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.
Continue reading “Radio Highlights to Kick Off 2024”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.
Continue reading “Radio Works to Drive Business Forward”Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB
The phrase “Think globally, act locally” was popularized by the environmental conservation movement in the 1970s, but it holds relevancy today for marketers looking to drive brand growth. Regardless of the size and scope of a brand, the ultimate point of purchase and consumption is often within a local community.
In a recent CMO Council report based on a survey of more than 140 marketing leaders in B2C and B2B brands, a third of respondents say 40 percent or more of their company’s revenue comes from local business partners. Yet, the report says, less than 30 percent of small businesses have fully recovered from the pandemic. The report underscores national brands’ responsibility to drive local demand to grow revenue and aid the performance of local partners.
Supporting local economies and resonating with people in local communities (i.e., keeping them informed, entertained, and connected) is a fitting definition for radio. As CMOs face pressure to reach profitable goals and are often expected to do more with less, radio can help brands drive local demand and sustainable growth in neighborhoods coast to coast.
Eighty-nine percent of radio listeners believe that one of radio’s primary advantages is its local feel, and appreciation for local content among listeners is on the rise, up 33 percent over the past five years, according to the 2023 Jacobs Media Techsurvey. Couple that with Horizon Media’s finding that 72 percent of adults appreciate brands that try to get to know their local culture and community and using radio becomes an obvious path for brand marketers to drive local engagement and action.
According to a recent Katz Radio Group survey, localizing radio messaging leads to increased attention and impact among listeners. The study tested generic and localized versions of audio advertising for a retailer, insurance brand, and healthcare provider in different geographical areas. The study found that while every ad improved purchase intent, ads that incorporated local elements averaged a 24 percent lift in effectiveness.
The same is true for contextual messaging. When there is synergy between an audio ad and the content, the better the outcome up and down the purchase funnel. Reaching people at the exact right moment and place with relevance and with local nuances can move KPIs.
Arguably, part of the effectiveness of local radio can be attributed to the bond shared between radio’s local on-air influencers and their listeners. “Imagine picking up the phone and calling a friend and chatting twice a month for a few years,” Damon Amendolara, host of The DA Show for CBS Sports Radio, told Barrett Sports Media in a recent interview. “With how much we text today and how infrequent we all actually call one another, a caller to a radio show may actually have a closer bond to you than some of your friends or family. Hearing that person’s voice regularly creates a deep connection.” Brands can leverage these connections in authentic ways for more effective campaigns.
Community engagement and experiential marketing can build strong connections and foster a positive brand image. Arguably, radio pioneered experiential marketing to mass audiences through live, in-market events that provide entertainment and information to local communities. And now that live, in-person events are back following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, brands can leverage the immersive experience of radio-hosted events such as music festivals, fundraisers, and block parties to build relationships, boost demand for local products and services, and, ultimately, drive growth for their local business partners.
Indeed, when brands make the most of what radio offers, the results can exceed expectations. In 2022, Nissan, in collaboration with iHeartMedia, the Black Effect Podcast Network, and popular on-air host and podcaster Charlamagne Tha God, developed a campaign to invite students from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to sign up for a groundbreaking mentorship event focused on professions in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). The vast majority of HBCU scholars who participated in The Black Effect Podcast Network’s Thrill of Possibility Summit indicated the event met or exceeded their expectations and provided an unforgettable learning experience.
Lanae Jackson, senior manager of multicultural marketing strategy at Nissan, speaking at the 2023 ANA Advancements in Measurement Conference, said the campaign “performed better than they ever could have imagined.” The combination of efforts to promote the Nissan-sponsored event leveraged iHeartMedia and Charlamagne Tha God’s platforms, including broadcast radio, digital and social media, and podcasts, to not only drive massive lift for the auto brand, which saw a 73 percent increase in upper funnel metrics, including unaided awareness, but also worked to solidify the brand’s commitment to increase Black representation in STEAM-related careers.
The concept of thinking globally and acting locally brings together a brands’ global aspiration with relatable local value.
As consumers continue to seek out local businesses and prefer brands that understand the nuances of their community, brands that drive resonance within these communities and at national scale through the power of their local and national radio partners will undoubtedly achieve sustainable growth.
Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB
The marketing industry has long leaned into results-driven marketing efforts that square up against specific goals, audiences, and strategies. Today, due in part to the current financial climate, seemingly all marketing is performance marketing, with metrics defined by cost per audiences reached, served, and, ultimately, converted.
Continue reading “How Radio Builds Effectiveness for RMN Campaigns”Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
The holiday haze has finally lifted, and routines are back in full swing. Some folks are talking about a “dry” January or working on those resolutions they made. January is a month when people regroup and reset for the year ahead.
Continue reading “Get Ready for 2023”Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
Shopping habits have changed. Consumer expectations of the brands they purchase and where they purchase them have shifted dramatically. These changes will continue to impact retailers everywhere from Main Street to Broadway. Retailers of all sizes are constantly trying to navigate these changes, so it is important to understand the values of today’s shoppers.
Continue reading “Radio’s Role in the Valued Business of Retail”Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB
Consumers have strong expectations that the brands they choose both support and align with the values that are important to them. Recognizing what drives consumers, brands are laser-focused on living their mission, principles, and ethics. As such, brands market their products and services grounded in that mission and the shared values and beliefs between the brand and its target customers.
Giving back to community, lending resources of support, promoting social consciousness, doing what is good for the environment, and inspiring change are just a few examples of shared values in action. Brand messaging articulates both why the brand’s mission matters and to bring communities of people together to advance the values it supports while creating long-lasting relationships and loyalty.
In a recent RAB live online presentation to its members, Karriem Edwards, vice president of development for the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County, referenced Michael Porter, a well-known strategist and professor at Harvard University. Mr. Porter spoke about shared value strategies and how businesses must make local community a part of their business strategy to succeed.
Karriem pointed to his organization’s partnership with the Cox Radio Group in Miami, where community is central to its business strategy. This benefits the organization beyond measure. This is true for radio stations across the country. Community and shared values are local radio’s DNA.
Community, trust, reach, personal, uplifting, authentic, local, enjoyable, essential, lifesaving, relaxing, engaging, regulated, actionable– these are the attributes that brand marketers should find when identifying the environment to share their stories, their mission, and their values.
Nonprofit organizations understand this, which is why their reliance on local radio partnerships is prioritized and delivers strong results, according to Tim Delaney, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits. For-profit brands that follow the lead of mission-centric organizations will be rewarded with loyal consumers and business growth.
The data and insights that marketers are leveraging to speak directly to their target consumers makes the job so much easier to craft the story that will resonate. However, using programmatic and digital platforms as the primary mechanism to deliver a one-to-one message, may risk dehumanizing the connection that consumers want and expect from brands. It may also exclude potential consumers – future brand ambassadors.
The importance of the environment in which the story is told cannot be underestimated. The context of a message will change depending on where, when and the way a consumer processes it – is it a trusted environment? Is it a believable environment? Is it a local environment? What is surrounding the message? Is the consumer in the right frame of mind? Are there enough consumers there? The answers to these questions must be yes to advance the marketer’s cause and to achieve desired outcomes.
The company you keep matters when planning to disseminate the brand’s mission, purpose and product attributes that make lives better. Radio across platforms checks all the boxes as the right environment and platform to share brand stories.
Radio shares values with the communities that it serves and the listeners that spend an average of 11 hours with them each week. The company it keeps speaks volumes for a brand. It associates the brand with a similar attitude, character, ability and personality. To truly deliver on its mission, embrace audiences through an alignment of values; brands can be part of radio’s circle of trust.
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
“Just one minute.” How often do you hear or say that phrase in a day? While it may not seem like a long time, a lot happens in a minute. For example, UPS will deliver 11,319 packages, your heart will beat 60 to 100 times and you will blink about 15 to 20 times. Those may be interesting stats, but what is fascinating is the amount of data that is generated in one minute.
Continue reading “Radio Connects for More than a Minute”Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB
One of the hottest trends in advertising is “screen-free media,” as people liberate their eyeballs and engage their ears with a potpourri of audio programming. However, for marketers to capitalize on the audio renaissance, they must develop an audio strategy that goes beyond ad buying and adopts a distinctive voice and sound for their brands, according to the Carat Trends 2021 report, titled “The Year of Emotionally Intelligent Marketing.”
The diversification of audio platforms and the attention audio commands among consumers has opened up tremendous opportunity for brands to expand their audio strategies and grow their audiences.
Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB
The challenges that the marketing, advertising and media community faced throughout 2020 and the first half of 2021 have been like nothing any business has ever seen or experienced before. These challenges brought opportunity and have demonstrated a collective resilience in nearly every sector of business.
The next frontier for radio has been shaped by many of the lessons learned as consumers, businesses and brands have leaned in to audio across all platforms as the soundtrack to their daily journey.
What is new is old. What is old is new. Radio trends born from past truths.
Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB
Forecasts reveal that digital is driving the advertising rebound in 2021 and, according to Tony Hereau, VP of cross platform insights at Nielsen, “Radio is the soundtrack of America’s recovery.”
Radio, across all of its digital platforms, has and continues to experience exponential growth, earning significant share of media consumption throughout 2020 and the post-pandemic. While over the air AM/FM radio accounts for 76 percent of the daily audio time spent with any ad-supported platform, understanding consumer behavior as they move across platforms and what motivates listeners is critically important for marketers who are poised to succeed in the rebound.
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
After a tumultuous year, consumer confidence and optimism are slowly on the rise. According to the Consumer Confidence Index®, these improved in February after an increase in January. While confidence is increasing, what about the issue of trust?
Author: Madison Wright, Events and Communications Coordinator, RAB
You may be looking at this title and are thinking “Gen Z doesn’t listen to the radio; social media is where you reach them.” Did you know that radio reaches nearly 44,000,000 Gen Zers every week, according to Edison Research? While this group makes up around 20% of the U.S. population, per Statista, there is no denying the listening power of Gen Z.
Continue reading “Gen Z is Tuning into Radio – Social
Media Platforms are Taking Notice”
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is here. It has been a very unusual year for everyone, and the pandemic has prompted many of us to stop and appreciate some of the things that we may have taken for granted in the past.
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
Without a doubt, 2020 has been a most unusual year, and the need for good tidings and holiday cheer have never been apparent than now. Shopping this season will be a way that consumers will turn their focus from current events and concerns to celebrating the holidays and a hopeful return to the routines that they all miss.
According to the National Retail Federation’s Annual 2020 Holiday Survey, this year, consumers will spend $650 in gifts, $230 in nonholiday items, such as decorations, and $117 in other nongift purchases – each nearly flat to 2019 amounts.
Continue reading “Listeners Will Make Registers Ring This Holiday Season”
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
Engagement. Local. Heart. Soul. Creativity. Partnerships. Those were words that resonated across the various sessions and events that took place during Radio Week.
From Oct. 5 – 9, CEOs, managers, sellers, radio personalities and some the brightest creative directors participated in two of radio’s biggest events – Radio Show and the Radio Mercury Awards.
Contributor: Todd Kalman, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketron
There really is no better medium than radio for connecting advertisers to the target consumers they seek. Across the U.S., you’ll find radio stations that have been fixtures in their communities for many, many decades, with a long and proven track record of highly successful results for their advertisers. The COVID-19 pandemic has only strengthened listeners’ connections to their favorite stations. In fact, studies show that people are tuning in more in their cars and homes and streaming more via their devices. In uncertain times like these, radio is a lifeline to information and a morale booster for people who are cut off from their usual social outlets.
Continue reading “The Power of Integrating Radio and Digital Advertising”
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
Radio. According to Merriam-Webster, radio is “the wireless transmission and reception of electric impulses or signals by means of electromagnetic waves.” At the Radio Advertising Bureau, these are just some of the words we use to define and describe radio: mass, personal, engaging, live, local, interactive, informative, entertaining. And yes, there are many more that can be used as we celebrate radio.
Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB
Radio has long been known as a deeply personal, trusted and supportive partner for consumers, communities, and companies of all stripes. Fostering unity is part of the DNA of the more than 15,000 radio stations across the country. It is the spirit of radio.
Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB
Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “be the change that you wish to see in the world.” This simple, yet meaningful advice is perhaps more relevant and inspiring today than when it was first spoken.
There has been a marketing shift brewing over the past several months that has been ignited and fast-tracked by the current climate. We are seeing brands across all categories expressing their humanity, supporting consumers, contributing and leading social justice causes and using the power of their voice to publicly express their values and lead by example to inspire and activate change.
