Hi Gals and Guys,
Need some help. Our stations have never done a listener survey so I sure could use some help... This question was posed by a very important potential client:
Keep in mind that our demographics are mainly Adults 21+ and Women 55+ so any information you have pertaining to how the stations reach those audiences would be helpful.
Uh- other than generic radio stats that won't make me sound very smart to an agency, what would you suggest? We are the only local stations in a 4 season tourist area- everyone looking for entertainment, local news, weather, etc, tunes into us so basically everyone in our listening area. I'll lead with that but if you have any information/pointers to compose this into a proposal, it'd be awesome.
It's due by the end of the day Thursday.
Thanks~
Shannon
Do your stations have facebook pages? You could pull some listener data off the insights.
Shannon,
If you're in an unrated market, just tell them that. If you can offer anecdotal evidence - like testimonials from current advertisers - present those to the buyer. One of the most powerful sales tools at your disposal is recordings of advertisers describing their successes using your station in a natural, conversational style. (For more on this, check out the free Jim Williams audio clips on using demos here. Chapters 13 and 15 are particularly relevant to your current situation.)
I haven't discussed ratings or demographics with clients (including agencies and local direct advertisers) for many years, preferring to focus the conversation on the content of the message. Roy Williams did all of us--salespeople and advertisers alike--a huge favor when he identified trying to reach the 'right people' as one of the most common mistakes in advertising. In his words, "It's amazing how many people become 'the right people' when you say the right thing." We all have a realm of association that includes family and friends, co-workers and colleagues, people in our church, on our softball team, etc., who value our opinions and recommendations. Even if the intended prospect doesn't hear the commercial, one of his friends will; if that person is deeply impressed (which is a function of crafting an effective commercial), the prospect will eventually get the information that leads him to check out the advertiser.
Wish you all the best as you deal with this challenge, Shannon.
I see I am late on chiming in on this but... Rod's response is spot on. But probably won't satisfy your client.
I would use what Rod suggests but also include what you call 'generic' stats available from the RAB and Arbitron as far as format research. This research specific to format does apply - it's the reason there are formats. AC v. Hot AC v Top 40 - to a layman they could sound very much the same but the differences define the audiences they attract. This format and music research is exhaustive and you should not discount it because it is not 'local' - it shows trends and tendencies, age and gender demographics This is true in New Hampshire as well as anywhere else. We have 3 different formats. The listenerships we regularly interact with over the air and in the community almost perfectly match the industry research.
