Flighting

Definition

Flighting is a media scheduling strategy that involves alternating periods of advertising with periods of no advertising. This approach allows brands to maximize their marketing impact during specific timeframes while conserving resources during off-peak periods. By strategically timing advertisements, brands can reach target audiences more effectively and can often create heightened awareness or excitement during their active phases.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Flighting is particularly useful for seasonal products or services that experience fluctuations in demand throughout the year.
2. Brands using flighting can save on advertising costs by reducing ad spend during non-peak periods, allowing for more focused spending when audience engagement is higher.
3. The effectiveness of flighting depends on careful analysis of market trends and consumer behavior to determine optimal times for advertising.
4. This strategy can help build anticipation and excitement for product launches or special promotions by concentrating ad efforts around those events.
5. Flighting can lead to stronger brand recall since consumers are exposed to concentrated messaging in short bursts rather than a continuous stream.

Review Questions

• How does flighting differ from continuous scheduling in terms of advertising strategy and audience engagement?
  • Flighting differs from continuous scheduling by alternating between periods of active advertising and periods of no advertising, which allows brands to focus their resources on peak times. This can enhance audience engagement because it creates bursts of exposure that can generate excitement and anticipation around a product. In contrast, continuous scheduling maintains a consistent presence but may dilute impact over time as audiences become less responsive to constant messaging.
• Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using flighting as a media scheduling strategy for a new product launch.
  • Using flighting for a new product launch has several advantages, including the ability to create targeted excitement and heightened awareness around specific promotional events. This method allows brands to concentrate their resources when they are likely to see the most engagement from consumers. However, disadvantages include the risk of losing brand visibility during off-peak periods, which may lead to reduced overall reach and frequency if not managed carefully.
• Synthesize how flighting, along with other scheduling strategies like pulsing and continuous scheduling, can be effectively integrated into an overall media plan for a brand's marketing campaign.
  • To create an effective media plan, brands can integrate flighting with pulsing and continuous scheduling by analyzing their specific market needs and consumer behavior. For instance, they might use flighting for key seasonal promotions while maintaining a continuous schedule for brand awareness. Pulsing can then be applied during critical sales periods or events to maximize reach. This integrated approach allows brands to leverage the strengths of each strategy, ensuring that they remain visible and engaging throughout various stages of their marketing efforts.

Related terms

Continuous Scheduling: A media scheduling strategy where advertising is run consistently over a period without interruption, ensuring constant visibility and brand presence.

Pulsing:

A hybrid media scheduling approach that combines continuous advertising with intermittent bursts of advertising during peak times to maintain a presence while also capitalizing on high-traffic periods.

Reach: The total number of different people or households exposed to an advertisement at least once during a specified period, essential for measuring the effectiveness of flighting strategies.