Affinity Index is an "efficiency indicator" in media planning.

It shows the weight of a specific Target Audience compared to the total population in case of a specific programme/ medium. The affinity index = TRP/GRP. In case this figure is higher than 1 (100%), it means that the programme/medium is well targeted for our Target Audience. The higher this index the better the targeting is.

Explanation of the Affinity Index

It's no secret that consumers are quite fond of certain brands of products they use. That's what brand loyalty is all about. But can people feel warmly toward a trade magazine?

They can and they do, according to the people at Cahners Publications and Simmons Market Research Bureau. Cahners, a publisher of numerous trade/business-to-business magazines, teamed up with Simmons to develop the Affinity Index, a method of measuring the intensity of the relationship readers have with the publications that serve their respective industries. If you're like most people, chances are you come in contact with several business-related publications. Some are targeted specifically to your job and/or industry; others are more general in nature. And chances are one or more of those magazines is more valuable to you than the others. It could be for the industry news, the features, a favorite columnist, or the ads that keep you up to date on new products-for whatever reason, you like the magazine.
Step beyond

By quantifying reader feelings, the Affinity Index lets publications go a step beyond the usual methods of explaining their readership to advertisers: circulation numbers and/or demographics. These measures show who gets the magazine and what job they have, for example, but they don't show how the readers feel about the magazine, says Martin Fleming, vice president, planning and research, Cahners Publishing. "Affinity is based on the notion that measuring the size of an audience by use of a circulation statement or readership studies provides only one dimension of what it is a publication provides an advertiser. What's equally important is the relationship that audience has with the publication. "In the past, most research has focused on quantity - that is, the number of readers, the size of the audience - and we think this is the first systematic attempt to measure reader's attitudes towards the publication. The hypothesis is that the stronger the feelings that an audience has towards a publication, the greater will be the flow of information from the publication to the reader, both the editorial and the advertising." Determining the strength of that flow of information can help with a magazine's strategic planning, advertising efforts, and other marketing tasks, he says.

Similar research

Taking its cue from similar research done in the 1950s in Germany by Gruner + Jahr AG, a publisher of several consumer magazines, the Affinity Index is based on the idea that the relationship between a reader and a publication is multi-dimensional; readers like or dislike a publication for a number of reasons. Measuring reader feelings has been done on an informal basis in the U.S., but it hasn't been standardized, Fleming says. "Advertisers and publishers have long believed that readers' attitudes towards some publications are stronger than readers' attitudes towards others, but we really don't know how to measure that, and that's what we have succeeded in doing. " The system can quantify affinity by measuring reader responses to 16 statements that encompass the various aspects of affinity. Sample statements include:

I save issues of this magazine for future reference. Often mark up, tear out or take notes on articles in this magazine. It helps me locate new suppliers. Helps me keep up with trends in my profession/industry. The articles in this magazine are fun to read.

The statements fall into three broad categories: 1. Product Information. Does the publication, both in its editorial and its advertising, provide useful information about new or updated products? 2. Community of Interest. Does the publication help the reader to feel part of an industry and maintain a connection with others in their profession? 3. Usefulness. Does the publication help the reader do his or her job better and provide a source of reference?
Sixteen items

For an Affinity survey, reader responses to the 16 items are weighted together to form an index with an average value of 100, a minimum of 0, and maximum of 200. "Gruner + Jahr recognized that there is no one thing that constitutes affinity towards a publication. What the Affinity model does is assign weights to each item measured that bring it in line with what we know to be affinity," says Andy Yaffee, vice president, Custom Media Studies division, Simmons Market Research. To determine a magazine's Affinity Index, questionnaires are mailed to a sampling of its readers. The three part questionnaires don't indicate who is sponsoring the research.

