Introduction
Are you looking to maximize the impact of your marketing efforts and reach the right audience?
Understanding What is a Designated Market Areas (DMAs) is the key to achieving this goal in the United States. In this blog it is explained What is a Designated Market Areas (DMAs), which are certain geographic delineations laid down by Nielsen Media Research that allows residents to get the same local television/radio signals. It has added that these areas are not just lines drawn on the map but events construct the framework on which media usage and advertising space is particularly valued. There are 210 DMAs in USA and as such it is important that anyone in marketing dma and advertising understands more about them.
What is a Designated Market Area (DMA)?
The term what is a Designated Market Area or DMA, as it may be called is relatively simple to explain.
Let’s start with the basics. A Designated Market Area, or DMA, is a region in the United States where television and radio audiences are in a position to receive the same local stations. Just imagine the existence of a separate media bubble where everyone is receiving the contents of the local broadcast. This sometimes also applies to newspaper and online articles. DMAs may also be called media markets, broadcast markets or TV markets—its all the same thing basically.
That, as you may asked now, who sets those limits? That is where Nielsen Media Research comes in. They’re the ones who set the DMAs and, let’s not forget, track viewers and listeners across those areas. These are ranked according to population and not in terms of area of coverage that may at times may encompass a small population. Thus, a region renowned for a population density per square km can rank higher than a similarly-sized region that contains fewer people per area of square kilometers. There are 210 DMA’s across the United States of America, in fact they cover all the states. However, it is surprising to note that the scope of DMAs has recently extended even into digital advertising.
How Do DMAs Actually Work?
So, how does it look for these DMAs? Usually they are based in a large metropolitan area. For instance, the New York City Designated Market Area represents the Radio Universe and consists of the five boroughs of New York City, portions of the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Rather, it is a larger media system associated with the most populous’ city epicenter.
• Audience Measurement: DMAs are basic for all forms of audience measurement. Broadcast organizations use them to identify who is viewing what, thus having the ability to produce materials that their audience will find relevant.
• Targeted Advertising: DMA data helps the advertisers to place ads at a certain time or when a certain program is on in order to cover the most audience in the target group.
• Nielsen Ratings: Nielsen offer ratings by day part by hour indicating the number of viewers who tuned to that channel. Both news stations need to know these ratings to see what the people want and for advertisers to buy ad spots effectively. An ad during a popular program costs a lot more than an ad during off-peak programs.
• Message Focus: Selecting the right DMA is all about getting your message right. Flagstaff, Arizona will not have same requirements and concerns as Indianapolis, Indiana.
DMAs and Media Markets: What’s the Difference?
Well, it’s about time to clear any confusion that may be had between DMAs and media markets. Although they can understood as similar in meaning, here is a small clarification to how the terms make be used.
Media market is also referred to as broadcast market or media zone and can be defined as an area in which the population receives the same or identical information, including television, radio, newspapers and Internet. It is a loosely defined term which corresponds to the basic definition of a DMA.
• Overlap: DMAs and media markets are closely related with much of one contained within the other.
• Naming Conventions: Markets are named by their biggest market however, topography and split metropolitan areas lead to multiple market names like the Wichita-Hutchinson Kansas market or Albany-Schenectady-Troy New York.
• Subdivisions: Some markets may be divided into many segments especially urban markets hence enhancing the need to segment the markets right.
• A Global Perspective: However, as can be seen, not all the media markets are offered by private institutions like Nielsen. For example, government stations in the UK draw boundaries for their own areas.
TMA vs. DMA:
A Television Market Area (TMA) is a term coined by a US governmental agency known as the FCC to control broadcasting. It is different than a DMA, though is related. While the TMA designates geographic areas, the TMA is utilized by a regulatory body and the DMA is utilized by a ratings agency.
Radio Markets: An Arbitron Radio Metro is a smaller area used for radio rating by Nielsen Audio. It is noteworthy, that a single TMA may encompass several Arbitron Radio Metro areas.
Effectiveness of Internet and Streaming over DMAs
The objective use of the Internet and platforms like streaming services has revolutionized the way businesses find their customers. This is not quite what one might consider a geographical issue anymore. Media consumers are not confined to particular geography and, as a result, the dispersed media environment poses new problems to DMAs.
This has also affected the conventional perception and usage of streaming in viewing events as well as information delivery system. These DMAs do not go obsolete because companies like Nielsen are changing the way they gauge audiences to accommodate streaming to maintain consistency. However, it means that DMAs remain effective means of advertising in a targeted manner. Now, even different digital platforms are utilizing the concept of DMAs too. Sometimes you could perhaps use Google, TikTok or Facebook to help you advertise to specific DMAs.
Marketing DMA: How to Use DMAs for Marketing
Perhaps we should discuss ‘marketing DMA’ whereby DMAs are used for instances of strategic marketing.
• Targeted Advertising: DMAs are the most important for identifying your best prospects. When you are using the right DMA, your ad dollars are spent on the people that are likely going to convert.
• Strategic Integration: Consider how DMA data could use to customize both product offering and advertising communication to be in harmony with the target group.
• Coming Soon: In business, where the business is still establishing the DMAs can be useful in creating awareness for the business before it is officially opened.
• Digital Expansion: Just bear in mind that DMAs are also suitable for the digital environment. If you are placing Ads on the internet, or using social media to market your products targeted towards a specific region, DMA based targeting is worth a shot.
Best Practices for Using DMAs
To truly master DMA marketing, consider these best practices:
• Research Your DMA: It is essential to understand the Demographic Market Areas (DMAs) that you are interested in about the regions needed for successful advertisements. For instance, Tampa and Orlando are in two different Media Design Areas despite the geographical proximity with only 80 miles separating them.
• Leverage DMA Data: Over-reliance on the demographic data in the market should be ensured so that the product and advertising can be easily tailored.
• Journalist Pitching: When you are submitting ideas to media members and journalists, demonstrate that you know their DMA, then they are confident that what you have will be of interest to their readers.
• Budget Realistically: Please realize that the costs differ significantly depending on the DMA size because the larger the DMA, the higher the costs.
• DMA as a Tool: Choose wisely. On such occasions, a secondary smaller DMA might yield better results than a significant DMA that inefficiency dilutes your message.
Consult Experts: the use of DMA specialist may prove fruitful for the best marketing outcome.
Conclusion
finally hope you know what is a designated market place, these DMAs are not just papers, they are the key to military and advertising strategies. In the case of advertising on television, radio or even the internet, DMAs should be the content broadcaster’s guide to reaching out to the audience positively and ensure the intended advertisement gets a positive return on investment. It has equipped you with all the information that you require to venture into the different DMAs, and get what you want out of marketing. Now it is high time that you went out there and started using the power of DMA in your marketing strategies.