What is Direct media access what are advantages and disadvantages of direct media access?

Answer 1

Media Advantages and Disadvantages When trying to select a medium that is right for your advertising message, it's helpful to know some of the advantages and disadvantages of the various forms of media to assist you with your decision. = Newspapers = * Your ad has size and share, and can be as large as necessary to communicate as much of a story as you care to tell. * The distribution of your message can be limited to your geographic area. * Split-run tests are available to test your copy and your offer. * Free help is usually available to create and produce your ad. * Fast closings. The ad you decide to run today can be in your customer's hands two days from now. * Clutter. Your ad has to compete for attention against large ads run by supermarkets and department stores. * Poor photo reproduction limits creativity. * A price-oriented medium. Most ads are for sales. * Short shelf life. The day after a newspaper appears, it's history. * Waste circulation. You're paying to send your message to a lot of people who will probably never be in the market to buy from you. * A highly visible medium. Your competitors can quickly react to your prices. = Magazines = * High reader involvement means more attention will be paid to your advertisement. * Less waste circulation. You can place your ads in magazines read primarily by buyers of your product or service. * The smaller the page (generally eight and half by eleven inches) permits even small ads to stand out. * Long lead times (generally 90 days) mean you have to make plans a long time in advance. * The cost for space is higher in addition to higher creative costs. = Yellow Pages = * Everyone uses the yellow pages. * Ads are reasonably inexpensive. * You can easily track your responses. * All of your competitors are listed so you run the ad as a defensive measure. * Ads are not very creative since they follow certain formats. = Radio = * A universal medium. Can be enjoyed at home, at work, and while driving. Most people listen to the radio at one time or another during the day. * Permits you to target your advertising dollars to the market most likely to respond to your offer. * Permits you to create a personality for your business using only sounds and voices. * Free creative help is ususally available. * Rates can generally be negotiated. * Least inflated medium. During the past ten years, radio rates have gone up less than other media. * Because radio listeners are spread over many stations, to totally saturate your market you have to advertise simultaneously on many stations. * Listeners cannot refer back to your ads to go over important points. * Ads are an interruption to the entertainment. Because of this, radio ads must be repeated to break through the listener's "tune out" factor. * Radio is a background medium. Most listeners are doing something else while listening, which means your ad has to work hard to be listened to and understood. * Advertising costs are based on ratings which are approximations based on diaries kept in a relatively small fraction of a region's homes. = Television = * Permits you to reach great numbers of people on a national or regional level. * Independent stations and cable offer new opportunities to pinpoint local audiences. * Very much an image-building medium. * Ads on network affiliates are concentrated in local news broadcasts and on station breaks. * Creative and production costs can quickly mount up. * Lead time can result in items being sold out before ad runs. * Most ads are ten or thirty seconds long, which limits the amount of information you can communicate. = Direct Mail = * Your advertising message is targeted to those most likely to buy your product or service. * Your message can be as long as necessary to fully tell your story. * You have total control over all elements of creation and production. * A "silent" medium. Your message is hidden from your competitors until it's too late for them to react. * Long lead times required for creative printing and mailing. * Requires coordinating the services of many people: artists, photographers, printers, etc. * Each year over 20% of the population moves, meaning you must work hard to keep your mail list up to date. * Likewise, a certain percentage of the names on a purchased mailing list is likely to be no longer useful. = Telemarketing = * You can easily answer questions about your product/service. * It's easy to prospect and find the right person to talk to. * Cost effective compared to direct sales. * Highly measurable results. * You can get a lot of information if your script is properly structured. * Many business use telemarketing. * Professionals should draft the script and perform the telemarketing in order for it to be effective. * Can be extremely expensive. * Most appropriate for high-ticket retail items or professional services. = Specialty Advertising (balloons, sandwich boards, key charms, etc.) = * Can be attention grabbers if they are done well. * Can give top-of-mind awareness. * Gets your name in front of people. * Difficult to target your market. * Can be an inappropriate medium for some businesses. * Difficult to find items that are appropriate for certain businesses.