Automotive Advertising
Many people are talking about what great media value is available on the open market. Some numbers show that radio groups like Clear Channel are coming off their rates as much as 60%, just to get money on the books. In some markets, Comcast Spotlight is dumping loads of inventory as added value – bonus weight in addition to bonus spots on the same top tier programming that you are purchasing. Network stations are doing buy one get on free in some cases and offering no charge weeks to dealers who remain consistent.
So what does all this mean?
Is it a buyer’s market all the sudden?
The simple answer is yes, with one MAJOR disclaimer. You have to know what you are paying for. Spots can be bought cheaper, but you can’t always base the strength of your buy on number of spots alone. There is a reason that gross rating points, reach and frequency are included into a buy summary. The deals are real if you know the value of what you are getting.
Some people (even dealer friends of mine) are only interested in the spot count. How many spots do we have?
The question of today is – how much are we delivering with this buy?
If the media cost less and we increase our frequency for the same money, what do we stand to gain from these extra impressions?
There are some real deals out in the market in terms of media. Just be very careful as to what you are buying.
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John Paul Strong
John Paul Strong combines his two decades of automotive marketing experience with a team of more than 150 professionals as owner and CEO of Strong Automotive.
