So I'm thinking its summer and kind of slow. But its not an excuse to slack off with ones business and marketing efforts. In fact this is the opportune time to review, revise or even produce your marketing plan. Most business owners that I speak with about radio advertising are generally taking on more tasks that humanly possible. That's because they're business owners, jack of all trades and in effect hands on with almost every aspect of their business.
So I'm sending this post out to all of those business owners (you know who you are) who often say to me, they have no time to work on their marketing plans - use at least 2 to 4 hrs during these lazy summer days to work on your plan. You'll feel and be extremely productive. Go to the beach and work on it - how fun it that. Marketing and strategizing in the sun!
Also if you are considering using radio as part of your marketing plan, asking for rates & proposals during the summer months are great ways of obtaining lower rates. Your chances of solidifying a lower rate throughout the year are much higher during summer months, when business is relatively slower, managers are on vacation:) and more importantly inventory demand is lower. If you book for the long term, there's a greater chance you'll be able to lock in a lower rate for the entire year, which means a lot during busier times of year ie: back to school, the holidays and the Olympics.
So like the weather, commercials on air spot rates are hot right now! Its an opportune time to plan for the entire year at a lower rate.
Please email or call me with any questions.
Later skater.....
Tdawg
Vancouver Radio Advertising
Monday, July 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Promotional Opportunity
One of the reasons why radio advertising has proven to be so effective for advertisers is due in part to creative and fun promotions! Last year around this time, 96.9 Jack FM aired the coolest promotion entitled "Jack's Got Talent" Jack's Talent Explosion- super fun!! Jack FM asked listeners to come into the station and perform their talent on air. Listeners came from all over to participate everyday for 2 weeks straight. Check it out on you tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzx6gHlXmLU (this one is sooooo funny!!)
So how did this benefit an advertiser? Well, Vancouver Film School sponsored the entire promotion. What a perfect fit!!!
VFS had the objective to create top of mind awareness during a time when registrants would typically sign up for enrollement. A creative promotion for a creative school. This was a morning show promotion, so Larry & Willy talked up VFS and gave them tons of on air props and love!
The contest wrapped with a grand finale at the Red Robinson Show Theatre where the winner of the contest was announced. They won a scholarship to VFS - again very cool!
This promotion also won a coveted radio national award to boot!
So the point of this post is to provide an example of effective radio advertising can be more than just 30 sec commercials. Radio advertising campaigns can be a comprehensive strategy including commercials, on line advertising, and creative promotional contest giveaways!
All it takes is a conversation with a radio sales professional aka moi!, and creative brainstorming. So get your umbrellas out coz its time for some brain storming!!!
So how did this benefit an advertiser? Well, Vancouver Film School sponsored the entire promotion. What a perfect fit!!!
VFS had the objective to create top of mind awareness during a time when registrants would typically sign up for enrollement. A creative promotion for a creative school. This was a morning show promotion, so Larry & Willy talked up VFS and gave them tons of on air props and love!
The contest wrapped with a grand finale at the Red Robinson Show Theatre where the winner of the contest was announced. They won a scholarship to VFS - again very cool!
This promotion also won a coveted radio national award to boot!
So the point of this post is to provide an example of effective radio advertising can be more than just 30 sec commercials. Radio advertising campaigns can be a comprehensive strategy including commercials, on line advertising, and creative promotional contest giveaways!
All it takes is a conversation with a radio sales professional aka moi!, and creative brainstorming. So get your umbrellas out coz its time for some brain storming!!!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Radio Advertising Success Story
The featured client this month is the local office of Coldwell Banker Realty - in Honolulu, Hawaii. It's quite a story.
The first conversation, the client said these exact words - "Right now the real estate market on Oahu is dead. So how do I continue to market our company? Basically I have two choices - either I do the same thing I did last year, only less of it because the budget will be smaller, or I take this opportunity to find some new markets, break out of the box, do something different."
They decided to take the $350,000 budget that went to print media last year, and put it all into radio. The six local ClearChannel stations got the whole budget.
I'm enclosing the full vocal version, as well as a sample commercial to show how they use it in the market.
The campaign has been running for about four weeks and the client is already getting very positive feedback from the street. And the radio station is thrilled. ClearChannel Sales Manger Patti Milburn wrote to say "The jingles are fantastic! Nailed it....another win knocked out of the park!"
Local real estate offices hold great potential for radio marketing - we all know it's the most visual medium, right?
The first conversation, the client said these exact words - "Right now the real estate market on Oahu is dead. So how do I continue to market our company? Basically I have two choices - either I do the same thing I did last year, only less of it because the budget will be smaller, or I take this opportunity to find some new markets, break out of the box, do something different."
