This is a time to work together and put competition aside. Thoughts from Jeana Adkinson, an Account Manager for Portland based Alpha Media. She shared some of her team’s ideas with Radio Ink in hopes of starting a dialogue on how to market radio during these challenging times.
Radio Ink: How do you convince clients that they do need to continue to advertise during these tough times?
Adkinson: Be proactive, and rework copy for clients that fit the current situation. Come up with ideas that are sensitive to what’s going on.
It’s not the time to convince anyone, we just need to offer solutions to their needs. Everyone is going through a different kind of hurt right now. Laying people off they have built businesses with, having to figure out how they can keep the doors open to take care of their own families. The calls I find myself making are more about “How can we help you.”
I check in with my clients every few days. Whether it’s a text of something that might make them laugh even for a minute or just something as simple as sending a picture of me and my dog working on ideas for them. The personal connection is more important than ever.
Be A Friend – more than anything right now! How can we help you?
Radio Ink: Where should marketing professionals be looking to be more creative for clients?
Adkinson: Content is always king! It’s not a time to make light of what’s going on in clients’ marketing, but how can we educate and stay connected at the same time? Sure somethings might come across as “funny” but laughter can be a good thing too. You know your demo and brands, so do what’s best for them.
Reach out to your PD’s, on-air personalities for ideas. If your team is like ours, they want to help! We all want to be here doing what we love when this is over, so what we do today will only help us all tomorrow.
Some ideas for sellers to think about:
- Does your client offer financing? Super important right now for everyone.
- Is their company considered “essential”? Each state seems to be different. Check yours out.
- Do they offer delivery or curbside pick up?
- What precautions is your company taking that we can tell others about?
- Is one of your clients, doing a good thing? blood drives, donating food, etc., PSA type of things.
Radio Ink: How can PSA type of programming work?
Adkinson: Reach out to your on-air personalities and request videos to send to a couple clients. We offered an idea like, “Distance UP with 7UP”, and the videos started coming in.
Right now we are “public broadcasting”, we are not a 9a-5p, M-F kind of business. Our team knows that. I am very fortunate to work with such an amazing team. We text, video chat with ideas, quick calls; we’ve been doing it all. Day, night, weekends; all to serve the clients and community we live in.
Radio Ink: What are you hearing from clients these days?
Adkinson: I hear the sadness in their voices. We are all trying to stay positive, but it is a sad time too. I try and call when I am in a better place. After reviewing something inspirational and then trying to share that. What I am doing more than anything else is listening. Sometimes our clients just need someone else to listen to them. They know I don’t have motives other than being a true friend and marketing partner. I always ask, how are you doing and how can we help? Have a couple ideas ready. Helping them feels really good.
