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A view from the top

December 12, 2011 By

‘Frequency is everything’ – or so they say. ‘Radio is the most daunting of all mediums to create for’ – or so they say. In light of the ever-changing landscape, where everyone is expected to stay on top of trends, we’ve gathered some of the biggest industry guns, including Capitec CEO Riaan Stassen, LoweBull CEO Wayne Naidoo, Mediacom Strategist Ross Sergeant, Draft FCB ECD Neo Mashigo and lots more, to weigh in on these and other pressing media and creative issues and make sure you stay on top of your radio game.

Reasons why I did not touch that dial in 2010 – Rui Alves, Lowe Bull

Radio Creative: Time to raise the bar – Wayne Naidoo, Lowe Bull

An antidote to ‘creative’s block – to be taken daily – forever – Tony Hertz

True commitment to transformation will benefit radio – Ross Sergeant, MediaCom

Building a New Brand - Riaan Stassen, Capitec

Wooing the listeners – Luci Hirsch, Hirschs

Time for a shake up - Neo Mashigo, Draftfcb

Filed Under: creative Mind, insights
December 12, 2011 By

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For as long as frequency has been debated, so has Media Inflation Watch been a highly contentious issue. Not ones to mark our own homework, we asked Mike Leahy for a quick synopsis on how radio fared in 2011and we’re pleased to announce that the results are good – very good…

Media Inflation Watch, an analysis module of Media Manager online, hasn’t been too kind to radio in the last few years. Whereas station rates were pretty conservative, the performance delivered didn’t quite add up.

In the last few years RAMS data indicated that the average listener was spending less and less time with the medium. Although last 7 day numbers were still high, the numbers for the average ¼ hour and thus the performance of the average commercial spot was falling, placing severe pressure on the competitiveness of the medium as measured.

Fast forward to 2011, however,and a different picture emerges – one in which the average listener is deciding that it is worth devoting time with radio.Looking at the diagram below, and for the most part, audience growth continues to outpace rate card rate increases – (the most positive results seen by radio for some years!).

Radio also has the lowest cost per thousand at R29.13, when compared with television at R48.31 and print at R108.46, meaning that advertisers are able to reach all income brackets more cost effectively.

This, coupled with the audience resuscitation indicated below means that the number of listeners to the average spot is stabilised. It has led to a more competitive MIW index, to the relief of…well, everyone!

Mike Leahy

IBIS Media

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December 12, 2011 By

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Let’s face it, no one likes to read a long-winded article, much like no one likes to sit in a studio all day, toiling over a couple of 30” ads, right? But what happens when the hundreds of thousands of rands invested in airtime are riding on the power of your message? What then?

Surely it’s worth slowing down and giving some focussed attention to the crafting and production element of your radio campaign?

We sat down with a couple of radio engineering and production experts who concur that when it comes to producing well written and engaging messages, you’re better off zigging while everyone else zags – The results in brand awareness and actual sales, as they’ve seen, are worth it!

Mashabela Creatives Founder,David Mashabela says;“Although there are a few advertisers who still enjoy selecting the right voice for a particular ad, getting the music that will capture the emotion they are trying to communicate or just want to be a part of the creative process that happens in the studio, they are, in 2011, fading out.The result of this is that more and more radio ads are starting to have the same tone and feel as super market newspaper inserts – just product and price.

Mashabela insists that herein lies the opportunity for involved advertisers and their passionate engineers to shine – a well written, well produced ad on radio stands head and shoulders above the crowd. And isn’t that just the thing that marketers are forever chasing after?

Executive Electronic Producer at an agency that’s become renowned for its award-winning radio work, Net#work BBDO, Tanja Rae thinks that what it ultimately boils down to, is still always an interesting piece of copy;

“Without copy that has a purpose, that evokes an emotion or likeability, you could have the best production team waiting to produce and still come up with pretty much nothing memorable.