The first section of the survey is the affinity measurement portion. Here, respondents indicate their level of agreement with the Affinity Index statements. The second asks about readership of the publication, for example, "How many of the past four issues have you read?" These questions are included because one of the basic notions behind affinity is that it is a measure of reader involvement, Yaffee says. "So we ask the number of the past four issues read, and even if someone answers the affinity variables for a publication, if we find out later that they haven't read any of the last four issues, we don't count their responses towards the score." The third section gathers demographic information.
Market segments

Publications receive an overall Affinity Index score and a breakdown by different market segments. For example, publications typically look at readers in large companies versus small companies, or top executives versus other management, or at people working in different aspects of the same field, Yaffee says. "One of the most important aspects of Affinity is that you can generate different scores for different segments of your audience, so you not only describe your total audience in terms of their affinity towards the publications they read but you can also describe different segments of your total audience. That can be the most profitable piece of the research from a strategic planning point of view because you may find that overall you do well, but that among one or two particular segments of your audience you do significantly worse than average or better than average."
Two years of research

To develop the system, Simmons conducted two years of background research with nearly 10,000 readers of business-to-business publications. Focus groups were held across the country with readers in a wide range of industries, with the goal of uncovering the variables that make up affinity towards a publication. These groups generated a list of 120 factors that fell into seven categories: value, editorial, advertising, format, organization, qualitative measures, imagery, and psychographics. The groups were structured to obtain responses from readers of publications that prior research had shown had low, average, and high levels of affinity. The second phase was designed to trim the 120 factors to a more manageable number. "We realized that there was redundancy on the list, so we moved to the data reduction stage, which was intended to reduce that list of 120 items to the key underlying constructs," Yaffee says. Questionnaires were mailed to 3,000 readers (1,000 in each of three industries) of a wide range of magazines to get respondents in high-tech vs. low-tech industries, large vs. small companies, and a range of publication formats-tabloid, standard magazine size, etc. The resulting items were tested again in the final phase, a pilot Affinity study of over 5,000 readers across five industries-

interior design, electrical engineering, construction, MIS/information management, restaurants/foodservice.

More reliable

Yaffee says that because Affinity is standardized, it offers more reliable data than that obtained from the usual reader preference studies that publications perform. "In a reader preference study, you choose the questions you're going to ask, and you know what you're publication's strengths and weaknesses are. What we've heard from (media buyers) is that they often discount the answers they see in reader preference reports because they know that publications are only asking about their strengths." Affinity also serves as a diagnostic tool, Yaffee says. "We don't just say, 'O.K. here's your score.' We also provide crosstabs that enable people to go into the data and to look at the percentages of people that agree or disagree with each of the statements, and to flesh out to the extent possible some of the questions that arise from the research." The system can be used, for example, by a publication in a highly competitive market as a "tiebreaker" of sorts to differentiate itself from other industry magazines. Also, publications that aren't necessarily the biggest in their industry but feel they have strong reader loyalty can use the system to document that loyalty. "Affinity has really struck a chord with a lot of magazines who have never positioned themselves in terms of the size of their audience but who have positioned themselves in terms of the quality of the publication and the reader loyalty they generate. "One of the important ideas behind Affinity is that a publication with high affinity will have a better than average likelihood of being read thoroughly and of having advertising seen and advertising used. So for those publications that have really bought into the whole notion of the relationship between the reader and the audience rather than strictly the size of the audience, Affinity has touched on something that they've been selling for a long time."

In 1990, Cahners Publishing Company and Simmons Market Research Bureau announced their Affinity Index, a research tool that was supposed to revolutionize media buying by quantifying the relationship a trade magazine has with its readers. The Affinity Index follows the widespread belief that a consumer's loyalty toward a media vehicle makes an impact on the effectiveness of advertising within that vehicle. Media markets are highly competitive because consumers have a lot of control over what they look at. Because of this, the people in charge of content creation and distribution must create audience loyalty or risk losing their audience (and therefore revenue). Study results have established a link between consumer affinity toward media providers (web sites, magazines, television networks, newspapers) and a positive predisposition toward advertisements delivered by those sites. The study concluded that site affinity predicts both positive site ratings and a positive predisposition toward advertising. Eighty-two percent of those with high affinity for a site believe that the site carries advertisements for high-quality products and services, while only 36% of low-affinity users believe so. Similarly, 69% of visitors with high site affinity believe that more respected brands advertise on the site vs. 25% of low-affinity visitors. Interestingly, 75% of high-affinity users believe that ads interfere less with their experience on the site, compared to only 31% of low-affinity users. High-affinity visitors also indicated a greater likelihood of brand loyalty and a willingness to pay a premium. Eighty-eight percent of high-affinity users agree with the statement, "I always prefer to buy a high quality product or service, even if I have to pay a little more," and 87% of highaffinity users say that they will spend more to buy a brand name they know and trust. Derivation of Affinity Index Site attitudes and loyalty measures were correlated with positive responses to advertising questions The three measures which most strongly correlated were: Likelihood to recommend (60% weight) Satisfaction with content (24% weight) Status among favorites (16% weight) These measures were weighted as indicated in order to create an Affinity Index Derivation of Affinity Index High affinity predicts positive site ratings and positive predisposition toward advertising. 1. High-affinity audiences are more valuable to advertisers. 3. Advertisers will experience greater advertising efficiency with high-affinity audiences Affinity Index research looks into three issues: 1: What effect site loyalty has on consumer's perceptions of brands and advertising. 2: Is a high-affinity visitor more desirable to advertisers? 3: Does affinity differ by type of site?

