By Elliot Gluskin

February 15, 2005

The Power of Radio

My last article dealt with the power of magazines in a media plan. The marketing director had the Professor explain to the group around the conference table that magazines had certain advantages over other forms of media. However, it was explained that other forms of media had their own advantages as well. It all depends on what the company needs to accomplish with their advertising - new product intro, reinforcement of brand positioning, corporate standing in social activities, etc.

This time around, I will explain the power of radio. Yes, radio - the media type that was supposedly destined to extinction upon the introduction of television to the U.S. market way back in the 1940s and 1950s.

Whether at home, in the office, or in the car, radio reaches 94% of all consumers each week. According to the Radio Advertising Bureau advertisers spent $19.6 billion on radio advertising in 2003, the latest year available. Advertising revenue increased 83.2% since 1994 and better than three-quarters was spent in local markets. The remainder was placed on national spot and network stations.

Radio's key points of differentiation are:

  • Selective - Allows advertisers to zero in on the consumers most likely to buy their goods or services.Portable - Carries your message to busy consumers wherever they are, 24/7.

  •  Intrusive - Give advertisers the power to break through the ever-increasing media clutter.

  • Cost Efficient - You can afford to get the word out with the frequency necessary to reach and influence customers.

  •  Intimate - Helps you connect to your customers and prospects on an emotional level.

More and more research is being done by the radio industry, especially through the Radio Advertising Effectiveness Lab. Some of their latest findings points to the relationship consumers have with radio versus other media. From "Personal Relevance, Personal Connections," a study done in August 2004, consumers:

  • See television and newspapers as being designed to satisfy the masses, but radio is where they turn to get gratification of their personal wants and needs.

  • Believe that their radio programs carry ads which are appropriate for them as individuals, and listeners are therefore ready to act at an emotional level - if the advertisement is well suited for that program's context.

  • Consider radio listening to be a one-on-one and emotions-driven experience, and listeners believe that the medium and its advertising are more relevant to them (compared to television and newspapers).
Next time you're driving along listening to the radio and a commercial comes on, mentally close your eyes - don't do it for real or you'll crash the car! - and see if you can actually see what is being described. Then ask yourself if the product or message delivered hit you personally, emotionally, or with relevance. Then you might "see" the power of radio for yourself.

Next time around, we learn about outdoor advertising.

 





 

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