They decided to take the $350,000 budget that went to print media last year, and put it all into radio. The six local ClearChannel stations got the whole budget.
I'm enclosing the full vocal version, as well as a sample commercial to show how they use it in the market.
The campaign has been running for about four weeks and the client is already getting very positive feedback from the street. And the radio station is thrilled. ClearChannel Sales Manger Patti Milburn wrote to say "The jingles are fantastic! Nailed it....another win knocked out of the park!"
Local real estate offices hold great potential for radio marketing - we all know it's the most visual medium, right?
Monday, April 13, 2009
Radio & Social Media
So about a week ago I went to this very interesting panel discussion on the opportunities of utilizing social media (facebook, twitter, Linked In) for business use. At risk of leaving because I felt disheartened that two of the panelists kept bashing traditional media ie: radio, T.V., print, I decided to stick with it and be open minded. In fact I'm kind of used to the constant put downs that traditional media receives. For instance ever since I started in the game (aka advertising sales, I like to talk like I'm from the hood once and awhile) I was told satellite radio will be the death of traditional radio. But does anyone really remember Xfm or Sirus? They merged together in order to continue to exist in the market place, but currently their national subscription rate is lower than the cumulative audience of a Canmore Alberta radio station.
So back to social media. I see a complete complement between radio's branding effectiveness and social media to provide feedback and interaction with an advertiser's creative message. For example, one of the panelists was describing the fall out that occurred on Twitter when Amazon started profiling its search results with seemingly biased, what some described as "homophobic". Avid twitter's took to their PDA's and in a beautiful democratic process boycotted the Amazon site until a reaction was put forth by their communication manager. It significantly affected their sales and their brand.
Considering a radio, print, tv, web video campaign? Try testing it out first on your facebook, My Space page to receive feedback. Your commercial could be written, produced, conceived in part by a whole community of legitimate individuals who are receptive enough to provide you with valuable feedback.
Social Media allows us to listen first, assess, then use our tools to put forth an appropriate message that speaks to your target audience.
Make sense? Does anyone else feel like their addicted to twitter?
So back to social media. I see a complete complement between radio's branding effectiveness and social media to provide feedback and interaction with an advertiser's creative message. For example, one of the panelists was describing the fall out that occurred on Twitter when Amazon started profiling its search results with seemingly biased, what some described as "homophobic". Avid twitter's took to their PDA's and in a beautiful democratic process boycotted the Amazon site until a reaction was put forth by their communication manager. It significantly affected their sales and their brand.
Considering a radio, print, tv, web video campaign? Try testing it out first on your facebook, My Space page to receive feedback. Your commercial could be written, produced, conceived in part by a whole community of legitimate individuals who are receptive enough to provide you with valuable feedback.
Social Media allows us to listen first, assess, then use our tools to put forth an appropriate message that speaks to your target audience.
Make sense? Does anyone else feel like their addicted to twitter?
Monday, March 2, 2009
Why I Love Radio....
"I think I'm in love with my radio, coz it never lets me down. And I fall in love with my stereo whenever I hear its sounds" - oh the wise lyrics of Beyonce in Radio
Radio, the oldest of the electronic media, is not held hostage to technology. That wonderful effect created by people interacting with each other via audio programming supersedes technology. Because, at heart, radio is all about people. And as long as radio remains built by individuals, for other individuals to listen to, it won't be killed by economics either.
I love music, I love community and I love to laugh. Radio brings all of these elements together. Working as a radio sales professional for the last 4 years, I totally appreciate On Air talent, ie: Larry & Willy, Kid Carson, Bro Jake, Red Robinson - its an impressive talent to do what these on air announcers do on a daily basis. I also appreciate fun, creative, but most importantly effective Promotions and on air giveaways/contests. Radio can be so creative for its advertisers and its audiences which is such a win/win! But most of all I love the music. Radio introduces us to new music while at the same time bringing us back to our past by playing the soundtrack of our lives.
Radio is like a companion, provides us good times in a familiar song, educates us with news and traffic updates, interacts with us on air and on line, engages us with editorials, annoys us at time with those pesky commercial jingles we get stuck in our head:)
A couple reasons I love radio. Anyone else have any thoughts in the matter in this multi media environment?
Radio, the oldest of the electronic media, is not held hostage to technology. That wonderful effect created by people interacting with each other via audio programming supersedes technology. Because, at heart, radio is all about people. And as long as radio remains built by individuals, for other individuals to listen to, it won't be killed by economics either.
