For example, if the station you want to use does not recognize your broker, that broker may try to convince you to advertise on a station that will pay his commission. Likewise, a media broker may cost you more if you are buying large quantities of airtime. By placing your order as a direct account, you can negotiate a rebate on the portion of the fee that the station would otherwise pay a broker. If your media buy is sensitive to demographics, one method of buying will deliver precision, especially if you buy from cable service companies on a local basis. From Beverly Hills to the Bronx, expanding your geographic exposure is as easy as qualifying the socio-economic profiles of you audience.
Marketers now use ZIP codes to identify the geographic distribution of their potential viewers.
As markets become more segmented, a new method of categorizing American neighborhoods is gaining ground. This is a book by Michael J. Weiss which dissects different lifestyles in contemporary America based on the U.S. Postal Service's Zone Improvement Plan, better known as ZIP codes. The 5 Didits of Your Zip Code Weiss explains that your ZIP code, which actually represents the community where your live, reveals a lot about the people who live within its boundaries. The 5 digits of your ZIP code are not being used to tell marketers the kinds of magazines you read, what you eat for breakfast, and the brand of toothpaste you are likely to use. Marketers even using ZIP codes to decide what kind of celebrity to use in their advertising.