Next step is to surround yourself with the best sound engineers, producers, voice artists and language supervisors. The beauty of living in a digital era means that engineers have all the library music, sound effects and a multitude of plug-ins, at their fingertips.

Yet, it still takes an excellent engineer to insist on going on a field trip to record the actual sounds of all the models of cars for a client, so that he can build up his sound effects library for that particular client’s future productions. This is called passion and I suggest finding an engineer that has truckloads of it.

Radio production is an exciting process, where, when all the stars align, there really is no limit to the pictures you can paint in the mind’s eye.

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December 12, 2011 By

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With an infinitely greater choice of stations and products, advertisers are now more than ever, on the lookout for breakthrough ways of interacting meaningfully with listeners. Here then are the five top tips on how to navigate those waters, courtesy of Radio Specialist John Walls.

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December 12, 2011 By

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Having begun my media career briefly in Johannesburg, I spent most of it working in five other
completely foreign countries – the UK, Ireland, Nigeria, Kenya, and Cape Town, it’s incredibly
refreshing to see just how dramatically diverse our industry has become. Our choice of media
selection sadly, hasn’t.

Thinking back to a time when some people referred to some radio stations as ‘the vernaculars’
and advertising agencies went in to a long (horrifically inaccurate and borderline racist)
justification that people who speak, for example, Xhosa, preferred to speak English when
their income increased and they moved in to a townhouse complex in Sunninghill, I laugh as
I remember that it was this stage that I honestly assumed change would happen rapidly and
that the radio landscape eight years later would be a very different one.

It isn’t. The same radio stations that were dominant then are dominant now. Why?

I put it down to simple demographics. When you compare the demographics of media planners
(and clients) to the demographics of the market, media planners and clients are still
largely white, female, aged between 25 and 35, living in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg
and shopping readily at Fourways Mall.

Added to that most of us are targeting a premium market such as LSM 6-10 and half of these
premium people are men, and just short of half of the total personal income sits with people
who are Black.

I sat down to pull the top indexing radio stations for the media planner and client demographic
and came up with 94.7 Highveld stereo, Jacaranda 94.2, 5FM, Metro FM and RSG.

Unsurprisingly, these stations often feature at the top (if not exclusively) of a media schedule
aimed at the premium market.

When looking at the LSM 6-10 market, however, the highest indexing radio stations paint a
different picture all together. 567 Cape Talk, Talk Radio 702, Radio Tygerberg, Lotus FM, Heart
104.9FM, Classic FM and SAFM are just some of the few that feature.

Even on pure slightly wasteful reach numbers, the highest reach stations for the media planner
and client group would be very similar to the indexing stations; Metro FM, 5FM, Jacaranda,
Highveld, East Coast Radio, and RSG.

For the LSM 6-10 market, these highest reach stations become Metro FM, 5FM, Ukhozi FM,
Lesedi FM, RSG, Jacaranda 94.2, Motsweding FM, Kaya FM and Umhlobo Wenene FM.

Back to the age-old debate…what’s the problem, then?

Is it innocent, slightly-out-of-date legacy knowledge and preference amongst planners and
clients that leads us towards the same usual suspects, time and time again?

Are commercial station group practices affecting spend share? Or is it, that whilst the industry
is dramatically more diverse today, we are still not fully committed to transformation?

Don’t get me wrong. I am sure that I am just as guilty of having begun numerous briefs for
the ‘premium market’ with ideas that are right only at the departure point for people who fall
in to my very tiny demographic, being upmarket, over 30, Joburg northern suburbs, married,
gay, White, and male.

It takes quite a bold step, however, as a media planner or client, to go beyond one’s familiar
territory and acknowledge that we’re often not representative of the broader target market.
It’s only then that we’ll truly see transformation in media strategies and station selection that
is truly reflective of the richness of our Rainbow nation.

