Introduction advertising unit Structure

(c) 
Continuity :
The message should be relayed continuously 
to the potential households. A long period of abstinence from 
advertising (that is, lack of exposure) will jeopardize the 
advertisement investment of the firm. It is necessary to have a 
continuous programme of advertising. When customers continue to 
hear about the product and the company at the time of „need.‟ 
Continuity has a cumulative effect of advertising on the customer. 
Continuity refers the length of time the advertisement runs, or 
whether it is periodic. 
Check Your Progress
1. 
“Media planning is an exercise to find the best medium to 
produce the overall effect related to the advertised brand.” 
Discuss.
 
2. Explain the following vehicle evaluation criterion: 
a. Coverage
 
b. Reach
 
c. Timing
 
 

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3. Define the following terms:
 
a. Media Buying
 
b. Media mix
 
c. Continuity
 
d. Reach 
 
e. Frequency
 
 
5.5 ZIPPING AND ZAPPING 
5.5.1 Meaning : 
We can trace the concept of zipping and zapping to the era of 
VCRs and remote controls, each of these devices brought a 
change not only in the TV viewing habit but also led to a 
proliferation in the number of TV channels. When VCRs launched 
they also introduced time shifting viewing pattern and the remote 
control helped evolve TV viewing beyond a family setting. By the 
1960s TV sets were cheap enough to afford more than one per 
household and with that it also brought about the beginning of 
different channels that catered to more varied taste. The remote 
control made it easier for the viewers to zap through commercials 
i.e. viewers could now change channels during the commercials 
thereby avoiding ads. Some experts argue, ad avoidance was in 
existence even before the remote, people would leave the room 
during the commercial break. 
DVRs also cause similar concerns, how attentive are the 
viewers to the ads, if at all? But time shifting helps find new 
audiences as well, people who otherwise would have missed the 
show. VCRs gave viewers more control, and so do DVRs that have 
helped viewers watch more of programming they like, i.e. they are 
therefore more likely to be engaged hence more willing to pay 
attention. However, we are still not addressing the problem of ad 
avoidance behavior.