1.How is advertising research useful in planning for an advertising campaign The research study makes it possible to: -identify MEDIA usage patterns, -determine duplicated audience of MEDIA -other useful planning metrics -affinity index -determine the media reach. -determine the composition of MEDIA sites socio-demographic structure, -position the advertisers MEDIA in comparison to their competitors.

By researching the usage of your MEDIA and the socio-demographic profile of MEDIA audience you will be able to: -modify your MEDIA content to better meet your audience's needs, -determine how best to promote your PRODUCT, -present credible data on your audience and your MEDIA's reach to advertisers. BENEFITS TO THE ADVERTISERS Also, the indicators help to take optimal decisions in terms of designing advertising strategies. RESEARCH results enable media planners to plan each advertising campaign in terms of: selecting the place of advertising creatives emission, reaching the target group, increasing a campaigns reach in groups at which the campaign is directed, taking into account the problem of duplicated audience on MEDIA selected for a given campaign, thematic selection of MEDIA for a given marketing action. ############################################## 2.What factors would you consider for media selection, while developing an advertising campaign? Please explain with examples.

THE FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED, MARKETING SITUATION Marketing Goals Current sales and market share Sales and market share goals Consumer Target Markets (Market Segments) Why consumers buy (needs, goals, problems, motivation, constraints, perceived alternatives, individual factors, social and cultural factors)

Consumers Demographic characteristics Geographic concentration Product usage patterns (individual and total) Purchase habits Distributors Number and type of distributors Amount of product distributed through each type Potential Markets --consumer, business, distributor groups not currently in market system Non-market Publics (Public Relations audiences) --------------------------------------------------PRODUCT(S), SERVICE(S) Proposed product/service changes --advantages and limitations Perceived product attributes Pricing Selling price, costs, profit margin Competitive prices and norms Price incentives Discount structure Distribution channels Structure, volume Problems and conflicts Special agreements Product availability Promotion Promotion expenditures Nature, relative importance, effectiveness of promotion elements--personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, publicity, public relations Marketing Resources and Constraints Capital resources (dollars, physical plant) Executive and/or sales force experience, abilities, attitudes Special consumer/user loyalties Distributor loyalty and support Patents or technology denied competitors Market Potential Market definition --products and areas included Industry/segment, competitive and own sales --size/share (units or dollars), past and expected growth, segment size, distribution and growth,

seasonal patterns (percent or index), geographic distribution (percent or index) Environmental Factors --likely to affect consumer choice, total market and segment growth, geographic market location, ability to supply market Economic factors --level of economic activity, discretionary income, population, technological advances, work force composition, time utilization and leisure Regulatory factors --government constraints, subsidies, agencies, applicable laws and policies Social and cultural factors --status, work, impulsiveness, expression, rationality, intuition, sex, attire ----------------------------------------------------------------ADVERTISING SITUATION Target Audience(s) --consumers, users, distributors, non-market publics Advertising goals for each target Attitudes toward product and advertiser Result of previous promotions Advertising expenditures invested in each target Budget Total advertising expenditure(s) for previous year(s) Advertising expenditure(s) as a percent of sales (units and dollars) for previous year(s) Competitive comparisons Budget breakdown Budget level tests Messages--to each target audience Basic selling proposition(s) Promotional theme(s) and actual ads Evaluation of message effectiveness Competitive comparisons Media Media mix employed for each target audience Total dollars spent in each medium Evaluation of effectiveness of each media mix Competitive comparisons Scheduling patterns Geographic concentration Organization of the Advertising Function Advertising Department Reporting pattern--to whom does the advertising manager report (marketing director,president, sales manager) Organizational level--centralized, decentralized Internal department structure

