Reach and frequency are two of the most important ideas in media planning. They sound technical, but they answer simple questions. How many people will see our message? And how many times will they see it?
What the terms mean
Reach is the number, or share, of your target audience who see your campaign at least once during a set period. Frequency is the average number of times those people see it.
Together, they describe the shape of your campaign. You can reach many people a few times, or fewer people many times. With a fixed budget, you usually have to balance the two.
How to choose the right balance
There is no universal ideal. The right mix depends on your situation.
- Launching something new? Broad reach often matters, because people cannot buy what they have never heard of.
- Complex or considered product? Higher frequency may help people absorb a more detailed message.
- Well-known brand with a simple reminder? A lighter frequency may be enough.
- Short promotional window? You may need more frequency in a short time.
The problem with too much frequency
Seeing the same ad over and over rarely adds much after a point. It can even annoy people. On digital channels, frequency can build up quickly among a small group while others see nothing. Use frequency limits where possible, and check how delivery is spread.
Why reach is harder than it looks
Different channels overlap. Someone might see your TV ad, hear it on the radio and scroll past it online. Adding the reach of each channel together overstates the true total. Good planning tools and sensible assumptions help estimate unique reach across a whole plan.
Use them to plan, then to review
Set reach and frequency goals before the campaign starts, and check them afterwards. Did you reach the people you intended? Was the frequency sensible? These answers make the next plan sharper.
Once you understand these two ideas, media plans become much easier to read and discuss. If you would like help shaping your next plan, the Northpeak team is happy to talk.