Ross Sergeant Strategist, MediaCom JHB
TRUE COMMITMENT TO TRANSFORMATION WILL BENEFIT RADIO

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December 12, 2011 By

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Emerging at a time when radio listening in South Africa is at its most stable (Source: RAMS 2010 – 11) is the ‘Emotional Multiplier study’which shows that listening to the radio makes people happier, more so than going online or watching TV.

Obviously sending positive ‘waves’ across the globe, the study conducted by Sparkler Research in the UK earlier this year,set out to explore how media affects people’s moods.

As a method, several times each day, across a one month period, more than 1 000 Britons were polled via their smartphones and asked to record what media they were consuming and to rate their mood and energy levels while doing so.This was cross-tabulated against their media consumption (or non-consumption) at those times.

The beauty of using this smartphone technology is that it stripped out any potential media bias, enabling respondents to text in real time in response to survey questions. This survey consisted of three simple questions (current media consumption, happiness and energy levels, free text comment) allowing people to respond quickly and instinctively.

 

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Interestingly, some respondents participating in the qualitative phase talked about how they didn’t realise how important radio is in their lives until they had participated in the exercise.

In addition, the nature of radio programming also plays a role. Rather than the peaks and troughs that people claimed to experience with TV and Online, radio provides a consistent environment themed and shaped to suit the listener’s needs at any given time of day, and one that is generally upbeat in tone. Radio presenters are also focused on delivering a positive experience for the listener.

This is of particular interest as academic and advertising research shows that we process advertising messages heuristically i.e. more instinctively and in a way that is strongly influenced by the context – and that we are more inclined to do this if we are in a happier mood.

Even more good news is the fact that this mood-boosting effect of radio editorial extends into the ad break generating 30% higher levels of positive engagement with the advertising. For advertisers, radio, therefore presents a unique and powerful opportunity to reach consumers in a positive frame of mind, when they will be more receptive to advertising messages.

Senior Lecturer at the University of Johannesburg’s Department of Strategic Communication, Andrea Crystal says; “People who are very happy will see great brand value. The ‘new consumer’ is fickle when it comes to brand loyalty. How they arrive at their enhanced consideration set is nothing new – consumption has always been affected by mood. What helps to heighten their energy levels is a sense of ‘I’m not alone’ as the content gets diffused and ideated.

“To heighten their serotonin levels (the ‘happy hormone’ which regulates mood and influences an overall sense of well-being), they want that which can be perceived as more personal, namely transparency and flexibility.

“Even more important is what makes the person happy and this would involve engagement, experiential, symbolic meaning and dialogue. Here the person does not feel worthless, rather they feel effective and emotionally relevant as they are able to share, listen and partake in open communication”.

But why is that important?

“It’s simple. Emotional engagement is known to be major contributor to overall advertising effectiveness. Emotions can be considered as the gatekeeper for further advertisement processing.While some media excel at conveying information or reinforcing social connections, radio is the most personal of ad-supported media, and its advertising is perceived as sharing that one-on-one relevance”, she adds.

The findings should strike a chord with advertisers as they deliver a potent reminder of the influential emotional role that radio plays in people’s lives and suggest that, beyond its often used tactical function, the medium should be given far greater consideration for brand communication plans.

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Don’t you love it when they get it so right!

December 12, 2011 By

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Cannes and Loerie Radio Lion Grand Prix winner and Net#work BBDO Creative Director Jenny Glover on giving radio the respect it deserves…

The phrase; What makes a great radio ad? has the effect of causing eye ticking and lip sweating. The thing is that every creative person worth their salt knows exactly what makes great radio.

So why all the bad radio then?

There’s a particular reason why radio has inherited a reputation for being the slag of all mediums. We give it unreasonable deadlines. It’s always rushed. We cram 60 seconds worth of content into 30 seconds, including a phone number and website, because as we know, listeners are camping out at the radio with a pen and paper, waiting to write out your phone number. We’ll even take a body copy from a print ad or flier and call it a radio script. Then we’ll get a really bad voice over, to deliver it in the most obnoxious style possible. There’s no love, no respect – we’re treating radio like a slag.