Work mix--specialization, cooperation, vital functions, personnel needs Organizational pattern--functional, product geographic, customer Qualifications of advertising manager and subordinates Outside specialists--availability, economic factors, control of staff specialists Characteristics of relationships with other departments--legal, product development, production, accounting, marketing, marketing research Advertising Agency Agency size, philosophy, tenure, product conflicts, special skills, location, record, growth, client turnover, facilities Functions performed--creative, media, research, merchandising, planning Personnel--cooperation, compatibility, coordination, available time Relationship between advertiser and agency Compensation system--commission, fee, percentage INTEGRATED PROMOTION STRATEGY Promotional Problems and Opportunities Opportunities and/or problems which advertising can be used to resolve Promotional strategy match unique product/service attributes with consumer (market segment) goals, problems, needs Target Audience(s) Identify and select potential consumer, user, distributor, and/or non-market prospects Summarize key characteristics of target which should be considered in developing message and media strategy--demographics, attitudes toward product, consumption and shopping behavior, media habits Segment potential--total number of individuals/households/companies in the target audience and expected consumption rate Sales Concept (for each target audience) Prospect problems, needs, goals Overt behavior(s), subjective response(s), and situation(s) in which target prospect experiences "problem" Specific behavior(s) advertiser would like prospect to take to solve "problem" Benefits--solution(s) product offers to help prospect solve "problem" Selling points--evidence to convince target prospect to believe and accept product benefit(s). Competitive position How proposition differs from those of competitors Likely competitive reaction Promotional Strategy Prospect behavior sequence--actions prospect typically takes in learning of, believing in, taking action on proposition (describe actual prospect behaviors not category labels) Information--learn-feel-do (awareness, knowledge, liking, preference, conviction, purchase, regular use) Emotion--feel-learn-do Habit--do-learn-feel Social--do-feel-learn Estimate percent of target market at various communication levels, identify opportunities for

improvement Promotional mix--designed to move prospect through decision sequence. Advertising Packaging, point of purchase Sales promotion--exhibits, contests, deals, novelties, free samples Publicity, public relations Word-of-mouth, observing others OBJECTIVES Marketing Goals--unit and dollar sales, market share Advertising Goals--measurable effects of advertising exposure Problem, opportunity Target audience description Measurable communication effect General effect--awareness, knowledge, belief change, behavior Specific effect--message content in strategic terms Percent of target audience to be affected Time necessary to accomplish desired effect Evidence and reasoning supporting each objective ADVERTISING STRATEGY Copy Platform Proposition--concise statement of selling concept Target audience Consumer problem, need, goal Benefits that solve problem, satisfy need, achieve goal Selling points--product attributes offered as physical evidence product can perform aspromised Competitive positioning Approach--how selling concept will be visualized in message(s) Dramatize prospect problem Emphasize selling point(s) Point out unique competitive advantage Dramatize benefits Appeal--basic human appeal to which advertisements will be directed (rational, emotional,fear, sex) Why would this appeal to the target audience? How would target audience members relate this to their own problem(s), need(s) or goal(s)? Theme--principal slogan, headline, or other identifying characteristics across all messages and media Why would this theme appeal to the target audience? How would target audience members relate this to their own problem(s), need(s), or goal(s)? What is the mood (feelings) the message(s) should evoke from the prospect? Product portrayal--how product is physically symbolized, justify Characters--who or what will be the dominant characters, justify Shopping information--how to purchase product (where it can be found, price, size, colors, styles), justify

