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Overall, the study showed that the impact multiplier effect has a positive impact on cognitive measures such as brand and ad salience and the memorability of the creative content.

Mumbai , Sept. 10

MEDIA planners have always known instinctively that using print ads in addition to TV ads deliver greater effectiveness and higher returns. But that hypothesis was proved scientifically by a recent study by the IMRB and the INS.

The Impact Multiplier Theory was studied for six brands including Sundrop, Active Wheel, Limca, Aquaguard and Whisper in the four markets of Mumbai, Delhi, Bhopal and Indore.

After getting the brands to fine-tune their media plans to include print, assessment was done by way of primary research, which studied the effect on such parameters as brand salience and memorability of creative, as well as multi-media data fusion. The study polled 14,300 consumers from literate households, aged 15-44 years, from SEC ABC, and with cable & satellite TV connection.

"Internationally, we have found that a combination of media vehicles has a beneficial synergistic impact," said Mr Hemant Mehta, Vice-President, IMRB, presenting the findings in Mumbai. "Generally, one medium usually makes up for the failings of the other, and some combinations are better than others."

Overall, the study showed that the impact multiplier effect has a positive impact on cognitive measures such as brand and ad salience and the memorability of the creative content. The effects were especially obvious in the case of Whisper, Active Wheel and Sundrop, Mr Mehta said.

The multiplier effect also boosted brand value associations and led to a higher instinct to purchase the brand. There was a direct correlation between the weight of press exposure and the multiplier effect, but the effect failed, or was less effective, when the TV and print advertising were not in sync.

When data from TAM (measure of TV viewership), NRS (measure of readership) and MarketPulse (measure of household purchase) were fused for the markets surveyed, it was clear that a combination of print and TV reached more target consumers, and the reach was greater with even a marginal increase in print advertising - which was less expensive than increasing TV GRPs. The combined reach of print plus TV was higher among light consumers of media, as these consumers tend to spend more time reading, and watch more niche TV channels. "So the media multiplier effect is a smarter, superior way of reaching the consumer," Mr Mehta summed up.

However, brand managers who participated in the study admitted that TV offers far greater flexibility, and is a more exciting medium to work with. And while many brands are overly dependent on TV, and much of TV advertising is wasted, the media multiplier effect does not work equally well across all categories and all media, cautioned Mr B.V. Pradeep, Head of Consumer and Market Insights, HLL. "We need to have greater clarity in terms of what TV must do and what print must do," he added.

Still, the study is a big step forward, and needs to be made more regular, and extended to study other aspects of the multiplier effect, more media combinations, more categories of products and more markets, said Mr Andre Nair, CEO, WPP South Asia.

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