The RAB is a non-profit organisation funded entirely by its member radio stations. As the champion of the medium of radio, the primary role of the RAB is to guide advertisers, marketers, media planners, strategists, buyers and creative experts towards the more effective and creative use of the medium and, in so doing, move radio higher up the advertising agenda.
Ongoing engagement and a continued conversation with advertisers and marketers, media planners, strategists, creative experts and key industry bodies
are critical to the success of the RAB.
The RAB South Africa sees its primary goal as marketing the medium of radio to both clients and advertising agencies and aims to achieve this by providing the industry with information (research, case studies etc), constant communication and education & training coupled with innovative thinking.
Our objectives are:
- To foster sound relationships and facilitate consensus amongst all stakeholders in order to ensure a stronger collective voice for the medium.
- To improve the level of familiarity and favourability towards the medium and enhance the perception of radio as a primary advertising medium via various research projects, media planning tools and various innovative educational initiatives.
- To set standards and guidelines that make radio easier for advertisers and agencies to buy and capture value.
In terms of practical innovations, activities and events which the RAB envisages undertaking in the next year in order to ensure that these objectives are met, the industry can look forward to the following:
- Workshops
Regular client, media and creative workshops (see also the TRAINING AND EVENTS section) - A monthly e-mail newsletter ‘Tune In’
Includes the latest radio news, reviews, competitions and more - Radio Publications/Resources
Specialist ‘Help and How-To’ publications and resources - Research
Ground-breaking, innovative new radio research studies - Training
Specially tailored seminars for media planners and buyers, creative experts and advertisers (see also TRAINING AND EVENTS section) - Case Studies and Testimonials
A bank of South African radio case studies and advertiser testimonials
The Global Picture
The RAB UK’s Planning Director, Mark Barber, says: “I think it’s fair to say that radio is facing similar challenges in many markets i.e. accountability, Return On Investment (ROI), creative indifference and declining ‘lustre’”.
He goes on to say “Media selection is influenced both by ‘Client Drivers’ (i.e. does the medium reach the target audience; does it augment the media strategy and is it proven effective in this field?) and ‘Personal Filters’ (i.e. is the media planner familiar with the medium/how it is used and therefore confident in recommending it; is it easy to sell onto clients and to plan and buy; does the medium have cachet, is it of the moment and how profitable is it for the agency to plan and buy?).
“We have done lots of work historically in terms of the Client Drivers, particularly in the field of radio effectiveness (and particularly in relation to TV and online) and ROI.
“However, there is an increasing momentum towards focused research on individual campaigns, rather than broad-based generic research studies. More importantly, in our opinion, oversupply in the market, coupled with a decline in granular understanding amongst media planners, about how individual media operate, means that Personal Filters are becoming increasingly prevalent in influencing media selection. Overall, we have recognised that demonstrating the effectiveness of the medium isn’t enough in isolation to change people’s minds.”
Conclusion
There’s a school of thought that says that nothing worth achieving is ever easy, so when it comes to taking the South African Radio Sector from good to great, the RAB SA is more than mindful of the challenges it faces. That said, those at the helm of the organisation are passionate about radio’s ability to supercede the immense challenges it faces and propel the medium to its rightful place in the sun.
For more information on the RAB and its activities, contact Matona Sakupwanya on: (011) 325-4935 or e-mail: matona@rab.co.za
