, and more.
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The principal advantage of television and cable advertising is the delivery of your message on a high-impact medium that's provocative and entertaining. Additional, two unique advantages are lower place-ment costs and an ability to target local trade areas, thereby maximizing the impact of your message on your primary audience.
With a defined advertising placement budget and 30-second PIIAI "Declaration of Independents" ad in hand, you can negotiate your media buy.
- Contact the advertising sales and marketing department at the television station, affiliate, cable network, or local cable system.
- Introduce yourself, the name of your agency, the nature of your business, and where your office is located.
- Explain that you have produced a 30-second commercial conforming to broadcast standards and ask to speak with an advertising sales representative.
You will be assigned to an advertising sales representative. Discuss your placement options and rates based upon your budget and the day-part during which you wish to advertise. Television typically offers a number of rate options depending on when you want to advertise, how often you want your spot to air, and how much you choose to spend to guarantee that your commercial will be seen on a specific day and at a specific time.
Generally speaking, first-tier rates guarantee that your commercial will be seen on a specific day and time, second-tier placement can be rescheduled or "bumped" to accommodate a first-tier entry, while third tier ads - or run of schedule (ROS) - are placed depending on availability.
The advertising rates on the major networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC) are volatile and depend upon show popularity, audience type, seasonal trends, and advertising demands. Spot pricing on local affili-ates can be equally as unpredictable, but perhaps more leverage in terms of negotiating a favorable rate.
Cable TV allows you to target specific audiences you want to reach. CNN, Headline News, and The weather Channel are the top three cable networks to reach a targeted group of college-educated men and women with household incomes of $50,000 and higher, and ages 35 and older who are sources of referral. You might also consider A&E, Discovery, USA, and SciFi. Talk with your ad representative for pricing.
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Outdoor - or billboard advertising - offers pinpoint coverage of special demographic markets, repeat exposure, and a relatively low cost. Due to the physical size of a billboard, your message comes across large. The disadvantage, however, is that your message is being seen by people in transit, so it must be brief. Therefore, you must be creative in developing your billboard ad.
You usually can find the name and contact for billboards prominently featured on the board itself. Outdoor advertising companies can assist you in developing your graphic design, though there is a cost associated with doing so. Also keep in mind that outdoor advertising is a buyer's market, so negotiate rates.
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As a medium, the Internet is a source of comprehensive information and content for you and your customers. PIIAI has a website initiative that provides member agencies with free websites and web hosting. By selecting one of three web template designs, members can customize their websites, thus offering an "online marketing brochure" to current and prospective clients. The web-sites also include quote forms that can be completed online by consumers and e-mailed to the agency for follow-through. Contact the PIIAI office for more information.
Once you have developed your website, there are several ways you can market it. Set up reciprocal links with other businesses. Participate in a webring, a group of complimentary business websites that have formed a linked circle. List your web address on every free web directory available for insurance and small businesses. Add your web address to all your business print materials, including letterhead, busi-ness cards, brochures, etc.
Additionally, PIIAI's consumer website at www.Chooselndependent.com features an agent locator - a search engine that helps consumers find an independent agent in their area. The site also includes con-sumer tips and information, a news room, important insurance phone numbers, and other components branding the independent agency system. If your agency has a website, be sure to include a link to Chooselndependent.com - the Insurance Site for Illinois Consumers.
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Your customers trust you to help them make crucial decisions with regard to their insurance needs for their home, for their family, and for their business. As an independent agent, you are the insurance expert, ready to consult with your client on the policy and coverage that is best for them.
Likewise, don't be afraid to contact a local advertising professional when you find yourself in need of advice with regard to your media plan, the production of your advertisement, or the media buy you are about to make.
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