Just about every successful marketing campaign has some type of media element. This could include print advertising (newspapers, magazines, etc.), broadcast (radio, television, etc.), out-of-home (billboards, bus boards, etc.), to name but a few options.
We find it surprising how many marketers do not completely understand the basic metrics of measuring media and how to best gauge effectiveness. So we thought it would be helpful to provide a cheat-sheet of common media measurements terms and definitions.
Reach
The number or percent of different homes or persons exposed at least once to an advertising schedule in one or more media vehicles over a given period of time.
Frequency
The average number of times that the household or person is exposed to a media vehicle, schedule or campaign over a given time period.
GRPs
Also known as Gross Rating Points, they are the sum of ratings (reach x frequency) delivered by several media insertions in ten or more vehicles, where one point = 1% of the coverage base. For example, ten TV spots, each delivering an average rating of 15, deliver 150 GRPs, or 1.5 messages per average home.
Circulation
In print, the number of copies of a vehicle distributed based on an average number of issues. In out-of-home, the total number of people who are exposed to a vehicle within a specified time, typically a twenty-four-hour period.
Share
The number of households or persons tuned to a particular program, expressed as a percentage of the total using the vehicle at a specific time.
Impression
Also referred to as exposure, it is a single view of an ad by a reader or TV viewer, a single hearing of a radio spot by a listener, etc.
This is only a general outline of basic media measurement terms. There are many other ways to measure media effectiveness as it relates to your customized marketing program. As always, if you have any questions just drop us a line.
Looking for help measuring your media’s effectiveness? Learn more about Gumas and how our full-service agency can help your brand make the most of your media. Ready to talk now? Submit a contact request and we’ll be in touch soon.
