What is 'reach' and 'frequency' in media metrics?

• A. Reach is time spent; frequency is the number of ads
• B. Reach is the number of campaigns; frequency is the number of channels
• C. Reach and frequency refer to revenue and cost
• D. Reach is the number of unique people exposed; frequency is the average times each person is exposed

Answer: (D)

In media metrics, the focus is on how broadly and how often a message is seen. Reach is the number of unique people who are exposed to the message at least once. Frequency is the average number of times each person is exposed, usually calculated by dividing total impressions by reach. For example, if 4,000 people see the ad and there are 10,000 total views, the frequency is 2.5 exposures per person. This combination helps planners balance broad exposure (reach) with sufficient repetition (frequency) to boost recall without oversaturating the audience. The other descriptions mix up what these metrics measure—time spent, number of campaigns or channels, or revenue/cost—so they don’t accurately define reach or frequency.