Monday, June 25, 2012

I Can Dream, Can't I?

It's been almost four years since Interep cashed in its chips, making Katz the sole remaining rep company for most of radio at the national level.

Before that, media buyers complained that it was too complicated to buy radio and asked the medium to speak with one voice.

Now that we do, how's it going?

What I know about the national rep business can fit into a thimble other than the financial crash of 2008 seemingly took it down, only the strongest one survived and if David Kennedy ever writes a book, I'll snap up one of the first copies.

My perspective is formed primarily from what I hear from regular communication with Market Managers and National Sales Managers at client stations.  Judging from the cost per point levels of today's national buys, it seems like our voice is coming out as a whisper, pretty much dictating to radio stations what they need to do to get on the buy in a take it or leave it fashion.
Share of media day charts 2012
View more PowerPoint from PaulBarnes16

Those lovely stats are from England, but it's the same here. 
RAB on this side of the pond also convincingly demonstrates that radio's rates, based on time spent with media, ought by rights to be almost five-seven times higher than newspaper rates today, second only to television!

Wouldn't it be forward-thinking if each group of stations had its own advocate at the national level pushing back against media buyers cram downs, actually SELLING our medium to decision-makers based on value and results, working to justify higher rates and growth of our piece of the advertising pie?

1 comment:

Katz Radio Group said...

Katz Radio Group has sent a Powerpoint presentation to all Katz and Clear Channel stations and staffs, offering a "unified mention" for the radio industry. The presentation was crafted by a committee made up of Katz EVP of Radio Analysis and Insights Mary Beth Garber, Katz's Mark Gray, David Field of Entercom, Emmis' Val Maki and CC's Jeff Howard.

Garber says, "For a very long time radio has talked about telling the same message, speaking with a single voice. Here it is. A consortium of people have created, with help and input from many different people, a concise presentation that tells the truths about radio that everyone in our business needs to know and tell to their clients. Call it 'common messaging' or a 'unified message' about what Radio is today and does for advertisers."

She adds, "The presentation is designed to be 'rip and read' – it can be used as is or, preferably, customized to include great case studies from your own advertisers. Please take a look and give us your feedback. The presentation will be updated constantly and will change as the business and the facts change." You can find the file (in .PPT format) via Garber's webpage.

A companion presentation from the RAB, Arbitron and Katz has also been created and will be offered on their respective websites, as well as "distributed to the press, used by Arbitron in training agency and station people and will be presented to advertisers, agencies and broadcast associations around the country. "

Among the presentation's key points are:

Radio is thriving because it connects with listeners in ways no other medium can match
Over the past 20 years Radio has consistently reached 9 out of 10 people in virtually every demographic/ethnicity.
Listeners have strong emotional relationships with their favorite on-air radio personalities that benefit advertisers.
Radio continues to reinvent itself by engaging its audiences on other digital platforms.
Radio’s distinct audience demographics and lifestyle appeal make it easy to target the right customers and locations.