As the push for incorporating traditional metrics such as reach and frequency into the planning process continues to gain steam, I once again find myself asking the old question of what is an
effective frequency for creating a reaction in online advertising?
The obvious answer, and sort of a cop-out response, is ‘it depends.’
The effective frequency level for different audiences to
create different reactions can certainly vary and there are a number of factors that weigh into the discussion. Here are some of my opinions of what you need to consider when determining what the
effective frequency should be for your campaigns:
Brand Awareness: An established brand always requires a lower frequency level in order to convey a message clearly and have an impact on
the audience. This means that your initial product launch may require much more ubiquitous advertising and a higher frequency until the audience has built some recognition from your campaign.
Clutter and Clarity: If your message is simple and to the point, it will always stand out better amidst the clutter of the advertising world. If your message has to battle for mindshare,
the audience has to expend too much energy digesting it and will probably not have enough left over to be considered effective. If your message requires more mindshare to sink in, then you need a
higher frequency.
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Flighting is also an element that needs to be
considered when discussing frequency in your campaign. Ubiquity surrounding a product launch is certainly one strategy that requires a much higher frequency over a shorter period and can be followed
up with a continuity campaign that keeps the brand top-of-mind, but may not be required for the “long-haul.”
The bottom line in all of this seems to be that the traditional understanding of what is
a “desired” reach and frequency may not be applicable yet in the online space simply for the fact that the medium is more dynamic and our industry has not achieved its stability yet. As the audience
continues to grow, the established metrics for what is to be considered “the norm” are going to continue to change. In traditional advertising, the accepted norm is around 3-4x frequency. In previous
studies, the online desired frequency levels were stated to be 5-6 times. I feel that these numbers are a nice starting point, but the tools at our disposal that are offered by the various third-party
adservers and the research companies are what need to be used to perform this analysis on a category-by-category level .
