RadioActive Media : Marketing, Promotions and Advertising: Radio, Television, Magazine, Internet.

800-599-RADIO | Text DR Radio to 511-511 | 714-787-0101 International

By RadioActive Media Team

“Radio delivers its best results in quarter-to-quarter revenue comparisons since Q1 2007 with a +6% overall increase to $3.687B. In fact, this gain represents the highest posted in nearly a decade (3rd-Quarter 2000, +8),” according to the Radio Advertising Bureau.

What do all these major advertisers realize?  Radio is a tremendous value due to its unique ability to target all segments of the population.

Let’s look at the significant categories and their growth along with the advertisers that know the value of radio advertising:

Communications/Cellular/Public Utilities – increased 5.7% over a comparatively strong showing in Q1 ’09.

Besides the biggies such as AT&T and Verizon the category saw increased spending from Leap Wireless, T-Mobile as well as new comers Palm Inc. ClearWire and Tracfone.

Television/Networks/Cable Providers

The category grew 23% overall, to $276.2M.  Comcast Cable led the way followed by: ABC, NBC, USA, CBS, Charter, Cablevision, Telemundo, Cox Communications Cable, ESPN and HBO.

Restaurants

McDonald’s remains Radio’s third-largest advertiser for this quarter.  Wendy’s spending represented an increase of 18%.  Other major players are: Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Buffalo Wild Wings, Panera Bread Co., TGI and Arby’s.

Auto Dealers/Dealer Groups/Manufacturers/Rentals

Financial Services

Financial Services moves into Local and National Spot Radio’s Top 5 this quarter with expenditures of $191.6M – up by nearly 50% from last year’s Q1. JPMorgan Chase led the way followed by PNC Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, Capital One,  Fifth Third Bank and Bank of the West.  American Express charged into the #2 position in this category with a $20.5M commitment (versus just $24.9K last year).  Within the Network sector, JPMorgan Chase was also the spending leader with $2M in activity compared to none in Q1 2009. American Express also increased their Q1 2010 spending by more than 300% to nearly $2M.

Grocery/Convenience/Liquor Stores

An impressive 27% increase in spending with category leaders such as Safeway with an increase of 63% over Q1 2009. Kroger Food Stores, Supervalu and relative U.S. newcomer Fresh &

Easy Neighborhood Market, Trader Joe’s and A&P Supermarkets. Also rapidly increasing: Radio spending by the fast-expanding Aldi Food Store chain.

Insurance Companies

Major additions in radio spending came from State Farm Insurance, Progressive and Safe Auto.  Other advertisers who added sizable increments to their Radio spending were Esurance and Titan Auto Insurance.

Retail – Including Home Improvement, Department Stores, Discount Stores & Shopping Centers

Radio’s revenue from Home Improvement advertisers grew 18% over Q1 ’09, with added spending by all four major players: Home Depot, Orchard Supply Hardware Lowe’s Companies and Menard’s Building Supply.

Other categories/advertisers with increased spending are:

Specialty Retail – Old Navy, Gap and ProFlowers and 1-800-Flowers

Concerts/Theaters/Movies – Paramount and Universal

Beverages- Coca-Cola Co., Kraft, Pepsi Dr. Pepper Seven Up, Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors

Political

Issue advertising comprised 25% of first quarter’s political spending fueled by the healthcare debate. The recent Supreme Court ruling invalidating corporate campaign funding limitations should impact political throughout 2010. With 57% of all political dollars spent on candidate support ($7M) in special elections and preliminary name recognition building in Q1, Radio is certain to be a front runner come the primary and general election season.  (See earlier post:  Plan Early for the Political Ad Campaign Season – Rates are Up and Inventory is Down)

What do all these major advertisers realize?  Radio is a tremendous value due to its unique ability to target all segments of the population.

At RadioActive Media, we take radio advertising to the next level with text messaging campaigns, radio personalities and 24/7 tracking of results.