I love music, I love community and I love to laugh. Radio brings all of these elements together. Working as a radio sales professional for the last 4 years, I totally appreciate On Air talent, ie: Larry & Willy, Kid Carson, Bro Jake, Red Robinson - its an impressive talent to do what these on air announcers do on a daily basis. I also appreciate fun, creative, but most importantly effective Promotions and on air giveaways/contests. Radio can be so creative for its advertisers and its audiences which is such a win/win! But most of all I love the music. Radio introduces us to new music while at the same time bringing us back to our past by playing the soundtrack of our lives.
Radio is like a companion, provides us good times in a familiar song, educates us with news and traffic updates, interacts with us on air and on line, engages us with editorials, annoys us at time with those pesky commercial jingles we get stuck in our head:)
A couple reasons I love radio. Anyone else have any thoughts in the matter in this multi media environment?
Friday, February 27, 2009
Considerations of Radio Advertising
When considerating advertising on the radio here are some helpful points to keep in mind;
1. Reaching the right listeners/customers. Using radio to reach your target audience is fairly easy with radio as each radio station's format is geared toward a specific age demographic, lifestyle, geographic location and in some cases gender. Today there are more radio programming formats available than everbefore and radio stations have a wealth of knowledge about their audiences. This combination makes targeting by a specific customerprofile very precise. For example: 96.9 Jack FM targets Adults 25-54. News 1130 targets A 25-54 as well but specifically owners, managers and proffessionals. fm1049 Greatest Hits targets Adults 40-64years.
2. Radio Advertising is all about the frequency/repetition of hearing your ads. The more often consumers hear your message prior to a purchase occasion, the more likely they will visit your store or choose yourproduct. That’s why reaching customers at various stages throughout their day, both during the work week and the weekend, is so important. Consumers today are time-pressed and highly mobile and radio is a welcome companion throughout the day at home, at work,in the car and at play. Radio Account Managers such as myself can help you determine how many times your ad should be played throughout the week but producing an effective schedule based your specific marketing objectives and budget.
3. The Right Creative Message Needs to be Heard. An effective radio commerical breaks through to grab the attention of the listener on a concious level. An effective radio commercial becomes implanted in the recall of the unconcious which is why we have jingles stuck in our heads. The great thing about investing in radio is that all radio stations provide the talented service of scripting, writing and producing your company's commericals. Creative departments understand what makes an effective ad and will work with you to create and produce a commercial to break through the mass of advertising inthe marketplace, and effectively engage and motivate consumers to become your customers.
1. Reaching the right listeners/customers. Using radio to reach your target audience is fairly easy with radio as each radio station's format is geared toward a specific age demographic, lifestyle, geographic location and in some cases gender. Today there are more radio programming formats available than everbefore and radio stations have a wealth of knowledge about their audiences. This combination makes targeting by a specific customerprofile very precise. For example: 96.9 Jack FM targets Adults 25-54. News 1130 targets A 25-54 as well but specifically owners, managers and proffessionals. fm1049 Greatest Hits targets Adults 40-64years.
2. Radio Advertising is all about the frequency/repetition of hearing your ads. The more often consumers hear your message prior to a purchase occasion, the more likely they will visit your store or choose yourproduct. That’s why reaching customers at various stages throughout their day, both during the work week and the weekend, is so important. Consumers today are time-pressed and highly mobile and radio is a welcome companion throughout the day at home, at work,in the car and at play. Radio Account Managers such as myself can help you determine how many times your ad should be played throughout the week but producing an effective schedule based your specific marketing objectives and budget.
3. The Right Creative Message Needs to be Heard. An effective radio commerical breaks through to grab the attention of the listener on a concious level. An effective radio commercial becomes implanted in the recall of the unconcious which is why we have jingles stuck in our heads. The great thing about investing in radio is that all radio stations provide the talented service of scripting, writing and producing your company's commericals. Creative departments understand what makes an effective ad and will work with you to create and produce a commercial to break through the mass of advertising inthe marketplace, and effectively engage and motivate consumers to become your customers.
About Me and this Blog
My name is Tara Wallace and I work as an Account Manager for Rogers Radio Vancouver. RRV consists of 96.9 Jack FM, News 1130 and fm1049 Greatest Hits. In this blog I will discuss what I think works and doesn't in this reach & frequency based medium. I have worked intimately with both clients and advertising agencies over the last 5 years which I think has given me perspective & experience on the do's and don'ts of radio advertising.The purpose is to help you get the best value out of your radio buy.If you would like to speak with me directly please feel free to reach me at 778-995-0917.
Happy Reading!
Tdawg (my radio sales name:)
Happy Reading!
Tdawg (my radio sales name:)
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