Alright, let’s cut through the noise with the precision of a well-aimed snark, shall we? In 2011 in ClickZ (anyone remember that place?), I lobbed a grenade into the cushy lap of media buying’s sacred cow: reach. “Reach this, reach that,” everyone seemed to chant, bowing at the altar of Big Numbers. The logic, if you could call it that, was dazzling in its simplicity: Got a giant wad of cash burning a hole in your
agency’s pocket? Well, toss it over to the biggest network you can find. They’ve got reach, after all. Forms already filled out from last quarter? Even better. Efficiency or targeting precision? Pfft, who needs those when you’re bathing in the warm, misleading glow of reach?
Flash forward to today, and what do we find? The same old song, just a remix with more bass. In an era where media has splintered like a dropped iPhone, the industry clings to reach like a life
raft in the digital deluge. But here’s the kicker: that raft? It’s more like a sieve.
We’ve got a buffet of channels, platforms, and gadgets serving up content 24/7, and yet, there’s a stubborn refusal to retire the blunt instrument of reach in favor of something that doesn’t resemble a sledgehammer approach to precision tasks. “Let’s just slap our message everywhere and pray it sticks,” seems to be the prevailing strategy, ignoring the inconvenient truth that most
of it ends up like wallpaper in a room nobody visits.
Now, let’s talk about the laughable attempts to measure reach. It’s like trying to nail jelly to a wall—messy, futile, and bound to leave you questioning your life choices. Each platform has its own version of "reach," stitched together with the rigor of a preschooler’s art project. And when you try to cobble together a cohesive picture from this patchwork? Good luck. You’re playing a game of media Twister, one
hand on linear TV, the other on streaming, and a foot in digital, all the while blindfolded by incompatible metrics.
Enter the digital age, where targeting should be as sharp as a well-crafted tweet. Yet, we see a clinging to demographic segments like they’re life preservers, not the outdated relics they’ve become. Why settle for a blunt "adults 25-49" when you could be laser-targeting "left-handed guitar players who love Korean BBQ and binge-watch horror movies on
weekends"? Because, apparently, reach trumps relevance in the land of media buying.
The concept of "incremental reach" has been bandied about with the enthusiasm of a child in a candy store, promising the sweet allure of tapping into just a bit more of the audience pie. The strategy behind this is to marry the traditional stronghold of live/linear television with the burgeoning realm of streaming services, ostensibly to sprinkle your message across an even
broader swathe of viewers. It's a notion as enticing as it is elusive, akin to chasing after a mythical creature that, for all its allure, remains just out of grasp. In the grand tapestry of media buying, it's positioned as the golden fleece—a trophy that promises unparalleled success, if only it could be captured.
However, the pursuit of this incremental audience is fraught with challenges, not least of which is the fundamental differences between the two mediums.
Live/linear TV and streaming platforms operate in distinct orbits, each with their unique measurement metrics, viewer behaviors, and engagement patterns. Trying to harmonize these into a cohesive strategy often feels like trying to meld oil with water—a task both futile and frustrating. The media landscape's fragmented nature means that what works for one doesn't necessarily translate to the other, turning the dream of incremental reach into a complex puzzle that resists a straightforward
solution.
Moreover, the allure of incremental reach underestimates the sophistication of today’s audiences. Consumers are not just passive receptacles for content; they are discerning viewers with specific tastes, preferences, and viewing habits. The assumption that adding streaming to live/linear coverage will automatically net a significant new segment of the audience ignores the reality that many viewers deliberately choose streaming to escape the traditional TV
model, including its advertisements. This quest for incremental reach, then, isn't just a matter of adding a unicorn to your investment portfolio for its magical properties; it's a reminder that in the pursuit of broader audience engagement, understanding the nuances of viewer behavior and platform specificity is paramount. Without this insight, the quest for incremental reach is more likely to lead to dead ends than to undiscovered audiences.
In the constantly
evolving landscape of media and advertising, where change is the only constant, a dose of irreverence could be just what the doctor ordered. This isn't about disrespecting the foundations upon which the industry was built; rather, it’s about challenging the status quo that has led to a complacency in how we define and chase success. The sacred cows of yesteryear, those tried-and-true metrics like reach that have been gospel for generations of marketers, might just need a fresh look. It’s time to
question whether these metrics still serve us in an age where the digital ecosystem has morphed into a complex, multifaceted beast that demands a more nuanced approach.
The current obsession with reach, while understandable from a historical perspective, seems increasingly out of step with the realities of today's digital world. Being seen by millions sounds impressive, but it’s an empty boast if those millions aren't the people who are actually interested in what
you’re offering. In the pursuit of reach, the industry has often favored a scattergun approach, spraying content far and wide in the hopes of hitting the target audience by chance. But what if, instead of aiming to be seen by everyone, everywhere, all the time, we focused on being seen by the right people, in the right context, at the moment they’re most receptive?
This shift in focus necessitates a departure from the comfort zone of blanket strategies that
prioritize volume over value. It calls for a sniper's precision in targeting, an approach that leverages the wealth of data and analytics at our disposal to ensure that every piece of content reaches its intended audience with surgical accuracy. No longer can we afford to bombard the digital landscape with content in the vague hope of visibility. The goal must be strategic visibility, where reach is not just a number to boast about but a carefully calibrated effort to connect with an audience
that is genuinely interested and engaged.
Adopting this mindset transforms reach from a vanity metric into a vital sign of strategic health. It's about making each impression count, not just in terms of numbers, but in terms of actual impact. This isn't about shrinking the ambition to be seen but about elevating the quality of those views to something that drives real engagement and, ultimately, conversion. By treating the audience not as a monolithic mass to be
bombarded but as individuals to be engaged with, we not only respect the consumer but also elevate the practice of media buying itself. It's a bold step forward, but in a world where attention is the scarcest commodity, it's a step we can't afford not to take.
So, here’s to challenging the status quo, to not just asking "How many?" but "Who, why, and to what end?" Because in this kaleidoscopic media landscape, it’s not just about reaching far; it’s about reaching
smart. And maybe, just maybe, it’s time for the industry to aim a little higher—or, at the very least, a little more cleverly.
