After riding through recessionary waves, emerging stronger and louder, 2011 has once again reminded us of the power of radio as a medium. A quick glance at the numbers and it’s safe to say that radio has proven its mettle time and time again…
With its unique ability to deliver unrivalled levels of immediacy, intimacy and recency, itis our belief that the emotional connection people have with the medium is what’s largely responsible for this success.
Radio has the ability to make people shed a tear, smile, want to share an opinion, be part of something and want to burst at the seams with pride. Radio has conversations with people, it talks one-on-one. For these reasons, radio can be very persuasive.
A sterling example of this is the Lead SA initiative which was launched last year. Built on a premise that calls on South Africans to be the change they want to see, ittruly has received an overwhelmingly positive responses from listeners.
In 2011, Lead SA rallied South Africans to get behind the Bokke; to support the Police Widows and Orphans Fund to the tune of R2.1-million; to sing Happy Birthday to Madiba and to even chase down a taxi driver who had broken the law!
From an advertising perspective, a definite highlight for 2011 has been FNB’s ‘Steve’ campaign. It has truly been encouraging to see a client who really understands the medium and how this can be translated into tangible results. The campaign was impossible to ignore and competitors followed with adverts that spoke directly to Steve.
Radio’s speedily carving itself the role of medium to ‘watch’ in 2012 and beyond. Despite the sexiness of our growing digital offerings and the unpredictability of our buisiness, radio’s real power is in the connection we make with our listeners, this is where the impact lies.
It’s also immediate and as such, programming can change from moment to moment, bookings can come in at the last minute and we need to be flexible enough to accommodate these changes.
Ryan Till
Chief Operating Officer, Primedia Broadcasting
Comment with Facebook