CHECK IT OUT 1995-02-06

JOHN KAROLEFSKI

There's good news about using the media to reach consumers with a brand message. There are more ways to do so nowadays than ever before. But that's also bad news. The sheer number of options makes it difficult to reach a large number of people at one time. But that's also good news. It makes the business more exciting and challenging.

Mass media ain't what it used to be, that's for sure. By next year, network television will deliver a maximum of 40% of the country in prime time. That's about half of what the networks used to be able to do. Network TV is under competitive assault by a trillion stations delivered by cable and satellite. Consumers are also being lured by radio, a reliable option that's growing in popularity. Prerecoreded video for home viewing is booming -- both for rental and for purchase. Through this format, studios are grabbing a fair share of the consumer's leisure time. Studio revenues from home video have exceeded theatrical for several years. The dance floor for print media also is crowded. There are a jillion national, regional and local magazines targeted to just about every facet of human existence. Where have you gone Life magazine?

Actually, Life is still with us and doing fine, thank you. Its creativity is apparent with a program that allows brand marketers to be sole advertisers in custom-themed issues. These single-sponsored publications can tie in to products sold in the store with special magazine displays nearby. That's what Ralston Purina did last summer as the sole advertiser in Life's Best Friends special issue.

So the mass media ain't what is used to be. So what. The more creative brand marketers are now targeting their messages through the media by linking their programs to the retail trade. Ralston's magazine was just one example. Family Circle's "Sample This!" promotion involving ShopRite supermarkets and dozens of brands is another successful one. More and more, this strategy is on the cutting edge of brand marketing today. It takes full advantage of the immediacy of the retail environment where two-thirds of shopping decisions are made. Beginning this issue, Brand Marketing will be following the trends and developments in this emerging segment of the business. Radio, television, print, home video and in-store broadcasting and video display will be part of the coverage each issue. The excitement of this kind of brand marketing can easily be seen with home video. When a studio and brand marketer become partners, the promotional campaign can involve television and radio commercials, in-store displays and events, in-pack rebates, and print advertising. That's entertainment.

Brand marketing is changing. Co-marketing, account-specific promotions and target marketing are the new ways of doing business. All of these techniques contribute to today's marketing team: the brand, the store and a media partner.

John Karolefski is editor of Brand Marketing.