Effective frequency: there and back

An expert review of the debates surrounding `effective frequency'. The history of this question is covered noting the various highlights (McDonald, Krugman, Naples, Jones, Ephron), and the swing of opinion through `high frequency' (two or three OTS per purchase interval, say) to the currently favoured alternative of low-level continuity and `once-is-enough'.

Effective frequency: there and back

Simon Broadbent, The Brand Consultancy, reviews three decades of thought, and presents some suggestions of his own

Simon Broadbent

Effective frequency has been a controversial subject ever since it was first formulated. This discussion starts at the beginning of the story in the UK.

In the early 1960s, the buyer's cost per thousand was of course always examined - post-campaign, had he got the expected ratings for the money spent? But that was not the only criterion, for the following reason.

The crafty buyer was tempted to go for cheap off-peak time. This meant low...

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