You can use the following Java applet to estimate reach/frequency and related media criteria in real time. Just follow the eight steps below. The ciAd Java Reach/Frequency Generator has been selected by Gamelan, the official Sun registry of applet resources, for inclusion on their page under the "Miscellaneous" category of applets.

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About Methods:

The ciAd Reach/Frequency Generator (Version 3.0) uses the method of Sequential Aggregation (Links to articles on methods are provided below.) to estimate the frequency distribution of exposure to the media vehicles carrying the advertising message. This method provides a viable trade-off between estimation accuracy and algorithm complexity. For the degree of accuracy, it is the fastest available method.

Introductory Discussion of Sequential Aggregation Methods

1. ”A Review of Media Models” by Ju and Leckenby, 1990

2. ”A Large-Scale Test of the Declining Reach Phenomenon in Exposure Models” by Hsu and Leckenby, 1987

3. For a detailed description, see Hae-Kap Lee, Sequential Aggregation Models in Advertising Media, unpublished doctoral dissertation, Department of Advertising, The University of Texas at Austin, 1988. (Key chapters are provided in pdf format below.)

Lee, Chapter 4—Literature (partial)
Lee, Chapter 5--Methodology
Lee, Chapter 6--Results

Eight Steps to Success with the ciAd Java Reach/Frequency Generator:

Step 1. Click the arrow and select the media type (e.g., cable tv) for which you will select a media schedule and estimate its reach and frequency. (IMPORTANT: Please note that in this version of ciAd Java R/F Generator you pick a single media type in Step 1 and then estimate the reach/frequency criteria for a schedule consisting ONLY of vehicles from this media type-you may NOT mix net tv with magazine vehicles or internet vehicles, for example. Future versions may allow this to be done).

Step 2. Place the cursor with your mouse in the text field box for TM (Target Market) size setting. Type in the population size of your target market without commas. For example, if there were 128,000,000 million people in your market, enter 128000000. Make sure and now click the button labeled "TM" after you enter this number.

Step 3. Type in the number of vehicles in your schedule (e.g., if you want to estimate the r/f of three magazines, type in "3"). Click the button next to this text field.

Step 4. Type in the name of your first vehicle (e.g., Better Homes & Gardens with no quotation marks around the name-just the vehicle name itself) and click the "Vehicle Name" button. Repeat this for as many vehicles as you wish to include in your schedule.

Step 5. Type in the dollar (yen, pounds or whatever) cost of each vehicle in your schedule (e.g., 5000 would stand for $5,000.00-do not type in the dollar sign ($) or the comma). Click the "Vehicle Cost" button. Repeat for each vehicle before going to the next step. Remember to click the "Vehicle Cost" button after each vehicle's entry.

Step 6. Enter the audience size of each vehicle as a decimal. These are the estimates of the reach of each of your vehicles which you might obtain from Nielsen, SMRB, MRI or other audience measurement sources. Enter .1700 for a 17% rating of a television program-do not enter 17 or 17 with a percent (%) sign). NOTE: You must enter audience data to four decimal places, e.g., .1700 for 17%. Click the "Audience" button. Repeat for each of your vehicles before going to the next step.

Step 7. Enter the number of insertions ("buys") for each of your vehicles in succession (e.g., enter "5" for five buys in Better Homes & Gardens). Click the "Inserts" button after each entry.

Step 8. Click "Results" button to see the estimated Reach and Frequency Distribution and related media criteria in the output window. You can estimate the R/F for another schedule by clicking the "Media Data" button under the output window and following Steps 1-8 again.

Relax! As you will now see, it is much simpler than it appears above.