Power Direct Marketing: The Book
Media Scheduling
Media scheduling is about frequency and impact. How often will you be in the marketplace and with what emphasis?
There are countless media scheduling options. You dream it up and it can be done. There is certainly no "right" or "wrong" way.
Some of the things that will affect what schedule you choose are the obvious ones of season and budget. If you’re introducing a new product, your schedule will be different than if you’re in a maintenance period.
Here are 8 ways for you to schedule being in the marketplace:
Steady
You are visible an equal amount every month—a steady, continuing, and ongoing schedule. Very, very few marketers do this—except for corporate image campaigns.
Alternating Even
The same as steady, except every other month rather than 12 times a year. A few do this—usually print and broadcast efforts.
Alternating Staggered
An every other month effort that builds up, drops back, and then builds again. This could be a good schedule if you have two very identifiable and seasonal selling seasons.
Flighting
You are in heavy for a steady period, then out. Followed by getting back in again. Many times this is done on radio—usually for a very short period of time: 6 weeks in/6 out/6 back in again.
It can also work in newspaper, and even direct mail—in the marketplace every few weeks for several months, then out, followed by a repeat heavy schedule.
Pulsing
Pulsing is flighting on a continuing schedule. A heavy program, followed by a lighter one, and then heavy again. Print and broadcast are typical tools to use for pulsing campaigns. Sometimes the telephone is included to support the heavy time.
Seasonal
Just what it says—you are in place only as your season approaches. This is very common with direct marketers who have a single, super heavy season.
Teaser Step-Up
An accelerated seasonal effort, where you start small and crescendo at the peak of your sales season. This is also a typical schedule for many in direct marketing, particularly those with consumer mail-order products.
Step-Down
The opposite of step-up. My feeling is these two go together. Use step-up to lead to your heavy season, and then keep the season going with a step-down, a lesser campaign, but nevertheless a presence. First step-up, then step-down. Working "two-gether."
There are really no "principles of scheduling." Direct mail is different from print and broadcast. Business-to-business schedules will be different than consumer. Financial service products have a different timetable of promotion than consumables. Previous experience, common sense, and your budget will many times dictate your schedule.