Last April at the IBI Conference and for the third year in a row there was criticism of the ‘quality’ of Irish radio advertising. IAPI agreed to work with the IBI to help improve the quality of Irish radio adverts. We spoke with creatives from member agencies and there was a demand for a tool that measures the listeners relationship with each of their brands. This week the IBI with RTE Radio sales launched RadioGauge – a tool designed to do exactly that.
This week our guest blogger Jason Brownlee, of RadioGAUGE International looks at how radio advertisers can learn a lot by understanding what frightens radio station program managers the most.
*The* most terrifying thing a Programme Manager has to contemplate is changing the presenter of his breakfast show. Listeners become very attached to their favourite DJs, who weave themselves into the routine of daily life and become like real friends. Listeners don’t like it when stations break-up a familiar and enjoyable relationship and stations can often lose big chunks of audience when a breakfast presenter departs.
The second thing that frightens Program Managers is putting new music onto their playlist. This is because people don’t like songs they can’t recognise – people very often switch off from a station playing something unfamiliar and cruise around the dial until they hear a song they know and like.
This proves three things.
- Personalities need familiarity to be successful on the radio – presenters need to develop a rapport with an audience that, over time, will come to embrace them.
- Music needs familiarity to be successful on the radio – as a song begins to break its way into awareness it builds familiarity within the minds of listeners, who will eventually take it to heart.
- Commercials need familiarity to be successful on the radio – advertisers need to develop creative themes or templates that express the personality of their brand on the radio and commit to them over a long period of time.
Advertising is part of a radio station’s output and a good Programme Manager will ensure that the advertising it broadcasts reflect the broadcasting style of the radio station. Just as the daily schedule of radio programmes flows effortlessly and seamlessly from one programme into another, so too must each programme flow seamlessly into the commercial break.
Integration and identity are key to the success of a radio station. If the listener can identify with the presenters, the music and the tone of the radio station, then the radio station becomes integrated into the life of the listener. Advertising must also aim to achieve similar levels of integration and identify in order to impact on the listeners. Both integration and identity feature as part of RadioGUAGE’s 5 i’s of creative analysis. Integration draws attention to the fact that advertising performs best when it has links with other campaign elements again drawing on the idea that familiarity breeds success. The best ads use clearly recognised music, voices or campaign vehicles which results in a strong identity for the brand. Sonic branding, catchphrases or slogans if used effectively can paint an immediate picture in the head of the listener.
Building familiarity on the radio is crucial for any presenter, song or band that wants to cut through into audience consciousness and be taken into the hearts and minds of listeners. Brands that ‘find their voice’ on the radio build the strongest relationships with listeners, which delivers the best ROI from the medium.
You can download the presentation for RadioGauge launch here http://www.ibireland.ie/campaigns/radiogauge-ireland/attachment/radiogauge-ireland-launch-presentation-170112/
