Mixed messages can be surprisingly effective

Everyone in the advertising industry knows that the fastest growth rates in recent years have been in outdoor hoardings and radio, with outdoor emerging as the medium most immune to recession.

At the same time, to the amusement and satisfaction of many, we have seen a chastened ITV learning the meaning of humility. There have even been rumours of staff dusting down sales manuals and visiting agencies for the first time in years. But could it be that ITV has eaten enough humble pie and dropped its prices sufficiently to woo disenchanted advertisers?

The industry is buzzing with rumour and speculation. Indeed, now that there is so much value to be had, whispers are circulating that some of the major advertisers are on the verge of piling all their resources into television.

However, ask yourself a different question. Are marketing directors likely to win more esteem from colleagues by (a) announcing that their company can now afford exposure on the small screen; or (b) telling the board that the company can afford even more of the cost-effective radio and poster media?

On the face of it, this is a no-brainer. Every marketing director should opt for the career-enhancing move of piling into cheap TV and winning the approval of colleagues who are not particularly media literate. Agencies, too, should be advocating this route, winning the favour of clients and media consultants (formerly known as auditors) alike.

But pause for a moment to consider why posters have been doing so well in recent years (radio has a whole bureau to do this sort of analysis). And while you’re doing that, leave aside its higher audiences, product investment, better research and accountability for a moment.

A critical factor has been a growing understanding of the multimedia effect. Crudely expressed, advertisers get a bigger bang for their buck if they spread their cash across more than one medium.

The advocate of this approach is none other than media consultant John Billett. Work by The Billett Consultancy shows that mixed-media campaigns can deliver more people, keep the brand message fresher and deliver a variety of messages at the right time to the right audience.

In particular, mixed-media campaigns reach more people more quickly than their single-media equivalents. So, Billett argues, why plan single-media campaigns when a combination of media is more effective, more competitive and cheaper? Why indeed?

All in all, it doesn’t matter how cheap television advertising gets (the cost is still a country mile above that of outdoor, in any case). If marketing directors want value, they would be wise to keep spreading the budget across a variety of media to reap the benefit of the “media multiplier” effect endorsed by Billett.

David Pugh is managing director of Maiden Outdoor