Glossary A–ZLetter C
Cross-media campaign
A cross-media campaign spreads an advertising message in a coordinated way across several types of media, such as screens in public places, online advertising, radio and print.
The parts are linked in content and timing. The aim is for the contacts to reinforce one another.
In such campaigns, screen networks often act as a reminder close to the point of sale or on the way there. An example: a drinks manufacturer launches a TV commercial, shows a shortened version on screens in stations and supermarkets, and uses a QR code to point to an online competition. The same visual style and the same core message ensure that people recognise the campaign.
For operators, this means that creatives from other media have to be adapted. A TV commercial with sound and a long storyline rarely works on a silent screen that people walk past. Advertisers also want to compare the screen network's performance with other media, which requires traceable metrics. Cross-media describes how the message works across channels, not just how the budget is split; the latter is the media mix.