Today’s Radio: Untapped Potential with an Affordable Budget.
When it comes to advertising, terrestrial radio gets little respect. Some in the media industry have even gone so far as to call radio the poor man’s TV. However, before TV takes a victory lap, it may want to read Anthony Crupi’s AdAge article Where Did Everybody Go? TV Premiere Week Ratings Sag As Young Viewers Vamoose. According to Crupi, TV audiences are falling in general, and younger audiences in particular are leaving traditional TV even faster than expected.
While radio has taken its own licks over the years as it navigated the influx of satellite and streaming radio options, the media channel has proven to be incredibly resilient. Part of this resilience can be attributed to radio’s ability to offer advertisers highly targeted and dedicated listeners – at a very efficient price. For example, our research has found that a 60 second radio commercial can easily outperform a 30 second TV spot on persuasion and main message communication metrics – at a fraction of the price.
Additional benefits of radio are its ability to deliver speed and unfettered creativity. For instance, unlike TV, radio advertising can be on air in a fraction of the time it takes for a television ad; plus, creative changes can be made to a live ad virtually on the fly. From a creative standpoint, with radio, advertisers are free to expand consumer’s minds and emotions with rich imagery and enticing sounds like a can of cold beer being opened on a summer evening. The ability to successfully tap into these human elements leads to far greater persuasion and consumer engagement.
It’s worth noting that radio also provides a great platform for floating campaign trial balloons. For example, should a car insurance company develop a new campaign based upon humor, shock, or a lizard? Conducting a test run on radio provides useful creative insight prior to significant TV campaign investment. Speaking of campaigns, radio spots are also a proven tool for extending campaign awareness until the next TV flight.
Radio is not only poised for continued success today but technology is also ensuring radio’s role in tomorrow’s communications mix. Advancements like CODI, a global audience communication platform, are turning audio content into passively delivered targeted digital messages and content, special offers, exclusive invitations, and a direct link for one-click purchases. To learn more, please contact me at lee.weinblatt@pretesting.com.
