Radio Sales Café

Happy Friday, everyone!

 

Here is this week's poll question:

 

Do you ever recommend that a client advertise in other media to supplement their radio schedule? If so, what media do you suggest and why?

 

Looking forward to reading your answers!

It depends on what kind of campaign they are running, but I will recommend print media, print media can help with good client sales, as long as the offer is good.  10% off is not a sale worthy of advertising, but if the client is running a 50%-OFF-ONE-DAY-ONLY sale, then it would be beneficial for the client to run it with print.  BUT, if they run print, for the example given, they must buy at least half a page and it should be in color and in large font.  As Shakespeare said, brevity is the soul of wit.  (Less is more) Small print ads, which so many of our clients go for NEVER works.   Also, keep in mind that we are resources for our clients, if we know of other strong media in the market, we should recommend them, not only does it help the client, it doesn’t make you come off like a used car salesman.

 

For some products and services you may require a 360 degrees communication approach. For example  i did a campaign for Agro Chemical  and i know the farmer listens to the radio from 6.00am to .8.00pm so i place the radio ad x3 at that time , the same farmer after picking tea from 8.00am to 12.00 noon will deliver the produce 1km from the farm. the Tea centre is a touch point and he will que there for several minutes, so i place a billboard  at the cross roads towards the centre and a Poster at the Centre just behind where the  weighing machine, he then walks to the market for shopping so i palce another billboard along the way a  poster, a standee near the shop where he buys soda. He will also visit the agro-chemical outlet to check on his friend -the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper will give him a brochure of the same product and maybe  a cap and tshirt with the take out message , as he goes back to the village , all the people he will meet will ask him about the product on his cap  through the word of mouth he will spread the message, and when he gets home the wife may thisn he has another woman who bought him a t-shirt , to avoid domestic problems he will give the  branded tshirt to the daughter  and while  they have dinner  watching news i pplace a 45 seconds tv ad just before news. Radio just creates awareness through more frequency. press and brochures carry the details.Tv has Audio visual impact.

Since our local competitors are newspapers, I never recommend that unless the client wants to waste money.

 

I often recommend pairing their radio ads with our website, our sister station, an AM station and also using our website and social media tools.

 

We kind of have a lock on most media types in our area -- accept for the newspaper.

Radio advertising sellers who don't recommend other media to their clients don't understand how advertising works and are destined to fail.

If the client asks for my reommendation, and allowing for a possible rare exception, I don't know how you cannot recommend them using other media.  We all know that it is rare that a lone radio campaign will be all the marketing a business will need.  A good mix is the answer.  If I go in and tell them that radio is the be-all end-all solution to their problems, I will no longer be credible source of information.  I have been asked numerous times by a variety of clients and I have recommended print, TV, social media, and/or billboards, depending on the client.  I've had new people call because my old clients have recommended me as putting their interests ahead of my own.  That's the kind of reputation I like to have.  It's good for me, and good for my clients.   

Absolutely, when warranted!  For example... tire dealers usually have two agendas.  One is selling tires and the other is Auto Service.  Radio is not the place to laundry list P&I, so I would probably recommend a shopper for that information while using radio to build the brand.  If I was working with a stock broker, I may suggest that direct mail to a certain zip code is proper since far more information can be delivered to that target market at a lower cost.  If I was working a housing project I would probably recommend some billboards that are close by as a directional reference.

 

We cannot be so arrogant as to think that Radio can do it all.  We need to know the strengths of other media and their weaknesses too.  THEN we become a resource for our customers and not just another peddler.  But that's just my opinion... I could be wrong.

I often recommend other media.

For me it works two ways: Each media is generational. My mom and dad were of the newspaper generation, it's the media they relied upon, so for older demos it makes sense. For the baby boomers its more of a mix of radio and TV and some newspaper, for Gen X & Y, it's radio, TV, and some internet, and for the milleniums it's lots of internet based media with some TV and radio.

The second way is to buy each media as it works best: print is great visual design keys and P & I direct mail: TV is all looking good and evocative response; radio is frequency, brand, and an emotional connection.

It's fascinating. Back in the 70's everyone was trying to figure out what Marshall McLuhan meant by "...the medium is the message..' But it has reversed. The message is now everything with no regard for it's validity...for better or worse. Reality TV is the new oxymoron. Reality is dead and perception is everything...and even reality TV is is running out of content.

I believe one of radio's claims to fame is that it is an excellent support media.  Radio does a great job supporting local events and promotions for clients. For example, a client who recently completed a total renovation of their store was having a Re-Grand Opening event which they used newspaper to list the event date/time, activities planned and a discount coupon.  I suggested radio to supplement the newspaper ad.  They ran a upbeat spot that stated "look for our ad and discount coupon in this Friday's Repository."  The client claims to have had a great turn-out for their event and said that customers who typically don't subscribe to the local paper bought the paper for the coupon AFTER hearing the radio spot.

