Happy Friday, everyone!
A couple of weeks ago, we posed a poll question regarding the biggest single challenge you're currently facing in your job. Many of you chimed in, and we plan to base future poll questions on your replies (so please keep them coming!).
One challenge that several people brought up was, in David Neely's words, "Convincing clients of the viability of radio."
So here is this week's poll question:
What are your best tips and strategies for demonstrating the value and power of radio as an advertising medium to your prospects?
Looking forward to reading your replies!
Three approaches of note... But first, remember, people - we're not in the entertainment business. We're not in the broadcasting business. We're not in the radio business. We're in the results business - being so by moving products and services for our clients.
Our wonderful, engaging, entertaining, informative and personalized medium that has fed me since diapers is merely the vehicle - and yes, the better we engage, entertain, inform and personalize the experience for our publics (advertisers, listeners/consumers, our colleagues), the more fun we'll have, and the more profitable we'll be in so doing:
1. Radio-driven events that generate large amounts of public interest - and participation - events catalyzed by emotional intensity. Remember, we engage with emotion and validate with logic. I've had an advertiser come to an event and was so impressed, that he literally doubled his budget to an annual contract, just because he saw the impact we had on the event. It's been as simple a concept as a station birthday party with free bbq, cake and drinks, advertised by the station, with simple, large advance (one week) signage at the high-traffic park in the center of town. Yes, we also contra'd three-four quarter page ads in the 10 days previous, but it was our event, and we got the credit.
2. Quantified success stories, devoid of platitudes and generalities.
3. Generating millions in sales receipts and proofs of purchase from listeners in towns as small as 7,500 people to major markets. Sorted, stacked and totaled - delivering them to clients so they see their results measured to the penny. Eat your heart out, Google.
MY SECRET WEAPON ...is Specbyte.com , nothing gets you in the door better and allows you to stay than a SPEC spot! WE sell an intangible product, engage their imagination as they listen give then them creative freedom. Then outline a "campaign", with a calendar showing your campaign ideas and run dates, never speak to cost until they sell themselves. I HAVE ATTACHED an example of a campaign calendar. Once they like your spot...then sell them an ROI schedule. If there is no ROI, shut up...let the creative sell the schedule. <<<<(THIS WAS TAUGHT TO ME BY Chris Rolando when we worked together at Maddog ten years ago, it worked in Honolulu, Grand Forks and Las Vegas-Where I sold TV) IT WORKS...going into August @ 92% of budget.(and I am still sandbagging a few accounts) My budget will be raised by my manager Monday in my One on One! Haha...
Westwood One's Pierre Bouvard recently published an analysis of Amazon's July 15th PRIME DAY advertising online, and on TV and radio. The research demonstrates once again that radio isn't just "viable," but in this case outperformed TV and digital. From his post on the Westwood One blog, as reported in this week's Small Market Radio Newsletter:
The marketing effort behind the recent July 15th Amazon Prime Day Sales event provides some interesting data on how media can efficiently build awareness in a target demo.
Amazon bought online, radio, and television ads to promote the event. According to an Ipsos study, the engine of Amazon Prime Day campaign were 18- to 34-year-olds. Nearly half of those who purchased on the July 15th sale event were 18 to 34. Ipsos indicates 45% of those with Amazon Prime accounts are 18 to 34.
Ipsos reported that radio advertising was the most effective at converting awareness into Prime Day purchases when compared to TV and online. Of those exposed to radio ads, 52% made a purchase versus TV (39%) and online (48%).
...
Which media had the highest concentration of recall among 18- to 34-year-olds?
Radio. Radio?
Yes, Radio.
Forty percent of those who recalled the Amazon Prime Day radio campaign were 18 to 34.
...
Radio was most effective at converting awareness into purchases and targeted 18-34s the best.
Despite Amazon's TV ads running on young-skewing TV networks, radio's ad awareness was far more concentrated among 18 to 34s versus television's (40% versus 27%).
Radio's "cost per awareness" was nearly twice as efficient as television.
Given that radio was the most effective at converting awareness into purchases, imagine how much more impressive the campaign results would have been if Amazon had purchased a more aggressive national radio campaign?
