Manag., July-2018 – Q81
- Option : C
- Explanation : 1. Continuity scheduling spreads media spending evenly across months. For example, with an annual budget of Rs.12,00,000 a year, continuity scheduling would allocate exactly Rs.100,000 per month. This method is used in case of frequently purchased items like soaps and toothpastes, and ensures steady brand exposure over each purchase cycle for individual consumers. It also takes advantage of volume discounts in media buying. However, because continuity scheduling usually requires a large budget, it may not be practical for small advertisers.
Advantages:
> Works as a reminder
> Covers the entire purchase cycle
> Cost efficiencies in the form of large media discounts.
2. Concentration scheduling pattern calls for spending the entire amount available for advertising in a single period.
3. Flighting: Advertising for some period followed by a hiatus with no ad and then followed by a second flight.
4. Pulsing scheduling pattern combines the continuity and flighting scheduling methods, so that the brand maintains a low level of advertising across all months but spends more in selected months. For example, an airline like Kingfisher Airlines might use a low level of continuous advertising to maintain brand awareness among business travellers. Kingfisher Airlines might also have seasonal pulses to entice summer-weary consumers to fly to various places. In budget allocation terms, a consumer goods brand may, with a budget of Rs.12,00,000 a year, spend Rs.50,000 in each of the twelve months to maintain the brand awareness and spend an additional Rs.1,00,000 in January, March, May, July, September and November to attract brand switchers from competing brands. The pulse scheduling method takes advantage of both the continuity and flight scheduling methods and mitigates their weaknesses.
