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Valentine's Day Radio Advertising - Think Value

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Local radio advertisers can take a cue from national chains this Valentine’s Day; consumers are looking for a bargain. Stuart Elliott, in the New York Times says we’ve turned into savers rather than spenders, especially coming off Christmas. So what does that say about your Valentine’s Day offerings. If you’re a spa, or service oriented business, you’d better design a promotion that gives your customers more. When you’re competing against retail giants like Target’s “weekly wow” candies, or Martha Stewarts discounts on flowers, you’ve got to present a better value. Check out the article “Cheap Sentiments Apply This Valentine’s Day”. What can you do differently this year. Send us your ideas.

3-Feb-10 10:00 AM

Radio Advertising: Is Your Product or Service the “Real” Deal, Be Careful What You Say

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:00:00 GMT

One of Coke’s jingles sang, “It’s the real thing”, Canada Dry ginger ale is made with “real” ginger. Not a big deal, yeah it is, according to how our current administration sees things. According to the article “Can Marketers Back Up Real Claims", appearing in Advertising Age, written by Emily Bryson York, the Obama administration just might come calling, if you decide that you’re the “real deal”. The word “real” is powerful, and used by many marketers. So what do you think, has our government crossed the line, or is it a good thing for consumers?

12-Jan-10 10:00 AM

What to Watch For in 2010

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Radio is hailing the new year as a time of getting back to business, and back to the way it used to be, and we also believe that it’s time to challenge the way you see advertising, specifically radio advertising as a part of your media mix. For the past two years we’ve seen many businesses either cut ad budgets completely or dramatically reduce their ad spends. For those of you who decided that a positive media presence was important, congratulations, you have now out-paced your competition for the moment. 2010 promises to be an exciting year of change. Spend wisely though, and make sure your advertising agency has tapped all of the best channels for both traditional and non-traditional media. The piece that accompanies this article is a worthwhile read. It’s called “100 things to watch in 2010” written by Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer for MarketingProfs. Would love to hear your comments as well.

8-Jan-10 10:00 AM

Radio Advertising and 2010 Consumer Trends

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Okay, as an advertiser wouldn’t you just love to map out 2010 with just enough budget to make the bottom line healthy, and be able to deliver your product or service message to best satisfy everyone who wanted it? Or, maybe morph your product or service into a refined package that better address the need. The article “10 Essential Consumer Trends for 2010” really does a great job of looking at a variety of consumer behaviors and beliefs (some risqué). Needless to say, in 2010 you will be challenged to be more transparent, as consumers will perform much deeper evaluations before they buy, and you on the other hand will have the chance to drive your advertising to a more specific target as your consumers personal profiles become even more valuable as a mining tool. This piece from www.trendwatching.com might be a nice bit of information to add to your advertising arsenal. Check it out and let us know what you think.

6-Jan-10 10:00 AM

Advertising, the Mad Men and Mad Women

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:00:00 GMT

An article worth stopping what you are doing just to get a glimpse into the real world of 1960’s advertising. With names like George Lois and Joy Golden, take a few minutes to get her perspective on what it was really like on the creative side of an advertising agency. The BBC documentary called “Selling The Sixties” is a great read and includes some cool video clips. Enjoy the feature called “Pioneering Ad Woman on Selling the Sixties”.

17-Dec-09 9:00 AM

2010 Trends for Small Businesses

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:00:00 GMT

John Jantsch is one of our favorite marketing guys. His “Duct Tape Marketing” material is a must have for small business. His article “ 5 Trends That Will Shape Small Business in 2010” is worth reviewing. And this is a must read for those of you who are afraid, confused, in denial, or generally are ignoring the social media aspects of advertising. In our radio advertising campaigns we always suggest introducing an element of social media into the creative. It makes your advertising campaign measureable and actively connects to your potential customers. If your competition discovers the benefits before you do, they win. So, are you building an aspect of social media into your radio advertising? And how is it working? Let us know.

14-Dec-09 9:00 AM

Radio Advertising in 2010

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:00:00 GMT

One of our favorite ad guys, Walter Hammock, always signs his emails with a quote from Henry Ford, and it reads, “a man who stops advertising to save money, is like a man who stops a clock to save time”. Well guess what, lots of folks were guilty as charged in 2009, and it makes me wonder why. Some of our clients went full steam ahead, other’s adjusted their radio ad budgets and others, kind of vaporized. In the article “Report: Radio Expected to End 2010 on an Upbeat Note”, those who did battle the economy with smarter marketing will no doubt be far ahead of those who got scared. The story, in Media Daily News, by Erik Sass, has some positive news for radio advertising as we close out the year. How do you think radio can help itself in this re-building process?

