The tables that accompany the research can be viewed in our gallery.

Print is the only medium where rate cards are based on one OTS (opportunity to see) per reader. However, new research reveals that the same issue of publications has multiple reading occasions by the same reader.

This results in additional opportunities to see an advert, which is usually around two. These multiple OTSs effectively halve print’s CPT compared to broadcast and other media. As seen in Table 1, the thoroughness/multiple reads translates into advert OTS, which increases among the older, more affluent, more influential consumer.

The research allows us to apply the OTS data to planning principles to get to a more accurate CPT for print versions of newspapers and magazines. By understanding this multiple OTS occurrence by segment and type of publication, it can now be applied to media planning principles.

An advertising budget divided by each medium’s CPT will deliver that medium’s GRP’s (gross rating points), a media weight measure (reach x frequency). According to IBIS media manager, the CPT for newspapers is R117 and R103 for magazines.

Table 2 shows an example of a budget figure of R100 000. Here, the ratings that could be achieved with each medium, based on its CPT, is shown. Outdoor, having the lowest CPT, delivers the most ratings (GRP’s) for the same budget.

The inherent strengths and communication ability of each medium relative to one another also need to be taken into account. This can be summarised in terms of a simple impact figure. All media types are rated relative to the most impactful medium such as cinema, which has a captive front-facing audience in a dark cinema with a 30m screen and Dolby stereo sound.

Once this impact factor is applied, each medium’s Effective Rating Points or ERP’s, as shown in Table 3, can be compared more effectively. Television emerges as the most powerful medium, while magazines and newspapers take the other two podium positions and deliver almost twice the effective audience numbers compared to radio and outdoor.

The dominance of print over radio is even more pronounced in the upper SEM/LSM 8-10 market, and the perfect information foil to pin down and complement the transitory TV message.

The Media Comparison Calculator attempts to go beyond the numbers. PRC members are supplying the calculator to all clients and agencies so that they can apply it to any target market.

For more information, visit www.prc.za.com.