The 5 Benefits of Long-Form Original Radio Sponsored Programming
Thursday, January 28th, 2010By The RadioActive Media Team
Imagine listening to an expert whose topic intrigues you and during an hour on the radio. They earn your respect for their knowledge and opinions. They answer questions from callers in thoughtful, educational ways. You follow this expert week after week, learning new tips and enjoying the experience. Mightn’t the glow of your feelings pass on to sponsors of this program?
Bob Brinker is a perfect example. It is easy to fall into a pattern to listen at the same time each week to his advice and his interaction as he talks with his listeners. He gains loyalty as the audience learns more. He offers a value that creates a desire to return time and again.
What power this relationship can have! What can this loyalty mean to the sponsors?
The 5 Benefits of Long-Form Original Radio Sponsored Programming:
1) Long creative format (30 minutes or 1 hour)
2) Long-term relationship with an audience (13 weeks)
3) Controlled testing and rollout
4) Convergence with other media
5) Measurable response
Marketing executives looking for a unique new idea to reach the mobile consumer should consider original sponsored radio programs. These programs may be 30 minutes or an hour and, over a 13-week commitment, roll out a topic at length before their audience. The sponsors provide announcers so as to not detract from the expert’s position.
Like all direct response advertising, the process starts with a test. Two such advertisers willing to use radio programming started with 1 or 2 stations. A mortgage show broadened their campaign of radio shows out to 80 stations over 4 years as they enjoyed increased success. Expedia took a travel show out to 90 stations in just 2 years.
This is not a format for those set in their ways. It offers a terrific opportunity to explore a topic creatively with great depth. It also offers the critical analytical element of response measurement. Unlike other methods of sponsorship, this one can be tied to milestones that can include audience, reactions to a call to action, and incorporation of other converging media, such as text messaging.
What more could a sponsor ask for?
RadioActive Media’s strong suit is in developing meaningful, accountable radio programming that engages, not bores the audience, for advertisers. Content drives loyalty. Loyalty builds brands. Brands measure results.