9-Dec-09 3:00 PM

Radio Advertising On The Rise?

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Still hiding under a rock, wondering if the economy will come back this holiday season. Chances are that if you hesitate, you will be last on your customers list.

From K-Mart to Wal-Mart, Home Depot to Lowes, ad spending is up this holiday season and that means those who hesitate will lose. It doesn’t matter if you are a big box store or a small retailer, don’t let your competition beat you to the punch. According to an article called Some Retailers Bulking Up on Ad Spending This Holiday Season, written by Suzanne Vranica and posted in The Wall Street Journal, there is 810 billion in ad spending expected this year. Want your share…go advertise it. Radio is a powerful place to start.

How do you see your holiday advertising unfolding (or that of your clients)?

We would love to hear your comments below.

11-Nov-09 8:00 AM

Radio Advertising Dialect : 2010 or 20-10?

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:00 GMT

If we didn’t already have enough options on our plate as to how to relate to radio listeners, we have yet another. We had this issue come up with a session for the Houston Texans. How do you “say” the year 2010. Is it “two thousand ten”, or “two thousand and ten”, or “twenty ten”. Silly question, but the same issue was written about in The New York Times. The article “Naming 2010”, written by Stuart Elliott, titled “2010 to Come in Plain and Fancy Versions” as car dealers flip a coin to see how to best convey the new year to come. Take a look at the article and then we have a favor to ask of you. How would you say it? Let us know. Really, what would you say, and why?

6-Nov-09 8:00 AM

Kohl's Increases Advertising, Including Radio

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:00 GMT

As a business owner, anticipating a rebound, or just waiting to see what your competition does might be a mistake. Kohl’s is a good example of taking advantage of an opportunity to spend sensibly, and react quickly. In the article from Advertising Age “Kohl’s Increases Ad Spending to Woo Holiday Shoppers”, written by Natalie Zmuda, Kohl’s is beefing up its advertising budget and radio is one of the benefactors. Very smart, because at a time when radio is feeling the sting of a down economy, advertisers are able to grab up a bunch of media at prices many would be surprised to get, especially in this fourth quarter. Kohl’s may not be your direct competition, but your competitors might be gearing up, and those who get the word out first are usually the winners. Are you in a position to take that chance?

4-Nov-09 8:00 AM

Radio Advertising In A Conversation Economy

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Some marketers call this a conversation economy. What does that mean? We are no longer marketing products and services, but marketing conversation, or better yet, triggering conversation with creative scripts and produced commercials. With radio advertising, that equates to starting a conversation, then pulling that conversational community together through non-traditional and other forms of media. For another perspective, take a moment to read the article called “Marketers need conversation strategy to connect with consumers”, written by Marsha Lindsay, as it appeared in Advertising Age magazine.

What are your thoughts?

30-Oct-09 9:00 AM

Radio Advertising Connects with Listeners When Live Personalities Connect with the Brand

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Radio Lounge has successfully used local market radio personalities to sell a product. These “produced to sound live” ads are normally used in conjunction with produced radio spots, as part of the overall marketing effort. It’s a simple concept that some advertisers don’t get; you’ve got to connect the personality with the brand. Nationally or locally, advertisers are sometimes too quick to link to a personality without doing their homework. In an article from Advertising Age entitled “Live Read Ads On The Radio Get a Makeover”, written by Andrew Hampp, get a closer look at the science of choosing the right fit, and see how good chemistry can really drive incredible results.

What are your experiences (good or bad)? Let us know.

28-Oct-09 10:00 AM

Radio Advertising Question : Should Your Ads Mention The Lousy Economy?

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Have we turned the corner, did we hit bottom, how long before we get back to where we belong. But here is the question, how do you convey that message to radio listeners without sending the wrong message. In an article from Mark Dolliver in Ad Week titled "Better Not To Mention The Lousy Economy", there are some conclusions from this Harris Poll, but that depends on who you are targeting. Females find the “truth” more realistic but only by a small margin who find it manipulative. Others are indifferent to either pitch. Take a look at the article. It might be helpful in these “troubled”, “emerging”, “optimistic but cautious” times.

22-Oct-09 11:00 AM

Radio Advertising Strategy : Communicate Value

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:00:00 GMT

While Wendy’s continues to look for a Dave Thomas replacement (now going on five years) and struggling to grow the brand back to where it once was, other food retailers are capturing fans using common sense advertising that builds value without damaging its standing. If you haven’t heard about Subway’s $5 dollar foot-longs, you haven’t been listening or watching. In a Brandweek article written by Kenneth Hein titled Subway Strives To Keep Strategy Fresh, the concept of dishing out $5 dollar subs has really paid off for Subway, double digit paid off. Take a look at the article and then look at your competition. How would you pull off a “Subway”.

