Part 2 - Field Guide

Creative Burnout Matrix ©

This matrix is a guide only. Depending on a station’s format and length of TSL (Time Spent Listening) by the average listener, this guide may need to be altered slightly. 

* Campaigns need 2 or more creative versions in rotation.           

** “Not recommended” refers to frequency levels which are either too low to be effective, or so high as to create annoyance.

Matrix Exceptions

1.)   Hard-sell campaigns

2.)   Humorous ads

Hard-sell campaigns wear thin quickly and should either run for shorter periods than outlined in the Creative Burnout Matrix or have more than one commercial running in rotation.

Humorous ads are a similar exception in that you can only laugh at the same joke a limited number of times.  Different versions of the same joke, however, like the old; “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” Alka Seltzer campaign, will continue to penetrate your prospects’ minds.

At your discretion, both humor and hard-sell campaigns may be repeated effectively at a future date.  Cute ads are different than humorous ads, whereas humorous ads have a punch line, cute ads, like Geico for example, are simply cute.

Timely and Topical

NOTE:  Always avoid looking foolish and wasting your money running ads after the season, event, or sale is over.  Campaigns that state winter is on its way several days after a winter storm are likely to be tuned out by your prospects.

Alternate Limited Exposure Matrix

The Creative Burnout Matrix assumes schedules that run a minimum of 5 consecutive days. 

In the event a campaign does not run 5 days or more per week, you can use this alternate matrix as a guide. 

NOTE:  Campaigns that run less than 5 days a week generally reach fewer people.