Media characteristics differ widely and these differences have deep bearing on the choice of media vehicle.

These characteristics are –

• Coverage,

• Reach,

• Cost,

• Consumer confidence and

‘Coverage’ refers to the circulation or the speed of the message provided by the media vehicle. Larger the coverage, greater the chances of message exposure to the audiences. Advertisers prefer the media vehicles with largest coverage for the amount spent.

The vehicles like radio, television, news-papers, magazines and cinema are of this kind; on the other hand, direct advertising and outdoor advertising are known for local coverage. ‘Reach’ is the vehicle’s access to different individuals or homes over a given period of time.

It refers to readership, listenership and viewership. It is the actual number reading than the persons buying or owning these.

For instance, one need not own a television set to have advertising message so also a news-paper and a magazine. ‘Relative cost’ refers to the amount of money spent on using a particular vehicle. It is one that involves inter vehicle and medium cost analysis and comparison. This cost is expressed with reference to the time and the space bought, in case of news-papers, it is million rate; in case of magazine,

it is rate per thousand readers; in case of radio and television, it is per thousand listeners or viewers per minute and ten seconds.

‘Consumer confidence’ refers to the confidence placed in the medium by the consumers. This consumer credibility of a vehicle is important because, credibility of advertising message is depending on it. Speaking from this point of view, news-papers and magazines enjoy high degree of credibility than radio and television commercials.

Outdoor medium is considered the least credible. ‘Frequency’ refers to the number of times an audience is reached in a given period of time.

Limited frequency makes little or no impression on the target audience. Thus, news-papers, television, radio and outdoor media are known for highest frequency while, magazine, screen, display and direct advertising the lowest.

In a nut-shell, the advertiser, to get the best results for the money spent and the efforts put in, should consider all the above nine factors that govern selection of a medium or media and media vehicle. Media selection is a matter of juggling, adjusting, tailoring, filling, revising and reworking to match to his individual situation.