Classic Media Buying Mistakes for Music Brands

Lessons in Advertising Planning for Musical Instrument Manufacturers.

The Musical Instrument business is a very niche industry with its own bustling world of publications and opportunities for advertising. Navigating the media landscape and implementing an advertising plan that will best serve a brand’s marketing and promotional needs can be overwhelming, but knowledge of these common media buying mistakes will sharpen the focus of a successful strategy and help avoid potential pitfalls.

Not Having a Plan

Any company with a great product will be approached with a myriad of opportunities for marketing. It can seem like a good idea to start advertising when a great opportunity arises that is affordable, but without a plan it’s difficult to tell if this avenue is the best approach. A plan should include a timeline, budget, goals and comparison of available advertising opportunities. A comprehensive plan helps create a strategy and predict results.

Short Timelines

Part of a media buyer’s criteria for success is frequency or how many times an audience sees an advertisement. The more times an ad is seen the more likely it is to resonate with a potential customer. Companies too often run one ad in a publication’s relevant issue and feel that they’ve satisfied their advertising needs, but additional ads will greatly reinforce the message and create long-term awareness.

Ad Placement

Ad placement on a website or in a magazine is important because you want your ad to be in the most frequently and easily viewed area. Placement can be an overlooked aspect of a media buy. Without specifying where an ad should run, the publication can move your ad to a less viewed area. Some premium positions can cost more, but talking with your sales rep about the options will ensure your ad runs in the best position for your brand.

Negotiating

Ad buying is a business where negotiating costs and extras is commonplace. First-time advertisers may not think to ask for bonus features to support their ads or discounts, but many promotional opportunities are available at no additional cost if the advertisers ask for them.

Results and Expectations

After committing a significant budget to advertising, a company will expect to see results in terms of sales and interest. While advertising does work, it can be difficult to track results to a specific ad in a specific publication, especially when multiple ads and media vehicles are being utilized. Before initiating a plan, an advertiser should set up what results and expectations they anticipate seeing and check with the publications or their media planner to see if these expectations are reasonable and measurable.