If advertising and promotion will be a significant expense item, an exhibit of how and when these costs will be incurred should be included. Both are communication strategies designed to affect buyers' behavior patterns and habits. Advertising concentrates on delivering a message through print and electronic media, while promotion relies on direct customer involvement and response. In both advertising and promotion, it is important to narrow the target audience, concentrating as specifically as possible on the group most likely to purchase the product or service advertised or promoted. The key to a large return from a small advertising budget lies in the media chosen.
Cost varies according to locale and competition among media sources.
The same size ad might cost three or four times as much in one newspaper as another. Rates for cable television and independent stations might be very affordable for small businesses that cannot buy expanded network programming. Each advertising situation is different, and rates vary from town to town and from region to region. To select the best media for the business and to effectively negotiate rates, it is important to examine the advantages and disadvantages of each type. Selection should never be based on price alone, but on what the media can do for your business image and sales.