APA Media Mix. Maximizing Marketing Budgets

by: Clarence Brown

Question: I have a tight advertising budget. How do I stretch my marketing dollar?
Answer: Buy targeted print and Web advertising throughout the year to reach your marketing goals.

Many advertisers know the equation to a successful marketing plan: Reach + Frequency = Awareness and Sales. However, the daunting task for many of us is how to make our dollars last long enough to get to the proper frequency. We ask ourselves, "How many times does a customer need to see my ad before they act?" Or, we know we need to advertise, but what will give us the most coverage without breaking the bank?

Luckily the APA has a solution that can help you find the answers to these questions. A combination of print and Web advertising is a great way to visibly stay in front of your audience while stretching your dollars. Print advertising in any of the APA products provides a base of awareness and establishes your company as a serious supplier of products or services. Supplement that with online advertising that repeats your message on key pages around the APA Web site, and you have a powerful strategy. Web advertising is very traceable and the audience interaction with your ads can be quantified on a regular basis.

Here is an example of how it works:

Company X has a new testing product and they want broad market exposure.  Monitor on Psychology and American Psychologist both have over 100,000 subscribers and would be a good solution. However Company X cannot afford 11 print ads. The best solution is for Company X to strategically place five or six print ads at key buying times in the year and fill in the gaps with Web advertising. 

All print advertising should give the highlights of the new product and send potential customers to a phone number and Web site for additional information. The Web ads should use the same graphic elements as the print ads and direct potential customers to the Company's Web site where they can get a complete review of the product, purchase it, or request more information. The APA guarantees Web ads will be seen a minimum of 100,000 times. With over four million impressions per month, the APA Web site delivers.

Since all APA print advertisers get a 50 percent discount on Web advertising, Company X will accomplish all of their goals. They not only stretch their dollars by adding Web banners to their marketing mix, they also generate advertising discounts and save money. They increase the number of times their ad is seen by the APA audience and fulfill the equation: Reach + Frequency = Awareness and Sales.

This is just one example of APA Media Mix in action. The APA has many products and services that can be used in combination to help marketers manage their company's marketing goals. Ask your APA advertising sales contact about our magazines, journals, convention sponsorships, list rental, e-newsletters and of course Web advertising opportunities. We will be happy to put a plan together that meets your specific needs.