It, sadly, doesn’t end there. If there’s one thing that can kill great radio, it’s a client. They can be hemlock to great ideas. I do believe that years ago, there was a worldwide radio seminar that gave clients the magic formula for radio: pick a ridiculously unrealistic sounding announcer voice to read your print body copy then finish off with jazz or kwaito music.  Hey presto!  You’ve got yourself a radio ad.

Now, I wish we could place the blame solely on clients but alas, creatives are equally to blame.
You see, we can forgive clients for making bad radio. It’s not their job to push the envelope or challenge the medium.  That’s our job. We’re the ones who need to guide them towards better radio.

And what do I mean by ‘better’ radio? Well, not every spot is an award-winning spot but every spot should be as good as it can be. Live reads can be well written and washing powder spots can have flawless production values. Stop treating radio like a slapper. Be kind to it. Show it some love. Create the kind of radio that you’re proud to put your name on – your real name.

If you want to wear the badge of Copywriter, work at it, which means you need to write and read a lot.

Jenny Glover

Creative Director, Net#work BBDO

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Up close and personal with … the Programming Manager

December 12, 2011 By

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Radio advertisers can learn a lot by understanding what frightens radio station programming managers the most, says Jason Brownlee. He should know. He’s tested the effectiveness of more than 400 radio case studies on RadioGAUGE…
In my experience, *the* most terrifying thing a Programming Manager has to contemplate is changing the presenter of his breakfast show. It’s no secret that listeners become very attached to their favourite DJs who weave themselves into the routine of daily life and become like real friends.

The second thing would be putting new music onto their playlist. People don’t like songs they don’t recognise and have been known to switch off from a station playing something unfamiliar and cruise around the dial until they hear a song they know and like.

Interestingly, the top 25% of radio ads in terms of creative effectiveness, as measured by RadioGAUGE, were on average 13% better at generating brand campaign awareness than the bottom 25% of ads. Top-performing campaigns often exhibited common attributes such as long standing creative strategies, familiar jingles, recognisable voices, regular characters and consistent story lines.

What am I saying then?

Here are three things, my points above prove;

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

Bottom line; 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 invariably delivers the best ROI from the medium.

Jason Brownlee
Development Director, RadioGAUGE International

Filed Under: case studies, creative Mind, insights, insights and Trends, radiogauge Tagged With: ,
December 12, 2011 By

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One of the plusses of living in a multi-cultural country like South Africa is the diversity in language and customs. Admittedly, few media channels can compete with radio’s unsurpassed ability to connect with all listeners in all languages from Pedi to patois.

Sadly, advertisers and marketers who fail to take advantage of this or who fail to understand the segmented nuances of the black consumer sector are speaking to a homogenous nobody. They are likely wasting their money too by creating mismatched messaging and buying ill-placed advertising space by targeting what they assume to be ‘the black market’.

A flip of the coin and our research indicates that black consumers have a message of their own for marketers and their agencies – copywriters, take note;

What they’re saying is; “Look elsewhere for stories. We’ve moved on.”

Don’t do ads that reflect how things used to be. Have your finger on the pulse. Better yet – spend a week in the townships to really get a sense for how things change daily. Learn the language, or at least familiarise yourself with the lingo they’re speaking.

What they’re saying is; “Look elsewhere for stories. We’ve moved on.”

You can’t view the world from the boardrooms; “I’ve done my ads, I’ve won my awards” – is not going to work. Radio is alive. It allows you to adapt and evolve as quickly as these young people are.

The black consumer market is South Africa’s past, present and future. For this market, radio has always featured as the most trusted and accessible media after friends and ‘word of mouth’.It therefore makes sense for brands to be in there. With radio and a deeper understanding of the market, you can be that brand.

