(By Charese Frugé) Linley Grande is Vice President/Political Strategies Manager of Gen Media Partners through Radio/Digital/OTT/DOOH sales. She works with and advises some of the largest advertising agencies and major political consultancy shops in the US.
She works on behalf of independently owned broadcasters and has added millions of national dollars to the bottom lines of more than 6,000 radio stations all over the country.
Grande started her political advertising career right out of college. “I was hired into the business in October of 1994 during the heat of battle having no idea what I was getting myself into or what was even going on,” she says. “My new co-workers were frantically throwing tasks at me, and I was just doing what I was told, trying to keep up. ‘Confirm these orders!’ ‘Stuff these checks in these envelopes!’ ‘Go pick up the reel to reels from production!’ (Yes, I said reel to reels!) They looked so haggard, the poor things, I felt so bad for them, and I wanted to help in any way I could. By the time the general election rolled around, I’d been a part of the team for a little over 3 weeks and I’d somehow looked as beat up as they did. The intensity and fast pace of political business was unbelievable, and I was pretty much hooked from there.”
“Political years are money-grab times for our industry,” says Grande. “Funneling as much money to our Radio stations, helping our political shops spend their dollars efficiently, knowing we’re all in the trenches, getting it all done together, is super fun. If we all remember that we’re on the same team, and have a common goal to get to the election alive with our integrity and sanity intact, it’s a win.”
One of the biggest challenges for political advertising was COVID according to Grande. She says they are still recuperating. “I’ve always been on the rep side of Radio. Over a 30-year career, I’ve worked with over 6000 Radio stations across 50 states, many of whom are in small/medium size markets. COVID was tough on everyone, but from a business standpoint, in some respects, we’re still scratching our way back from it. Helping stations navigate through rate negotiations on national ad budgets can be a challenge especially when budgets are down, and buyers are under pressure to fit a square peg in a round hole. Finding a compromise to make both happy can be fierce, and a hard-won battle.”
“Another recent challenge brought on by this year’s election was President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the race for re-election. It changed the dynamics of the political landscape in a big way, obviously. Until then, at least the view from where I sit, spending seemed to be stagnated, on both sides. Once the president made the announcement, it changed the game and overnight the 24-hour news channels had more to focus on than just Biden’s age. With record-breaking fundraising efforts, we’re already starting to see more dollars invested in media, and with that, competitive spending follows and so on until the general election. All data and research show that Radio is incredibly viable and reaches voters of all demographics. Local Radio is vital to the communities they serve. I believe that the true battleground is in rural markets and what better way to reach it than Radio.”
I had to ask Grande if there are times she struggles with ideas, campaigns, or candidates she doesn’t agree with or support. “It can be difficult at times depending on your political persuasion and which way the pendulum is swinging in any given election, she says. “I’ve always worked on the rep side, which by design is agnostic. It’s always important to remind ourselves that we are in media sales, not politics.”
What about Ethics, how much of a role does it play in what you do? “For me, it’s the bedrock,” says Grande. “In any industry, as a professional, your reputation means everything. Ethics involves being transparent and honest with a very heavy dose of accountability. My agencies and stations know they will always get the truth from me, good, bad, or ugly.”
Having done this since fresh out of college, how has your outlook on the industry changed over the years? “A lot can change over a 30-year period, all industries undergo significant transformations,” says Grande. “Broadcasting certainly has needed to stay current with emerging technology to adapt to the times. In other words, we’ve evolved to be more overall marketing consultants, not only recommending Radio but also becoming versed in digital and social media platforms to help our customers and clients. While technology continues to move forward though, and transactions are more automated, XML for avails, Nielsen ratings, electronic invoicing, and reconciliation, it’s still very much a people business.”
These days it’s impossible to even show support for some of your favorite heroes or public figures without it becoming a political issue. How do you navigate that as a political consultant? “I assume when you say ‘show’ you mean social media? I started to take a different approach to social media over the past few years by not sharing my political views or posting provoking content. Because of the nature of my business, and the agnostic position of our company in the political advertising space, I felt that my political views should remain private. If I share that I like Taylor Swift, for example, I have no control over why or how anyone might read into that. We only have control over our own thoughts and behaviors.”
Grande has good advice for Women who want to get into the political side of advertising. “Find a mentor, someone with whom you can trust to give advice, counsel, coaching, share wisdom and skills. I was incredibly lucky, in the infancy of my career, to have a strong, dynamic female manager who took me under her wing. She not only was my mentor but has been a close friend and confidant for 30 years. Then become a mentor for someone else – lift as you climb.”
What keeps Grande up at night? “Menopause. My algorithm is flooded with menopause products to help me fall asleep and stay asleep.” She’s working on finding balance though. “How to find it? That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? I must prioritize some self-care which includes weight training to blow off a lot of stress, and massage to exorcise the demons from my shoulders and neck. Thankfully, I’ve got a great husband and son who understand the demands of my job during the political cycles. They help a lot.”
As for what’s ahead for Grande? “If 2024 is anything like 2020 and 2022, I’m going to say that I’ve got a lot of 16-hour days in my immediate future. There are days when my husband throws food at me a few times a day when I don’t have a moment to even get up to stretch my legs. I’m also looking forward to getting on the road, after the election, to visit my political people to celebrate another political season in the books. However it pans out, it will be a historic one.”
Charese Frugé is an award-winning Content, Broadcast, and Marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, San Diego, and Las Vegas. As the owner of MC Media, she works with radio brands and individual talents, especially young women, helping them grow their brands and negotiate on their own behalf. Find her at @MCMediaOnline. See more Women to Watch here.
