Increasing the Advertising Effectiveness of Small Retail Businesses

Advertising and other promotional decisions are influenced by the nature of the target market, as well as which media vehicles are within the financial reach of the small-business owner and how effective they are in reaching the target market. Though considerable research has been conducted about the value of advertisements in general, little is known about the relative effectiveness of suburban and urban papers and radio stations in reaching the specific target markets of small business retailers. Because of financial exigencies and the need to produce results within a reasonable period of time, the appropriate use of media vehicles is of paramount importance for small retail outlets. To assess the effects of various media vehicles on different market segments, a study was accomplished in selected urban and suburban communities. Findings from this study indicate that, although the aggregate measure of readership of major dailies is high across urban and suburban dwellers, the relative influence and effectiveness of urban dallies, suburban weeklies and radio stations tend to differ among communities.