Where do people go when they want to buy something and they need more information?  None of your products.  I hardly see how it's possible for you to believe you have "a lock on most media types" when Google exists in every market.

 

I push and provide resources for clients to build, update or maintain websites and encourage social media with a warning - it has to be relevant, regularly updated and requires a staff member to specifically focus on that (very time consuming). Radio is excellent for, in turn, pushing listeners to websites and facebook.  I never suggest terrestrial tv - no stations are directly in our market and the 2 just outside the market servicing this area cover 50+ counties -  all the way through the UP of Michigan -  making them the most inefficient use of media dollars imaginable. Cable tv, I warn people, can work if targeted but beware of costs on production, quality of the cable-produced production and costs to even minutely change anything on the production. The cable here sells time for $1-$5/commercial so the cost of running v. producing anything besides a pan-of-the-store spot is ridiculous. Cable has 40% penetration in this market. Per Roy Williams (Wizard of Ads) I tell them don't do tv unless what you run can air next to McDonald's and look good. Billboards can make an impact initially but become scenery after a couple of weeks - we have 2 electronic billboards in the market which, I think, may be worth using for events, never branding. NEWSPAPER IS A WASTE OF MONEY and the local paper here is truly awful. Never ever recommend it and absolutely discourage it. Ad costs are up and circulation is plummeting. Going on-line has not helped their circulation and content is just as bad as the print version.  The subscription-free weekly shoppers they produce appear to generate more advertising activity (ads plus inserts) but what newspaper traditionally does well (lists of price and item) is better done on websites which can be updated and photos that can actually look good. Direct mail - even post-card mailings - have worked very well for many clients and I tell other clients about that. (can be reinforced with radio, too, with "watch your mailbox")  Also about generating a list of email and street addresses from customers and visitors to their locale to save money on buying a mailing list. After all, the adage is that your best next customer is an existing customer.  It's never a good idea to use only one medium -  I learn a lot about what works for certain business categories from clients and pass it along to other (noncompeting) clients, often encourage them to network with each other and share. The biggest example of this concerns yellow pages - the use of which has become so negligible and the cost of which has only increased as circulation/use has declined.  Businesses are afraid to pull out of display ads in the phone books (3 in our market) -  afraid because of what the competition may still do there and because printing is 1x a year. Talking with other businesses has helped clients to feel comfortable with cutting or cutting back yellow pages -  a huge portion of their overall marketing budgets and has freed that money up for other marketing or absorbed to cover overhead.

Start with how effective your radio stations are and have been for clients. If you have a great track record in growing client businesses then you will not have to do much other than effectively use your stations. The reality of what we do is be a marketing assistant for your client and that may mean looking at all the media that they might need. Look at your own station marketing tools first, develop CAMPAIGNS that involve interactive components that will enhance the radio schedule. But, always keep in mind, the clients trust in you recommending the right thing is the most important, so....

YES! In certain situations I will suggest a couponing campaign with someone like a ValPak or MoneyMailer or a local group- and I always insist on adding a line to the broadcast copy about looking for our coupon in the ValPak this month!

 

Why? Because we can do only so much with broadcast as far as driving direct, accountable results. By adding a coupon I can go back count the resumptions and attribute them to the power of the broadcast media drivign the coupon redemptions. Who says we can't count results with radio?

We are not afraid to suggest other media when appropiate.  It is not like they aren't aware of other opportunities.  You gain respect when you are honest.  Suggesting that a car dealer list all his cars for sale in a radio ad kills any credibility that you may have had.

I constantly tell people to become involved in as much advertising as possible! I find that my constant struggle is not using radio, but advertising in general. I try to help future clients understand that Marketing is extremely important, and as long as it is a media that if effective for a specific demographic, all media should be implemented, I just want a decent pice of the pie, not the WHOLE pie. 

 

We sell radio first, but also sell web banners on our station website.  I am very old school radio, so it was with some trpidation that I sold web banners.  I have to admit that it is much easier than I originally thought. It helps a lot that we get over 300,000 hits a year.

We are very fortunate to have a great relationship with the weekly newspaper in our community.  We run radio ads, and they run newspaper ads touting both mediums and how radio and newspaper advertising compliment each other, and we recommend you do BOTH!  It works well, and we refer each other when a client wants a recommendation for other media.  Our newspaper has even bought ads from us when they have made an error and didn't get something into the paper they were supposed to!  Many of my bigger clients run annual advertising campaigns in the paper and on the radio, and we work closely together on the campaigns as a team.  I agree with Bob Sherman's comments.  Our community is largely a retirement community composed of older folks, and they do like newspaper as they can cut it out and put it on the fridge, AND REMEMBER!  Whereas radio ads are quickly forgotten, or there wasn't enough time to jot down the information from a radio ad.  We are just branching out into website advertising, and although we love our friends at the newspaper, I try to offer all of OUR services first.

