Intelligent Reach. Transformative Growth.

In media planning, how you allocate your budget can make or break your long‑term growth. Many brands fall into the trap of concentrating high TRPs into short bursts, which creates an immediate but fleeting impact. However, a more strategic approach—spreading media spend over time at lower TRP levels—yields greater, more durable success. Here’s why.

The Power of More Weeks at Lower TRPs

With a fixed budget, more weeks at lower TRPs generate greater net reach—often called reach points or reach value. For example, 52 weeks at 25 TRPs per week deliver 1,040 total reach points, whereas 10 weeks at 125 TRPs per week produce only 720. While high‑TRP bursts create a temporary awareness spike, they shorten campaign duration and stunt cumulative reach, limiting new customer acquisition and foot traffic.

Why Reach Costs Less at Lower Levels

Each incremental reach point becomes more expensive because the hardest‑to‑find consumers remain. Maintaining lower TRPs over a longer period captures broader reach more efficiently, avoiding the premium you pay to chase diminishing returns.

The Threshold Effect and the Role of the S‑Shaped Curve

Lower weekly weights sustained over time accumulate reach gradually. Once reach crosses a threshold, growth kicks in naturally and continues to build, following an S‑shaped response curve. High‑weight, flighted buys follow a downward‑sloping curve—momentary impact followed by decay. The S‑shaped curve, by contrast, delivers sustained momentum and compounding growth.

Think of It Like the Flux Capacitor

For a pop‑culture analogy, think of the flux capacitor from Back to the Future. Supplementary lore describes it as dispersing flux uniformly across the DeLorean, enabling smooth passage through time. Media reach works the same way: dispersion over time creates the conditions for transformative growth. Concentration may look powerful, but only dispersion sustains velocity.

The Takeaway

Growth isn’t about short bursts of high‑frequency advertising—it’s about sustained, strategic reach that builds momentum week after week. By embracing the architecture that produces an S‑shaped response curve, brands maximize net reach, harness compounding effects, and achieve long‑term business success. Stop chasing quick wins; invest in the steady approach that drives real, lasting growth.