A national radio broadcasters association hosts an annual convention that attracts station
owners and program managers as well as ad agencies and media planners. As a media
planner, you take part in forums on the current status of traditional radio, the
competition between AM and FM formats, the growth of satellite and Internet radio,
and the rise of new technologies. During one forum, a professor of broadcasting sparks
discussion by posing a number of questions based on real-life situations that he has
encountered over the years.
The long-time owner of an FM radio station in a mid-size West Coast city is closely
monitoring the ups and downs of satellite radio companies. Traditional radio station
owners like him, as well as their advertisers, are concerned about the rise of satellite
radio mainly because it
a. offers superior sound reproduction at no cost.
b. is more local than local radio.
c. has no advertising.
d. is the most popular format with today’s listeners.
One method of agency compensation has been accused of encouraging advertising
agencies to recommend only the most costly media vehicles available. This method is
the _____ system.
a. commission
b. fee
c. retainer
d. markup charge
What corporation is one of the world’s largest media conglomerates, one that offers
broadcasting, film, music, cable, print, publishing, and a large Internet presence?
a. News Corp
b. Fox
c. Sony
d. Time Warner
Ads become part of our everyday landscape, language, and reality as a result of many
people
a. being bombarded with a clutter of taglines, slogans, jingles, mottos, and reminders.
b. being highly involved in purchasing decisions.
c. picking up and adopting their phrases, ideas, slogans, and agendas.
d. buying only certain products based on trust and loyalty.
The text points out that an advantage offered by secondary data from government
sources is that the information is
a. less biased than that of other sources.
b. always up-to-date.
c. available even to small businesses with no research budget.
d. gathered directly from consumers.
What does the acronym STP mean?
a. Sales, Target, Product
b. Sell To People
c. Segmenting, Targeting, Positioning
d. Sell The Product
Which independent service verifies the figures that indicate the reach for both
newspapers and magazines?
a. All Dimension Audience Research
b. Audit Bureau of Circulations
c. Nielsen Media
d. Arbitron
A nationally distributed fashion and beauty magazine regularly acts as a vehicle for
direct marketing. This occurs when direct marketers promote their products or services
by
a. having feature stories published.
b. sending press releases.
c. getting free publicity in advice columns.
d. paying for bind-in insert cards.
Not all media are created equal when it comes to corporate advertising. Compared to
others, which two forms of media are particularly well suited to corporate advertising
efforts?
a. radio and television
b. newspapers and magazines
c. Internet and mobile devices
d. television and magazines
Jay and Carrie Garrett operate a small retail store in a college town that sells only house
plants and accessories, which they named The Plantatarium. Their initial feeling when
they went into business was that virtually everyone was a potential customer for house
plants. Subsequent market research conducted for them painted a different picture. This
research identified three particularly strong market segments. The first was college
students ages 18-24. The next segment was retired seniors ages 65-80. The third
segment was professional offices for doctors, accountants, and lawyers. The college
students liked houseplants because they dressed up their living spaces. The senior liked
them because they became the focus of a hobby. The professionals did not buy them for
any reason other than d©cor.The Plantatarium sends out direct mail offers to consumers
in a nearby zip code area who have household incomes of greater than $40,000 a year.
This is an illustration of a _____ strategy.
a. geographic segmentation
b. demographic segmentation
c. psychographic segmentation
d. geodemographic segmentation
What is a market niche?
a. A small group of consumers with unique needs and who typically are willing to pay a
premium to have those needs met.
b. A small segment that a firm tries to dominate but ultimately shares with many other
competitors.
c. A competitive position that has cost a firm in time and money but has shown little
profitability.
d. Astrategy that positions the firm’s brand as close to the market leader as possible.