 

It is always discouraging to me to travel to other communities and see the disdain between the newspaper and the radio station.  You can be a resource for each other, and even increase sales for both when you work together and convince a client to use both mediums or as many mediums as possible for the best results.

Excellent discussion thus far.... From where I sit, it is absolutley imperative that you recommend other media if the budget allows.  As some have said, we are not the ONLY media out there today.  So, recommending any number of other media types is appropriate, depending on budget, time line, offer and "Expectation Level"  If you have print media in your market, i would suggest you create a strong working relationsip with them as they need YOU as well to super-serve their clients.  The ultimate goal of ANY account executive is to become a "Sustaining Resource" for your client.   I once had a co-worker who used to say the ultimate compliment is to be invited to a clients "Staff Christmas Party" because they are seen as a member of the clients team!

Absolutely agree - well said

A good web page is an absolute necessity in most cases.

Otherwise, it depends on their budget.  If you only have enough money for one can of beer, you DON’T divide that beer into four or five glasses and add water.  All you get is ... crap!  Advertising is the same.  If they only have enough money to do one media well, then that media should be radio.  Period. 

However, if they are doing a good job of covering the two stations I represent (annual schedule 20 to 30 commercials per week), and if they have money left to do something else, then yes.

If they have a message that can be condensed to a phrase or at the most a sentence - billboards.

If they want old people, newspapers.  For any one else, newspapers are what you put under the cat box. 

Satellite has taken such a bite out of cable penetration, I never recommend it.

Network TV – Everybody loves TV, but the network stations are an hour away.  Only useful if the business needs a large reach.

Direct mail - only if they have a motivating offer and a list that is specifically interested in their product.  To me, it's just mailing wastepaper.

E-mail blasts – same as direct mail.  Otherwise, it’s cyber wastepaper.

Facebook – there’s a real art to doing it well.  It would depend on the client and the amount of time they have or are willing to make to do it right.

What, (in your honest, professional opinion) is best for the client? That can be the only answer to this question. If you've been doing this long enough to really know what works - and not recommend print or cable because they're competitors that's just plain wrong.

 

(How many times have you found salespeople selling you something - cars, a roof, appliances, insurance) only to learn they didn't give us the best deal - they sold you the item with the highest commission for them. You'd accuse them of fraud, right? Lawsuits have occurred from these practices.)

 

Someone remarked that newspapers don't work. Oh, please. I'm working for a client who's using radio, print, cable and Facebook - with blow-down-the-doors results. Every one of those media is doing a specific job. There's a different offer in each one. 

 

If you believe a client can profit from another medium and don't share that information - that makes you, not only a non-resource, but, in reality, an enemy of the business.

Theirs and ours. 

When working on an advertising campaign for a client, I always try and get a budget from the client and then I don't use it all for myself, I leave some and usually say that they may need some of their budget for other media, e.g. newspapers.  I don't want my clients to think I am out to get all their advertising budget.  I never speak badly of our local newspaper to clients either, although I know they take great pleasure in speaking badly about us!!!!  Very professional - not!!!    So, yes in an indirect way I recommend other media to supplement their radio schedule.

 

Our staff believes that a media mix is :30's and :60's.

They sell radio as a primary advertising medium.

Time for time, dollar for dollar radio can be as effective as any form of advertising.

Rather than "spray and pray" we teach clients to focus on a small number of places to advertise and be important where to do.

Radio advertising salespeople are not qualified to recommend other media.  They know radio and are capable of recommending what they know.

By recommending short term impact schedules (l20 :30's in five days) and long term consistent schedules (four-ad-a-day annuals) radio can become a primary advertising medium for clients. 

 

If you are client focused, you will recommend what you feel truly meets the clients needs and has a measurable ROI.

If you are product focused, you will restrict your recommendations to products you sell that earn you a commission.

Client focused salespeople establish and maintain strong relationships through trust and rapport.  They tend to renew advertising contracts, up sell well and get referral business.  Product focused salespeople can achieve a certain amount sales success, however, they tend to require many clients to establish volume because of attrition and high turnover.

I know which one makes you more money and gives you a better feeling about what you do for a living....

 

For business and marketing insight, follow me on Twitter @radiosalesguy

You took the words out of my mouth! 

 

@Greg White: Our market area is the same - we have big competition between newspapers and a couple of radio stations. But never in my short career I said something bad about them, though I hear a lot for me. To my important and close clients I always recommend other media and campaign suggestions. This makes them believe me more and not think that I am there just to cash them up, if you know what I mean.