Recency in Media Planning—Re-Defined

Abstract

Recency tells us that an ad exposure has more sales potency when it occurs close to purchase occasion. The database that gave rise to recency also shows that time frame and frequency of exposure operate together to determine a given marketplace outcome. To do justice to these dynamics when developing the most effective media plans, it is necessary to use a sophisticated modeling solution. This is contrasted with a reductive approach which attempts to apply a simple formula solution. This paper compares the media planning approaches of Erwin Ephron, John Philip Jones and A-to-S Link’s Adlmpact Model in addressing recency.