Advertising on TV and Radio

If a company wishes to advertise on TV or radio, the first step is usually to contact an advertising agency, who will produce the ad. They will come up with a communication strategy; this includes advertising copy for an advert, and perhaps a catchy jingle (memorable music for your ad) or a memorable slogan.

Companies can choose from different advertising formats:

· An advertisement that is broadcast on TV or radio is called a commercial or an ad. This traditional format is shown in the commercial break between programmes.

· An ident is a short film with the brand name and logo shown before a programme.

· A sponsored programme or AFP (advertiser-funded programme) is financed by the sponsor or brand.

· Interactive ads are becoming more popular on digital television; in addition to using the remote control to change channels, views can press a button and respond to an ad.

The second step is to make sure your commercial is heard or seen by your target audience. Ninety-nine percent of homes in the UK have TV, and the number of digital television households is growing rapidly.

Most TV channels are national and viewers from all over the country can watch the programmes. Companies can buy regional advertising for some TV channels or national advertising if they want to reach the whole country. Local radio stations attract listeners from only one area.

The audience profile gives information about the listeners or viewers, including age, sex and possibly income. The viewing or listening figures show how large the audience is for a certain programme or for a whole channel or station. The GRP (gross rating points) show the percentage of the target audience reached by a television commercial. Television ratings (TVR) show the relative popularity of different TV programmes. Ratings differ from audience share, which refers to the percentage of total audience watching TV at any one moment who are viewing a given channel. For example, an audience share of 65% for a football match shows that 65% of people watching TV at that time were watching the football match.

The big channels for each country are called mainstream media. They feature general programmes and cater for everyone, providing what people want or need to see. Customers can pay to subscribe to cable TV and satellite TV. Terrestrial TV, which is broadcast via radio waves, is usually free, or free-to-air.

Dayparts are sections of the day during which programmes are broadcast or aired to appeal to the particular demographic group that will be watching or listening. Most people have regular listening or viewing habits and will usually watch, or tune in to, the same programmes every day or week.

Comprehension questions:

1. What is the first step to advertise on TV or radio?

2. What formats of advertising can companies use?

3. What does the audience profile offer?

4. What is called mainstream media?