P&G’s John Fix Tells RMSS What Analysts Need Most From Radio

On Wednesday, P&G Senior Media Analyst and “Radio Guy” John Fix reunited with former Managing Director of Nielsen Audio John Kelly on stage at the Radio Masters Sales Summit to discuss various challenges and opportunities facing radio from an advertiser’s perspective.

As a driving force behind P&G’s standing as the number one advertiser in radio, Fix and Kelley immediately jumped into deep waters on whether Fix’s “radio experiment” can be fully considered a success after five great years. His answer? No.

Fix said the medium has proven successful in various aspects, but he still considers it an ongoing experiment. Fix places high importance on collecting information for brands, emphasizing that having the right data at the right time can be a game-changer.

Fix stressed that one of the key aspects of his personal development is information collection and providing value in communications is crucial. If you’re sending him an email and it doesn’t contain an attachment that adds value to the conversation, then you’ve likely lost his attention.

One of Fix’s most striking comments was that radio is too insular. He feels that the industry spends too much time talking to itself and not enough considering how it fits into broader conversations. “Radio doesn’t play well with others,” he noted. To improve, radio needs to understand how it complements other forms of media and conversations.

Fix mentioned that he often struggles to determine if a radio advertising campaign is successful. Unlike other media channels that offer an extraordinary amount of data, radio seems to lag. This leaves advertisers like Fix “flying blind,” uncertain of whether their approach is working. Fix also pointed out that the radio industry rarely provides negative feedback. He wishes the first year of the experiment would have covered “why radio,” “how to do it better,” and “how to know if it’s working” all at once.

He concluded by highlighting the importance of asking thought-provoking questions and following them up with actionable information and decisions. Understanding the journey a brand is on can help tailor how niche broadcasting fits into the broader marketing strategy.