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Radio’s Impact: Championing Children’s Health and Building Transformative Business Partnerships

Contributor: Fleur Voruz, Senior Director/Media, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

Through purposeful partnerships, radio stations uniquely position themselves as champions by raising funds and awareness for critical needs in their local communities. These collaborations not only elevate positive listener sentiment, but they also drive employee engagement and business value for the radio station and its sponsors.

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Political Ads in 2024: Don’t Forget Your Own Backyard.

Contributor: Steve Passwaiter, President, Silver Oak Political

Last week, I provided some background into local races. I also focused on the importance of sharing insights and information about radio listeners, dispelling misperceptions about radio and tapping into the creativity that is synonymous with radio. This week it is about execution.

I think I’ve likely given you some definite clues about taking care of executing political advertisers. Armed with solid data about how adding radio to schedules helps increase the advertisers reach to voters, you’ve got a talking point to get someone’s interest. What are you doing to promote that? Radio has multiple platforms to reach listeners AND advertisers. It’s worth using some of those to make the results of this study known in your market.

The one indispensable piece of advice I can provide is the one that is used in the title of this blog: Don’t forget your backyard! Use your local influence; get out and meet the people within an hour’s drive that are going to control millions of local dollars. Get to your state’s capital and introduce yourself to the people that run the political parties at the state level. This is a group of advertisers running a massive one-day sale in November. How can you help them deliver their message to the market? Think about bundling those digital assets they can use, too. (Many are unaware that radio can do that too.)

Remember – you must play the long game in politics. That means that you don’t stop once the election is over. There will be dollars in play in 2025, and the “off” years are not so off any longer. This is a great time to expand relationships and explore new ways of helping.

I once was told by one of my old radio sales managers that the best time to sell is when nothing is happening. He was right about that. You’ll find that political agencies and political contacts will be more likely to hold a meeting with you, especially if you’ve have people that will recommend you. Sales is like politics – it is all about relationships.

As we consider the rest of 2024, pay particular attention to your properties that reach into the African American and Hispanic communities. Political parties will plan to spend not just candidate dollars but, dollars aimed at increasing voter registration and participation in both communities. Recent polling is showing a shift in voter attitudes and that likely translates to each political party having to do more work and spend more money to bring these voters to their side or keep them on their side.

There are local coordinators that are in charge of these efforts and it’s time to get to know them and see what you can do to help them to do their job. The financial rewards are obvious in the short term and the relationships you build are a bonus in the long term – with future election.

Former Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill, was credited for saying that “all politics are local.” For radio broadcasters who work hard and who are part of their communities, it’s time to change the rules of engagement. It is time for broadcast radio to reap the shares it deserves in political advertising.

Political Ads in 2024: Don’t Forget Your Own Backyard.

Contributor: Steve Passwaiter, President, Silver Oak Political

The Opportunity:

We all know it. The projections are everywhere. Political ad experts are estimating spending ranging from $10 to $16 billion during the 2024 political cycle. A sizable portion of that will end up as part of what looks to be a rematch between our current and former president. However, there will be a lot to explore for media sellers in down-ballot races this year. A quick look at some recent races gives us a clue about what has changed and what awaits us.

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Radio Highlights to Kick Off 2024

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

Here we are. Welcome to the first week of 2024! This first week is when many will start something new. Whether that “new” is exercise, reading more, taking on a new hobby or something else, it is also a good time to remember some of the things from 2023.

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Radio Works to Drive Business Forward

Tapping into radio’s loyal, attentive, and social audience yields a boost to the bottom line

Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB

The current economic environment and consumer concerns over inflation are challenging marketers and media alike to do more with less in an increasingly complicated and competitive marketplace. Add to that the ongoing threat of another health crisis, the rapid influx of advancing technology, and the multiplicity of events in 2023 and their long tail impact, one thing has remained stable, efficient, results-driven, and a trusted partner to marketers. Radio.

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Radio Works for Local and State Government Agencies

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

Political views and interests by Americans have been the topic of many news articles and stories. Yet, how Americans view their state and local governments has been favorable. According to a Pew Research survey in 2022, 66% of American adults have a favorable view of their local government, and 54% have a favorable view of their state government.

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