Chapter 11 Execute on All Platforms: SS+K Goes into Production Overdrive

Figure 11.1 Three to Five Months to Launch!

The process of executionThe process of determining how the message will look, read, or sound in its final form. determines how the message will look, read, or sound in its final form. Does it convey the right tone and attitude? Is it suited to its medium, be it print, TV, radio, outdoor, online, or alternative media? Each media vehicle offers advantages over the other vehicles on specific dimensions and requires the campaign team to create a message that takes advantage of that media vehicle’s strengths. For example, television is a cool mediumA medium that requires a passive viewer who exerts relatively little control over content. (despite the “hot” images you might watch on it) because it requires a passive viewer who exerts relatively little control (remote-control “zipping” notwithstanding) over content. In contrast, print is a hot mediumA medium that requires an actively involved reader who processes the information and is able to pause and reflect on what she has read before moving on.. The reader is actively involved in processing the information and is able to pause and reflect on what she has read before moving on.Herbert E. Krugman, “The Impact of Television Advertising: Learning without Involvement,” Public Opinion Quarterly 29 (Fall 1965): 349–56.

In this chapter, we’ll revisit the media platforms that advertisers like msnbc.com can use in their campaigns; this time we’ll dive a little deeper into some of the factors that make each platform work or not. Then, we’ll have a look at some of the metrics (measures of effectiveness) advertisers use to figure out if what they did actually worked—or if they just looked pretty.