Today's (1/27/15) Radio Sales Today email from the RAB made reference to an excellent article from PMQ Pizza Magazine (a trade publication for the pizza industry), touting the effectiveness of Radio Advertising for pizza restaurants.
According to the article's author, Dann Whitaker, a long-time radio advertising guy, even though the audiosphere is a more crowded space these days, traditional over-the-air broadcast radio remains the most popular source of audio entertainment (and the most likely to help sell pizzas). He cites a recent Clear Channel Media and Entertainment study.
His assertion: with the right message and the right timing, pizzarias can still use radio advertising to sell more pizza.
Among the writer's suggestions for using radio effectively:
Buy during peak drive times. As mentioned earlier, peak drive time is 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. I suggest narrowing this daypart to 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. During this period, your target customer is probably driving home from work and thinking about dinner. The right commercial spot could set him on a course straight to your pizzeria.
Get your message right. Use a mix of five-second and thirty-second spots to suggest pickup or dine-in at your pizzeria tonight. Previous studies have shown that consumers are affected by a radio spot within 30 minutes of a purchasing decision. Radio has an immediate impact and touches consumers at the critical decision-making point.
He also suggests a few obvious promotional ideas (providing pizzas for on-air giveaways, sending pizzas to DJ's during their show, etc.) - and stresses the importance of "live and local" content:
Radio stations with a “live and local” format—that is, featuring local on-air personalities and real-time programming—offer a unique marketing opportunity for pizza restaurants. Local personalities are trusted in your market, and their association with—or endorsement of—your pizzeria can go a long way with listeners. Local radio also targets your primary marketing area while expanding your secondary marketing area. Best of all, you don’t need a large marketing budget to compete in the local radio market. You can still target your message to the proper demographic, daypart and weekday, in order to gain the best ROI possible for your pizzeria.