Lebo Motshegoa

Managing Director, Foshizi

Filed Under: creative Mind, insights Tagged With: ,

HOW TO: get the best out of radio beyond the 30”

October 28, 2011 By

Without taking credit away from the classic recorded generic ad, which is in essence, a firm foundation, going beyond the generic spot involves a wider penetration into the realm of radio advertising. It offers brands an unrivalled opportunity to become a part of communities and live in the hearts and minds of loyal listeners – and when you do it right, the possibilities are infinite… 

From an advertising perspective, the traditional radio spot remains an important and firm fixture on any media schedule. It helps build frequency, which is one of the key drivers to ensuring the success of a campaign. Traditional recorded ads will therefore, always form part of a great campaign, one way or another.

Times they are a changing, however, notes Ukhozi FM Portfolio Sales Manager, Lerato Letsoalo who says that listeners now know their worth, demand respect and will not lend an ear whilst their heads are being left behind;

“As far as going beyond generic 30 second radio advertising goes, there are a variety of features for advertisers to take advantage of including; interviews, talk shows, drama serials and competitions. Off-air brings the added benefit of outside broadcasts, live crossings, brand activations and sampling. Brands, however, need to be sincere in their efforts and be wary of the fact that radio remains the voice of consumers on a non-commercial level”, he says.

Radio Consultant Daryl Ilbury wasn’t far off the mark when he predicted the growth of non-traditional radio earlier this year; “Say goodbye to firmly structured and repetitive programming.  ‘New radio’ will be designed around fluid, carefully balanced, well-planned and spontaneous programming. That said, ‘new radio’ stations will have to become increasingly creative in their implementation of non-traditional revenue streams”.

This should be right up radio’s alley when considering that one of the medium’s unique offerings to advertisers is the opportunity to integrate brands right into the programming activities of a station. This allows brands to tap into the loyal friendship that stations and presenters have with their listeners, by becoming part of the on air conversation, where word of mouth is the most powerful forms of brand endorsement there is.

What’s also good to remember is that it’s not the simple formulation of a great brand promotion and insisting that a station run your promo or lose your investment that will help you get the best out of non-traditional radio advertising.

Instead, the best way to get meaningful brand building and direct response results, is to spend some time with the programme manager to better understand their current programming objectives. The more integrated your promotion is with the station’s objectives, the more support you’ll get from presenters and the programming manager, and the more listeners will be open to receiving your message, as it’s coming straight from their trusted friend in a manner that they recognise and are comfortable with.

Radio is first prize
The future role of non-traditional radio advertising once again looks bright when looked at through the eyes of international marketing communications agency, TMPG Inc CEO Michael Valentino;

“Elements of the communications mix are changing to include more off-air activity, and will increasingly leverage stations’ digital assets such as websites, blogs, video content, streaming programming and loyalty platforms”.

“However, the catalyst will continue to be on-air DJ endorsers and engaging station promotions that fully utilise all of the platforms mentioned above. A gentle nudge in the form of a live read or endorsement by a credible on-air personality can make a big difference in sealing the deal for the advertiser”, adds Valentino.

Practically speaking, specialist radio creative Jabu Mabaso is quick to note that ensuring on-air presenters are always properly briefed prior to execution is a step, which if overlooked, can prove costly;

“One of the biggest learnings for successful campaigns and promotions beyond 30 seconds ads is that it’s incredibly important to get the DJ’s buy-in and make them understand the objectives of the campaign. They are, after all, the ones who’ll ultimately execute the concept. This can be done by sending daily script guidelines or even products for DJs to sample and helps in the correct execution of the concept as agreed with client”, he adds.

When it comes to understanding the many unique aspects of radio advertising, which will enable you to stand out from the crowd and get a solid return on investment, it’s always worth noting that numbers alone don’t necessarily sell radio – it’s what you do with the numbers that creates impactful tactical campaigns.

Now go out there and get them!

 

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