Facilitators--information useful in overcoming constraints to purchase or action (special purchase incentives, payment terms, return privileges, purchase assistance, toll free numbers, coupons), justify Reassurance--information provided to those who have already purchased the product, justify Message executions--rough layouts, storyboards, scripts, tapes, mock-ups Message evaluations--diagnostic information on the ability of messages to communicate (recognition scores, day-after-recall scores, tracking study results) Activity of key competitors--strategy, sample advertisements, effects MEDIA STRATEGY Target audience--profile primary and secondary audience groups, use variables appropriate to media selection, match with media categories and vehicles which selectively reach prime prospects Geographic emphasis Selected markets Levels of market support--BDIs, CDIs, market weight Media objectives How media must contribute to marketing, advertising, creative goals How messages should be distributed among prospects through time (reach, effective reach, frequency, continuity, number of markets), justify Creative requirements--media attributes most likely to improve message effectiveness, how do creative decisions influence media choices Activity of key competitors--budgets, strategies, media and market effects Media categories which accomplish goals most effectively; within media categories, media classes, sections, dayparts, formats, that should be used--highlight creative, exciting, innovative uses of media Schedule timing--introductory, roll-out, sustaining, heavy-up, seasonal (lead, parallel), pulsing, flighting, continuity, competitive (neutralize, offset, combat, avoid) Duration (start/stop dates) Macro schedule--timing over entire planning period Micro schedule--timing within segments of planning period Budget constraints, allocation Minimum cost of entry for each media category compared with available funds Allocation to targets, markets, media, months, quarters, campaigns, contingency Efficiency goals--CPM, CPP Media vehicle options--selection criteria for matching media categories and vehicles with strategy requirements Probability of message exposure given vehicle exposure Efficient single/multiple target audience delivery--demographic, product use, life style, ratings, CPM, CPP Compatible editorial/programming environment, special editions Quality, color reproduction Audience and circulation trends, primary versus secondary readers Geographic flexibility Production capability, requirements--page size, commercial length, color Immediacy, news value

Position, location, competitive separation, clutter Response measures Marketing promotion support Quantity discounts Media imperatives Page openings, reading/viewing/listening time/days Qualitative, subjective criteria--reputation, credibility, copy checking, tone, atmosphere, excitement, prestige, leadership, believability, impact Media schedules in tabular form for each target audience, media category and combination (monthly plan summaries, flowcharts) Media vehicles purchased within media categories Time lengths or page sizes Insertion dates and times Anticipated costs Monthly plan effects--reach, effective reach, frequency, exposure distributions, GRPs, gross impressions, CPM, CPP Yearly flowchart--media categories, vehicles, insertions, total/monthly cost, total/monthly reach, effective reach, frequency, GRPs, CPM, CPP Merchandising value--ability to promote selected media categories, vehicles Alternative strategies, obvious strategies not used, justify Advertising Budget Total advertising appropriation Total amount to be spent on all advertising Justification--reasoning and evidence that support the size of the total advertising appropriation Ability to support advertising objectives Method used to determine total appropriation (given, task approach, advertising-sales ratio, competitive parity) Likely effects of expenditures (awareness, recall, coupon redemption, sales) Is the budget affordable? Relation to past and anticipated competitive activity How and why does the budget differ from previous appropriations in size and relative to sales units and dollars Is there a need for multiple budgets? What is likely to happen with appropriation increases, decreases Budget Allocation Detail cost estimates Geographic allocation Selected advertising media Message(s)--size, length, content Target market (audience) segments Seasonal allocation Message production

Research Contingency Justification--rationale and evidence that support each allocation decision Administration--how advertising budget will be controlled. Measuring Advertising Effectiveness Define elements and decisions to be evaluated--budget, message, media Effectiveness evaluation procedure(s) Specific measurable standard for evaluation Technically sound and valid means by which actual performance will be measured Corrective procedures, timing, responsibility Evaluating Consumer Benefits and Legal Effects of Advertising Legal standards to be met Consumer standards to be achieved Relevant and useful information content Efficient use of advertising ############################################################ 3.Client agency relationships are crucial and complimentary.Please share ur view on this.

SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP MEANS "The clients who score highest provide clarity on briefs, approval processes, strategic direction, objectives and direction. Their capabilities are outstanding in terms of experience and professionalism; they exhibit strong knowledge of their business, market and competitors. They value their relationships in terms of trust, respect, cooperation, staff continuity and levels. They are disciplined with timelines, schedules, deadlines and strategic processes. They are supportive of quality in terms of creative output, strategic/media reco's and the best use of agency skills and resources. Finally, they have initiative and are proactive, anticipate needs and consider the needs of others. OTHER FACTORS Joint or shared ownership of the process (and cost) for true collaboration and commitment; Involvement from all individuals who meaningfully interact in the relationship; Client and agency scoring their own and each others' performance; Detailed gap analysis to identify the key issues; Benchmarking against norms by client category and region; Extensive verbatims to clarify the issues; Analysis and interpretation of results by independent experts with action plans and follow-up to ensure desired results are achieved." All parties involved must remain pro-active in monitoring and evaluating the level of trust, confidence,

understanding, and success felt by every other member of the group. Disconnects can strain the relationship until it collapses. Only constant, open communication can solidify the client and agency's expectations and perspectives regarding the other. -----------------------------------------------------------------Distinguishing Qualities of a Great Client RELATIONSHIP Obviously, sustaining a successful relationship is a two-way street. Neither just the client nor the agency can exert all the effort. On the client-side, there are a number of simple attitudes and behaviors that foster communication and create a long-term, successful client-agency relationship. Instill a spirit of partnership in the relationship. Avoid the superior/subordinate relationship characterized by an atmosphere of mistrust, lack of respect for the agency's expertise, and undercurrents of intimidation. These tactics have no place in a partnership. Using fear of dismissal to "deal with" an agency undermines trust and productivity. The best advertising is only created in the absence of fear. A successful joint effort is achieved only through mutual respect of intelligence and expertise. Agree on a clearly defined objective of the advertising you wish to create. Failure to define or agree upon the precise purpose of advertising dooms the creative process from the start. Give the agency the opportunity to be totally absorbed in your product, people, and culture. Exposing agency people to client weaknesses and secrets costs more money (service time) and involves some level of risk. However, great clients totally immerse their agencies in their product. When an agency team thoroughly understands it's client's corporate culture, it will more likely create campaigns that endure. Create an environment of experimentation and be prepared to pay for failure. Great clients want advertising that stands out. However, nothing predicts mediocrity in advertising so precisely as a risk-aversion environment. Although it's natural to want to conform to rules and formulas in quest for a measure of certainty, elements of the development process are inherently uncertain. Trust that the outcome will be viable advertising. Be wary of change for change's sake. The first purpose of advertising is to create a distinctive image for a client. Imitating a trend, by definition, fails to achieve distinction. We believe success in advertising is achieved by finding a longterm positioning and sticking with it. Treat the agency people well. Great clients know it's human nature for people to work harder for their friends than for business acquaintances. Facilitate an environment of friendship and collaboration to get more out of the agency. Keep approvals simple and disapprovals kind. Nothing saps an agency's energy more than presenting the same work over and over at succeeding layers of the client organization. Be honest. If you don't like something, say so. Be specific. Don't ask for a new execution simply because this one "doesn't do it for me". Be kind. Think of the commentary as if you are evaluating the person. Make the agency responsible for the advertising and give them the authority it needs to do it. Too much involvement consistently denies the agency the ability to realize its vision. Some clients use

lack of involvement to avoid sharing responsibility for a poor end result. Great clients state precisely why they disagree, then challenge the agency to find a solution both parties can agree upon. Make sure the agency makes a fair profit. If an account is unprofitable to an agency, that account will be less important to the agency. Perform evaluations of each other at least annually, and even more often in the beginning of the relationship. A good agency wants to know if there is a major problem before reading about it in the trade press. Great clients draw up the terms of evaluation in the initial agency partnership process. The Bottom Line A successful client-agency relationship is essential to a firm's success. High financial, emotional, and strategic costs are associated with frequent partnering shifts. Clients must promote open communication and seek feedback to ensure the relationship continues to meet the expectations of all involved and endures over the long-term.