Focus on one major peak or spread out multiple smaller ones.
The question about POSM budget allocation is actually a question about brand objectives at each stage.
If you need a strong recognition boost, create a story to spread or mark a milestone, then focus on a major event. If products are sold year-round and you need to keep the brand present at the moment customers decide to buy, distribute multiple POSM campaigns evenly. In many cases, the optimal solution is to combine both: a peak event to create initial recall, followed by smaller POSM to maintain ongoing engagement.
- launch or milestone that needs recognition and a viral story
- Items sold consistently throughout the year, requiring continuous reminders at multiple sales points.
- combine pulsing: one peak then POSM maintains temperature afterwards
- invest everything in one night and then go silent, nothing to maintain the heat afterwards
- Distribute too thinly in many small batches, with none being substantial enough.
This decision is not about choosing which is more creative. It is about selecting which mechanism aligns with your brand goals and the nature of your product at this stage. A concentrated peak and multiple evenly distributed waves serve two different purposes, and understanding that difference will help you allocate your budget correctly instead of compromising without direction.
Three coverage calendar types and corresponding goals
The theory of media scheduling divides into three main types:
- Continuity: present consistently throughout the year, with no standout peaks. Suitable for fast-moving consumer goods that need frequent reminders at the point of purchase.
- Concentrating efforts (flighting or burst): focusing all resources into a short time frame to create a strong awareness spike. Suitable for launches, milestones, or clearly defined peak seasons.
- Combination (pulsing): A thin background continuously supplemented by peaks according to seasons or events. This type usually yields the most balanced results when the budget is sufficient to maintain both layers.
Choosing a style is about selecting a goal, not a style.
When to consolidate into a major event
Allocate budget to a major event when you need one of the following: to create an immediate awareness peak for a newly launched product, to build a story that can go viral and be mentioned by the press or social media, or to mark an important milestone for the brand such as an anniversary or market expansion.
A high-intensity burst in a short time often creates stronger and more immediate recall than a thin, prolonged line. However, the condition is that you must have enough manpower and organizational capacity to execute the event well, as a large but unprofessional event will create unwanted recall.
When to distribute multiple batches of POSM
Spreading multiple smaller campaigns makes sense when your products sell consistently throughout the year and customer purchase decisions occur at the point of sale, not at a single event. At this time, the brand needs to be reminded at the right moment when customers are in front of the shelves, and a major event three months prior no longer holds much recall value.
Fast-moving consumer goods are a prime example: they need to be continuously present at the point of purchase to maintain top-of-mind awareness (the brand that comes to mind first when there is a need), so they should lean towards continuity or pulsing rather than just a single occurrence.
Spread over multiple periods: maintain presence at the right time when customers buy, suitable for consistent sales. The risk: each period is too thin, and none are substantial enough for customers to remember.
Common errors when allocating the budget
- Putting everything into silence: Organizing a large, costly event, but then having no POSM to maintain momentum. Recognition peaks quickly fade while competitors continue to maintain presence.
- Spread too thin: dividing the budget into too many small periods to the point that none are strong enough. Customers see but do not remember, the brand is present but absent in their minds.
- Redesigning from scratch each time: Not reusing design assets from previous runs leads to consistently increasing design and printing costs while the brand image remains inconsistent.
A high-intensity burst creates immediate recall. A continuous line keeps the brand present at the right moment when customers make purchasing decisions. These two mechanisms do not replace each other but complement each other.
The principle of reach, frequency, and continuity in media scheduling
The viewpoint of Sinh Vũ
Sinh Vũ designs with a concept that can be used for both large campaigns and subsequent smaller POSM efforts, so you don’t have to pay for redesigns each time. When the original asset set and standardized images from the major event are available, they become materials for many months of subsequent POSM at a much lower implementation cost than a completely new design.
Sinh Vũ often advises: determine in advance how many peaks there are in the year and which seasons must have them, then allocate the budget for each peak first, and only use the remaining budget for interim maintenance periods. Doing the opposite, which means spreading the budget evenly first and then concentrating it at the peaks with leftover funds, often leads to insufficient strength at the peaks and uneven smaller periods.
Decision checklist
Topic: Focusing on a major event or spreading out multiple small POSM campaigns. Sinh Vũ guide, sinhvu.com
Select each item you find appropriate, then print or save as PDF to take with you.
If you have marked most of the signs above, this is the time to discuss in more detail. Sinh Vũ can help you review and propose a direction.
References
Journalism University: Media Scheduling Strategies, pulse and flighting; JMC Study Hub: Media Scheduling Strategies (continuous, flighting, pulsing); R3 POSM and events service framework, post-event assets (internal documents from Sinh Vũ).
Frequently asked questions
Which direction should you choose with a small budget?
With a small budget, it's even more important to avoid spreading too thin, as no campaign will be impactful enough for customers to remember. If you must choose one, focus on a campaign with a clear objective, designing the assets properly from the start to reuse for smaller campaigns later instead of redesigning each time.
Should seasonal products like Tet focus solely on one major event?
Seasonality often forces you to concentrate on a specific time, but you should still prepare POSM to maintain momentum before and after that peak. The pre-event phase builds expectations, while the post-event phase maintains awareness when competitors have withdrawn. A consistent design concept helps these three phases appear as a continuous campaign rather than three separate pieces.
How to know if the previous POSM was impactful enough for customers to remember?
The practical sign is that sales staff receive feedback from customers asking questions, or the number of new customers increases during and immediately after that period. If multiple campaigns run but the sales data does not budge, it is likely that each campaign lacks sufficient intensity. Sinh Vũ often advises focusing on a few key sales points first, making them strong enough, before expanding.