| The nature of some business ventures is such that | | | | audience is likely to complete ignore it, on account of its |
| they can only thrive on local advertising. Take a | | | | irrelevance to them. |
| restaurant, for instance. The people in this line of | | | | 2. Cost: Like every business decision, your local |
| business would surely expect that most of their | | | | advertising campaign is subject to cost-benefit analysis. |
| clientele is in the locality within which they operate. | | | | You need to be sure that the amount of money you |
| Therefore if they are to benefit from advertising, they | | | | spent on it is an amount that you stand to recoup from |
| needn't invest so much in national advertising, as in local | | | | the increased business you will get out of all. Thus you |
| advertising that best reaches their prospective clientele. | | | | may find one very good local media partner, with wide |
| The restaurant is of course only one type of business, | | | | appeal in the demographic groups that make up your |
| for which advertisement has to be localized, if it is to | | | | target audience, but if their costs don't make sense |
| be effective. There are numerous other such | | | | (and you are unlikely to recoup them), then you would |
| businesses. | | | | be advised not to burn your money. |
| For the most part, local advertisement is done through | | | | 3. Reach: this is closely related to the audience |
| media outlets with a local reach. But unlike national (or | | | | consideration we explored earlier. But the 'reach' |
| international) advertising, where it is often easy to | | | | consideration is wider, because whereas the audience |
| make up your mind quite easily on which the best | | | | consideration is only 'qualitative' - looking at the |
| places to advertise are, things are not that | | | | demographic groups, the 'reach' consideration is also |
| straightforward on the local scene. | | | | quantitative, looking at how many people the chosen |
| Here then, are four factors to take into consideration | | | | media outlet actually gets to, and how far |
| when making a choice of local advertising media | | | | (geographically) its reach is. In this regard, you need to |
| outlets you can partner with. | | | | check out the 'reach' data from independent sources, |
| 1. The audience: You need to first work out which the | | | | and not take as gospel truth what the various media |
| particular demographic groups you will be targeting in | | | | outlets have to say about themselves. |
| your advertising campaign are. Where you are | | | | 4. Respectability: this is where you want to put out |
| targeting all demographic groups, then your best bet | | | | your advertising message through an outlet that is well |
| would be in the outlets with the widest 'general | | | | respected in your target audience, that is, where the |
| population appeal.' Even where you have a particular | | | | message will be treated as 'authoritative.' Of course, |
| target group in mind, the temptation would be go for | | | | this is not respectability in the traditional sense; the |
| the outlets with the greatest general appeal, though | | | | conservative sense. Rather, it is respectability in terms |
| when you look at the chances of making an impact, | | | | of how positively the target audience views the media |
| the specialized outlets which have that targeted | | | | outlet in question. As you come to discover, different |
| audience would probably be better for you. Ultimately, | | | | groups, for instance the youth and the older folks have |
| the worst thing you can do in this regard is, of course, | | | | different -and often clashing- criteria for what is |
| to throw your advertising message where the | | | | 'respectable. |