(By Marc Greenspan) Most of you reading this column have probably been in the radio industry for a long time. We all know that radio is a Reach and Frequency medium. When was the last time you truly talked, even bragged, about radio’s strength in REACHING target consumers? Do you shy away from the advertiser who says “I don’t buy radio” or “I tried it once and it didn’t work”? You know plenty of these types of advertisers. How do we cut through to get their attention and appointment?
As a mass medium, radio is all about Reach. It’s your cume audience – how many people listen to your station? To the advertiser, Reach demonstrates the number of different people that will be exposed to their advertising. Be sure to show a sample ad schedule and include Net Reach.
Before you run a sample schedule, profile the target consumer with qualitative information to determine the best demographic and other primary characteristics. Include this information in your presentation and proposal. You will want to provide the sample schedule based on the primary demo of the target consumer.
What do you do if you want to show a higher Reach? Answer: look for low duplication. Since Net Reach is unduplicated audience, you will want to select dayparts where your station has low duplication, meaning there is NOT a high percentage that listens to more than one daypart. If you are pitching several stations in your cluster, then you will want to select the stations that have the lowest duplication.
Reach is also a great way to debunk the myth that nobody listens to radio anymore. By highlighting your cume audience or showing the Net Reach or % Reach of your schedule, you are proving that radio (and your station) continue to be a vital medium in delivering an advertising message. I’m often surprised at the perception that more people listen to platforms such as Spotify or Pandora than AM/FM radio. That is rarely the case.
It’s time to reignite your passion for radio’s mass appeal! Show advertisers your Reach and how you are a great fit to deliver their target consumer!
This column is part of a series titled “Growing the Radio Pie.” To view past articles, visit The Ratings Experts at Research Director, Inc. online here.
Marc Greenspan is the CEO and founding partner of Research Director, Inc. He can be reached at 410-295-6619 x11 or by email at [email protected]. Research Director, Inc. offers consulting services to media companies to help them grow their audience, ratings, and revenue. Read Marc’s Radio Ink archives here.
