• The advantage of flighting is that it allows a campaign to maximize the impact of the commercials by airing them at key strategic times.
— compare pulsing* * *
Ad flighting is generally done when advertising budgets are limited.
An advertising scheduling strategy in which a business alternates between running a normal schedule of advertising and a complete cessation of all runs. A company may use a flighting strategy as a way to save on advertising costs, while relying on the effect of its past advertisements continue to drive sales. As sales slow or more budget becomes available, the company will resume normal advertising.
Flighting is most commonly associated with television advertising, but can also be used with other media types, such as radio or the internet. It rose to prominence, along with another strategy, "pulsing", as advertising rates grew faster than advertising budgets. With this strategy, companies must balance potential customers' ability to recall a product or service with the cost of constantly reaching them. The longer the recall period, the less necessary it may be to run as many advertisements.