Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB
Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “be the change that you wish to see in the world.” This simple, yet meaningful advice is perhaps more relevant and inspiring today than when it was first spoken.
There has been a marketing shift brewing over the past several months that has been ignited and fast-tracked by the current climate. We are seeing brands across all categories expressing their humanity, supporting consumers, contributing and leading social justice causes and using the power of their voice to publicly express their values and lead by example to inspire and activate change.
Though we are only halfway through 2020, it is a year that none of us will ever forget. In just four months, marketers have been required to shift their business strategies, revamp their operations and pivot their messaging multiple times.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the social injustices that have led to violence and destruction and peaceful protests from coast to coast, brands find themselves continuously reinventing their models for conducting business, communicating with consumers and supporting the greater good. Those brands that are flexible, nimble and bold enough to use their voice to lead change are the ones being the change.
A new Morning Consult poll conducted between May 30-June 1 meant to gauge what brands should do and say amid Black Lives Matter protests, recommends that brands should not stay silent. Among all adults, as well as both black and white consumers, more people said that if a company declined to make an official statement about the protests, that it would cause them to see a brand in a less favorable light.
More than 15,000 radio brands are part of this crusade, alongside their brand partners.
Radio has always been known as a force for good that unites communities. In fact, consumers tune in to their favorite radio stations because they provide a reflection of who they are and help connect them to a community of shared values.
Listeners rely on local radio personalities to entertain, inform and comfort them. They rely on their voices, opinions and advice. Specific and niche groups of consumers rely on the change that mass-reaching radio broadcasts inspire in the local communities where they live. Listeners rely on the simple fact that their local radio stations have their back – always.
As we continue to navigate 2020 and beyond, radio will continue to fulfill the responsibility it has to its listeners and the communities it serves. Radio will also continue to fulfill its responsibility to its marketing partners to provide the targeted, trusted media environment to reach and engage consumers with the power of the brands’ voice.
Now is the time where every action a brand takes is a reflection of its beliefs. Now is the time to use radio’s megaphone to demonstrate to loyal listeners across all demographics and cultures that the brand has their backs.
Now is the time to lead by example. Radio is poised to help you, our advertising partners, to craft your voice, broadcast your message of support and to “be the change that ‘we collectively’ wish to see in the world.”