Source: Radio Advertising Bureau, Q1 RECORD REVENUE GROWTH SHOWS BROAD SIGNS OF STRENGTH AS KEY ADVERTISER SECTORS SPEND MORE IN RADIO

NATIONAL SPOT & DIGITAL SPENDING REGISTER HIGHEST GAINS http://www.rab.com/public/pr/revenue_detail.cfm?id=116

@radioactivemed

800-599-RADIO | Text RADIO to 511-511 | 714-787-0101 International

By the RadioActive Media Team

RadioActive Media is making it more affordable than ever to take advantage of Direct Response Radio advertising.  With every 8 week schedule of $8,000 per week or more, the first creative production spot is Free. ($2,500.00 value).

RadioActive Media is offering this promotion because we know our campaign spots work. We test the campaign first to keep initial costs down, we then tweak the spot to give it the ultimate result a ROI.  Successful radio campaigns start with great creative.

Creative is not the place to reduce your costs.  We want our clients to have the best reach and frequency available. RadioActive Media knows it, and now will help your company with the costs of creating a compelling spot.

Read our blog entitled “Crafting your Call-to-Action for Direct Response Radio” for ideas on how to make your company and message stand out.

An 8 week schedule of $8,000 per week or more means FREE creative spot production, worth up to $2,500.00. The above is a great example of a Call-To-Action. This is a limited time offer and may end at any time, so call now!

For great ways to create a call-to-action and radio campaign with results, consult Jeff Pollak at RadioActive Media at 800-559-RADIO (7234) or text  RADIO to 511-511.

@radioactivemed

800-599-RADIO | Text DR Radio to 511-511 | 714-787-0101 International

By the RadioActive Media Team

The right promotion will impress an advertiser’s audience, increase visibility, connecting it by association with stations, concerts, contests, or other events. At RadioActive Media we are adamant that a promotional campaign deliver 3-4 times the media investment. A client spending $100,000 to participate in a media event should expect a great return, around $300-400,000, on that commitment. It takes experts to evaluate and negotiate packages of tremendous value.

The team at RadioActive Media participates in creating packages in concert with radio stations. They look at events and contests for possibilities. Often canned station packages won’t provide enough value, aren’t appropriate or creative enough to explore all the potential added value.

If a station has a booth at an event, how can leads be generated for the advertiser? Can brochures be given out at the booth? Can visitors sign up for giveaways, expressing their level of interest for the product/service?

If there’s a concert, how about on-screen exposure and sponsor messages at intervals?

Obviously every client and opportunity has to be carefully matched and their entire program developed and planned extensively. With that said, let’s go ahead and look at many of the options for campaign inclusion.

While the rules for sweepstakes have caused stations to be leery of collecting audience information to pass through to advertisers, it’s absolutely possible and easy to encourage visitors to receive discounts, coupons, prizes or other benefits when they go to either the station or advertiser website and give permission (opt-in) for additional messages.

Stations can do emailings to their own subscribers, or promote on their Fan Pages. Advertisers should expect promos for participating as sponsors in contests. Speaking of social media, there are a myriad of opportunities for expansion of exposure in promotion on Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, to name a few.

When stations use other media like print or TV, they can feature sponsors. Many times they’ll have spots voiced by talent at no additional charge. Inclusion in press releases and mentions in appearances by promotion teams are more great examples of stretching value. “Bumpers” or audio messages going into commercial, news and other station breaks kick the impression level up another notch.

New opportunities are expanding. Stations have iPhone apps. Sirius XM provides offer codes to pad displays. Radio ads have calls-to-action that ask consumers to text message which can generate text, audio, video responses and coupons. Driving traffic to websites is just the beginning of what’s possible.

To learn more about how radio promotional campaigns can be developed into spectacular successes for consumers and advertisers alike, reach out to Jeff Pollak at 800-559-RADIO (7234), text DR RADIO to 511-511.

@radioactivemed