A copywriter is deciding on the best approach for a magazine ad featuring a protein
energy bar, and has narrowed down her options to two types-either testimonial or
dialogue. What is one major difference between these two approaches?
a. A testimonial approach is written by the spokesperson, while a dialogue approach is
written by the copywriter.
b. A testimonial approach is one-sided, while a dialogue approach can use two people
conversing.
c. A testimonial approach uses the hard-sell method to push the product, while a
dialogue approach uses the image method to create a social setting.
d. A testimonial approach emphasizes product benefits, while a dialogue approach
emphasizes image.
Scenario 15-6
You are a media planner at an advertising agency in Dallas. Since it is Friday, you take
a long lunch with a sales associate at the Dallas Morning News followed by a walk
through a nearby park, returning to the office around 2:30 p.m. When you get to your
desk, you find a number of new emails from account execs waiting for you, all with
subject lines suggesting pressing client issues. You need to answer them before the
weekend hits.
An urgent email from another exec says that a local client insists that his billboard
campaign is “not working at all” because “no one” is seeing his billboards. Road
construction has rerouted downtown Dallas traffic away from the main thoroughfares
featuring his three billboards. Before you head home, you drive out to all three
locations. That evening you can email the exec that this is actually the case in only one
instance, and that you got this information by
a. “riding the boards” yourself.
b. doing your own “geo-fence.”
c. measuring the “impact zone” of each location.
d. sorting through the media “clutter.”
Facing stiff competition from Walmart and K-mart, executives for Target stores have
decided to focus on reaching more affluent shoppers and luring them away from
traditional department stores. They have already expanded the products and brands they
offer to include reasonably priced items by modern design masters. Target hopes to
draw more affluent shoppers into its stores through a series of advertising campaigns
that are presently in the planning stages. Most of the advertising budget will be directed
to ads in regional luxury magazines, which research shows are frequently read by
affluent individuals.
Target managers feel that their potential customers, who are now shopping in
department stores, must be persuaded to visit Target stores by recognizing the unique
image, positive significance, and social meaning for their brand. Several methods might
be used, but which of the following would be least effective in accomplishing this
objective?
a. slice-of-life
b. hard-sell
c. branded entertainment
d. image
Murray & Murray is considered the agency of record for all the brewing products of a
Wisconsin beer manufacturer. This means that Murray & Murray has been chosen by
the client to
a. create all media plans and contract out all other services.
b. handle all creative services and production issues.
c. negotiate all contracts and purchase all time and space.
d. act as an independent contractor to sell media options.
What does the objectives section of an advertising plan do?
a. defines those who use the product
b. notes possible barriers and problems
c. estimates probable costs
d. identifies concrete goals
A subhead for a Michigan resort ad reads, “Michigan’s Oldest Resort. In the Woods. On
the Cliffs. At the Beach. Location, Location, Location. Best Location on the Lake for
the Past 130 Years.” This copy fulfills the basic job of the subhead, which is to
a. speak directly to readers with sound advice about the brand.
b. target a specific demographic group to consider the brand.
c. add key selling points about the brand.
d. promote a good feeling about the brand.
One of the main reasons why social class may not be totally reliable in predicting the
preferences and tastes of Americans is that it
a. has little to do with demographics.
b. is hierarchical and involves assigned membership.
c. is difficult to pinpoint who belongs in which class, and why.
d. is static, unchanging, and permanent.
Who are the main members of an advertising agency’s creative team? List as many as
possible. Consider how they are assigned tasks in producing written, audio, and visual
elements of ads, and briefly describe these roles and responsibilities. Then identify
several key people-from both inside and outside the agency-who are involved in TV
production.
Social roles-mothers, fathers, romantic partners-and the consumer’s inadequacies and
worries about fulfilling them, are often used in selling products.
One way to obtain information about marketing and advertising is to purchase data
from commercial services such as Current Population Survey.
In today’s world of marketing, the unconventional is becoming conventional.
Overall, recall is easier, because people are shown a stimulus and answer yes or no
about having seen it, whereas recognition is harder, because people have to deliberately
search their memories for concept without any prompting or stimulus.
Define and explain the three main visual elements of print (and often digital/interactive)
advertisements. What is the primary purpose of each?
