The latest edition of MediaVillage’s Myers Report, which has studied advertising and media sales trends for more than four decades, found 2023’s top “weak spots” for sellers, and radio sellers could get the upper hand by knowing how to sell one of the biggest blind spots.
The report, based on feedback from 4,200 industry professionals, studied 26 media channels and found that sonic branding was the second-largest weak area that sellers still don’t understand. The vast majority of sellers say they would need CliffsNotes on the subject, with very few saying they even have basic knowledge on sonic branding.
From sung jingles and memorable music beds to branded sounds like the Netflix “Ta-Dum,” sonic branding remains one of the most memorable ways to embed a brand into the audiences’ brains, and should be a natural selling point for radio.
To that end, salespeople surveyed felt far more comfortable with radio/audio in general, with the category finishing as the ninth most understood. Podcasts fared even better at fourth.
Other findings of The Myers Report from 2023 include how successful organizations are those adept at combining data-driven efficiency with creative, relationship-focused tactics. The study also dug deeper into the growing dominance of programmatic and automated media buys. These methods now account for an estimated 65% of all national media transactions.
The report highlights a knowledge gap in media. With the average tenure of agency employees being less than eight years, there’s a lack of deep industry experience and knowledge but a stronger orientation towards digital media. A significant number of these professionals lack fundamental understanding of industry concepts, despite holding decision-making authority, making it more difficult for legacy media like OTA radio.
With the future of media sales demanding a blend of transactional capabilities and in-depth knowledge, The Myers Report reveals there’s still plenty of opportunity for radio sellers to learn niche facets and bring more value to clients from AM/FM’s strengths.
