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I'm Ellen Fruchtman and I've approved this message

By Ellen Fruchtman
January 08, 2009

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Ellen Fruchtman is founder and president of Fruchtman Marketing, a full-service agency and a member of the American Gem Society headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, representing U.S. independent jewelers, jewelry manufacturers and trade organizations.

By now, most of you are probably already sick of the political propaganda surrounding the upcoming elections. But, if your store resides in the key political battle states of Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, get ready for a battle of your own: The Battle for Broadcast Airtime.

Broadcast media (network television and local radio) will be extremely difficult to get air time on, let alone negotiate for a decent price. So what's a good retailer to do? Here are some helpful hints:

--Buy early. You might have a shot of getting on and the typical rule of thumb is "first in, last out." Ideally, you should have had your media planned and bought in June to take you through Election Day. On a contract? Don't think you're safe. Talk to your agency or your station rep. You may be pre-negotiated for a lower rate, meaning you'll be bumped out first.

--Be prepared with alternate mediums. Don't buy in, buy around. Not all mediums are impacted the same by political advertising. For instance, a newspaper will continuously add pages and content, as will magazines in order to absorb advertisers. So, if print is your primary medium, chances are, you're safe! If you love network television and haven't placed, consider cable advertising. Cable doesn't get bombarded with as many political advertisements as you will see on the network affiliates (CBS, NBC and ABC). Radio stations have some more flexibility with adding spots to their rotation and typically don't allow their entire inventory to be gobbled up with political ads.

--Consider FOX. The FOX network will not have as many political ads since it skews to a younger audience. Political advertising typically skews to adults 35 and older. By the way, CBS is the network of choice for political advertising.

--Allow the station to "make good". If you're bumped, ask your station rep to give you a "make good" or provide you with an equivalent spot as quickly as possible--or you might not get anything at all. You might also see if you can get an additional spot or two after election time.
 
--Consider over-buying. If your TV advertising budget is $5,000, purchase $7,500. You can always cancel within 48 hours of airing. However, if a third of your buy gets bumped, you're still fine.

Hang in there. It will all be over Nov. 4.  Unless there are a few states with hanging chads.

Editor's note: Ellen Fruchtman's "Marketing Intelligence" column first appeared in the September 2008 print edition of National Jeweler, in the Your Store section.
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