19-Oct-09 6:00 AM

Radio Advertising and The Company You Keep

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Here’s an interesting look at how brands associate with other brands, specifically how proximity can be a benefit, or a detriment. You can take this concept to radio advertising as well. Recently we had a Christian advertiser looking for a media buy to promote a wellness event. They had gone to a station cluster for a proposal and had gotten one back that mostly was “how much do you have to spend” and “here are as many spots as you can get”. The station actually proposed running this Christian organization on an alternative talk station. Shame on that AE for not even taking the time to think through the environment that would best suit the advertiser. You can’t pick and choose what radio advertisers you reside within a commercial break, but you can consider how a particular station or program might affect your brand. Take a moment to read this piece from the Kellogg School of Management by Myungwoo Nam and Brian Sternthal titled 'Colored by the Company You Keep'.

12-Oct-09 9:00 AM

Radio Advertising In A Blink

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:00:00 GMT

A few years back Clear Channel came out with a very short radio spot called a “blink”, literally just a couple of seconds. Lots of us laughed, and some bought the concept. But here’s the catch; a blink is really all the time we have to engage a listener and get them to respond to our advertising message. People have too many other forms of distractions to make us believe that whatever we write and produce, a listener will stick around for 30 seconds or more. It’s on that basis that we teach and implement the single point concept of solving a problem. We’re actually teaching a workshop on that subject at Media Expo 09 to be held in The Woodlands, Texas on Thursday October 15^th (see info under the Releases section). In an article called “Information Rich and Attention Poor” by Elizabeth Walker of Marketing Masters, you will find an interesting take on the blink concept.

8-Oct-09 9:00 AM

Radio Advertising Tip - Connect With Customer Frugality

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:00:00 GMT

They say we’ve become frugal in this age of economic downturn, and radio advertisers are not alone when trying to come up with the best ways of capturing that attitude of frugality. Here’s an interesting perspective on how a gift shop owner used some creativity to sell those higher-end individual coffee packet machines to his “frugal” customers. As you read the article Harnessing The New Age of Customer Frugality by Trent Hamm, from The Simple Dollar, in Business Week, consider how you might apply the “give value” concept in your business.

5-Oct-09 2:00 PM

Radio Advertising Tip : Never Assume When Dealing With Radio Stations

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

If your are placing your own radio advertising buy on a radio station, always remember to be specific. It is unfortunate that stations work the loopholes, but that is the nature of the media beast (and no law says they have to read your mind).

Here is a great example...a previous client wanted to run one spot each day during morning drive on a radio station. They bought a schedule M-F, 6a - 10a, 5x. thinking they were getting five spots rotated one per day over five days. Unless you specifically say M-F 6a-10a 5x (1x per day), you are at the discretion of the radio station of how those five spots will be spread across the work week.

Radio station Traffic Managers are tasked with maximizing revenue of every available minute of every hour of every day the radio station is on the air. If you do not specify that your five spots run one per day, you will probably find your ads "front-loaded" at the beginning of the week to make room for other advertiser's higher priced Thursday and Friday spots. In other words, you will probably find two to three of your spots run on Monday, two to three on Tuesday, and maybe one on Wednesday if you are lucky.

I must disclaim that not all stations do this, but in our experience placing media buys we have found that the majority do to some extent.

Be specific!

1-Oct-09 11:00 AM

Radio Advertising and Beyond: Time vs. Money - Which One is More Important To Consumers

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:00:00 GMT

What is more valuable, your time or your money? We ask ourselves this question when dealing with issues on multiple levels. Pay the lawn crew, or do it yourself. Hire a maid or do it yourself? Hire an ad agency or do it yourself? What about purchase decisions and brand promises?

In the article titled Time vs. Money: Analyzing Which One Rules Consumer Choice, Wharton marketing professor Cassie Mogilner shares research on ads that focus on the time vs. money question for advertising. The research looks at ads that focus on the time consumers will spend with a product, such as the famous Miller Beer "Miller Time" campaign, and their effectiveness versus ads that deal with the value of the product. What are your thoughts?

28-Sep-09 11:00 AM

Radio Advertising Promotions : To Give Away For Free or Not

noemail@radioloungeusa.com — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:00:00 GMT

In creating radio advertising campaigns for our clients we are often challenged to define an offer for a product or service that might include a discount, or even a free gizmo for trying the product. We came across an interesting case study in Fast Company Magazine this past week that disputes the concept saying that in some cases “free” comes at a cost. What do you think? We want to hear from you on promotions that may (or may not) have worked. The article by Farhad Manjoo is called “Why Charging Just a Little, Can be Smarter Than Charging Nothing at All”.

25-Sep-09 11:00 AM