Don’t Worry, Be Happy – And Listen to Radio

There’s about a million different ways you can listen to music today. Many of them sit in the palm of your hand. With the world’s library of music so readily accessible, why do we still listen to radio music? The unexpected but true answer: it makes us happier.

Some people question why we still cling to radio (broadcast or digital) when the era of completely “on-demand” music is upon us (think YouTube Red). Traditional radio on paper seems to be lacking; the user has no power to pinpoint the exact music played. Listeners tune in to stations that may overplay songs and never touch their absolute favorites.

It’s no secret that we’ve been creating great audio for over ten years. When companies want quality radio advertising, they come to us; they know that Push Button will deliver a product that sounds great and sells even better. However, creative audio doesn’t just begin and end with radio. We’ll preach the power of radio all day, but we know that sometimes the sum of a TV ad’s elements is greater than its individual audio and visual parts. Push Button can help your TV spot realize its full potential with crisp, clear audio.

If you’re here, you’re probably one of two people: you’re already producing TV content that needs professional audio to really pop, or you’re totally at square one in the game of TV advertising.

There’s 41 million American consumers that may never hear your ads. Sounds like something you want to change? If you’re only producing your ads in English, the 41 million native Spanish speakers (not including the 11 million bilingual speakers) across the United States won’t hear them as you intend for them to be heard.

The Spanish-speaking population in the US is huge. We’ll put its size in perspective for you: the United States is home to more Spanish speakers than Spain. Today, we’re second in size only to Mexico, but that’s set to change as the Spanish-speaking market expands to an estimated 138 million by 2050.

Radio offers an expansive audience for a great price. You can target your demographic based on which radio formats (stations) they listen to and what geographical markets they are in. There’s some basic terms you may want to familiarize yourself with if you plan on getting involved with the process of buying radio air time. Let’s take a look at the commonly used lingo:

1. Gross Rating Points and Cost Per Point: These are measurements that show you how many people are listening to any given station at any given time, and how much it costs to reach each of those people.

Neurensics neuromarketing research conducted the first study in marketing history that assesses how radio ads affect the brain. Neurensics used fMRI technology to scan the brains of 25 unknowing males while they listened to radio ads (they thought they were actually participating in a study about language proficiency).

Finding 1: Passive listening trumps active listening.

Good news for radio, which is known as a “background medium.” People often listen to the radio passively while cleaning, driving, working, etc. This has caused some concern for those who wonder if their ad will truly be heard. But here’s why passive listening is a good thing: while you are listening passively, your “ad guard” is down, resulting in greater trust and a higher perceived reward/expectation from the brand.

Radio technology has come a long way and gone are the days when you needed to use FM or long aerials to catch a good signal so you can hear the broadcast clearly. Nowadays, radio stations broadcast digitally and it has increased the quality of the broadcasts. Most radio stations are now accessible via the Internet allowing multitudes of people from different locations to tune in and enjoy their favorite programs.

Such improvements in broadcasts and accessibility of radio stations have seen considerable increases in listeners, particularly those tuning in digitally and via the Internet. Because of these digital developments, radio ads have become a hit and radio ads production companies like Push Button Productions have taken the center stage.

The Wall Street Journal reports that since 2012 network TV political advertising has decreased. A top ad tracking agency, Kantar Media, predicts that for the year 2016 the total spend will be $2.8 billion. However, this isn’t the complete picture as cable and satellite outlets are not included in this figure. The spend for this year’s political campaigns will be $300 million less than that of the presidential campaigns of 2012.

A large part of the decrease is due to the lack of advertising spend that presidential candidate Donald Trump is responsible for when compared to candidates of the past.

You might think that radio is a technology of the past, but if you own a business then you should seriously consider advertising on radio. Here are some of the top reasons why this is still an excellent marketing tactic:

Radio stations need you: A radio station will work with you and not against you. If you suggest some new ways of incorporating ads into their shows they are likely to listen because most radio stations rely on advertising money to keep afloat, so they are definitely more willing to listen.
Cheaper advertising: There is some competition for radio advertising, but not on the same level in comparison with TV, the internet, or public spaces.

Radio advertising has the power to increase profits and raise brand awareness, but for small to mid-sized companies, it can be hard to compete with the bigger fish for time on the airwaves. However, for a smart business, there is some hope. J. T. Hroncich, managing director and principal of Capitol Media Solutions, says, “Negotiation is key. You have to go in and negotiate what you want.” He goes on to say, “There’s a lot more to it than placing a simple print ad. You have to look at the target audience you’re looking to reach, the size of your budget and the ratings of the stations you are interested in purchasing.”

Here are some simple tips to secure the best affordable radio advertising:

Short ads: it makes sense that the amount you’ll be charged for the ad is the time it takes to air the ad.

Production studios, ad agencies, and radio stations are battling it out in the hopes of capturing a Gold Siren. The brands that have made it to the finals include Nandos, Sportsbet, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Jeep, Maltesers, and Aldi.

The winner of the Gold Siren gets a trip to the Cannes Radio Lions in June, and they’ll get to bring the client behind the campaign too. Not a bad way to strengthen the advertiser-client relationship. There are also Silver Sirens to be won relating to 3 different categories: craft, campaign, and single.

Joan Warner, Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, explains, “It’s the 12th year of the Siren Awards and entries this year have been outstanding.