How to Make Radio Work for a Business
Maximising the Impact of Radio Advertising and Avoiding Pitfalls
May 26, 2009
To paraphrase Groucho Marx, Radio isn’t bad or it isn’t good, it’s just a medium. Radio today is just one of the many media choices a company can take advantage of to reach both its new and existing customers. But what types of radio stations are there and which is the most effective choice for any particular business?
Identifying the Right Radio Market
Any sensible business will already have formulated its marketing plan and indentified its target market. In choosing the right radio station to advertise with, a company quite simply has to find the station whose audience most closely maps this target market. The types of radio station a business may consider at first can be divided in many ways but generally they all fall into the categories defined by their area or type of transmission:
- Geographical or by area: National (countrywide) Regional (state or region) and Local (city, town or district).
- Community: radio serving specific communities and generally on a Not For Profit basis.
- Time scale or licence terms: RSL short term restricted service licences, or as a trial broadcast.
- Technology: FM,AM,LW,SW,DAB,Internet,Satellite, and Cable.
- Organisation: specifically hospitals, student radio on campus, forces radio, retail outlets, individual companies or organisations premises.
Identifying the Right Type of Programming
Radio stations once they’ve identified, applied for and established the licence (generally) for the area of their broadcast, they will then organise their output through a Programming Format. This format will be designed to appeal to certain consumer groups. The marketing plan a business uses to promote their product or service is also designed to appeal to a certain consumer. The closer the two groups match, the greater are the chances of a successful radio advertising campaign. Here is just a small sample of the Radio Formats or Programming Formats the New York Radio Guide gives as some of its definitions:
- Adult Album Alternative (AAA): Current music aimed at adults more than teenagers
- Classic Rock: Rock music mainly from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.
- Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR): a format similar to the Top 40 station of previous decades.
- Rock: Mostly current Rock music singles or albums
- News / Talk / Sports Talk: All talk with a host and /or guests or telephone callers discuss current events or specific topics
- Oldies, Adult Hits and Nostalgia Music Formats: Music from specific older time periods.
- World / Spanish and Latin music formats.
- Religious broadcasting
- Public, Government and Community radio etc.
Identify the Right radio Station
Much of current radio output is defined by music genres that attract an audience to the type of music a particular station plays. The presenters, style of broadcasting, and the various types of programming generally appeal to a certain type of audience. There are obviously exceptions. Every radio station should have more detailed information about its audience, but the first step in using radio successfully as an advertiser is to ensure the business chooses the right radio station with the right audience for that particular business. This way it can talk to the Right People at the Right Time.
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