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Radio on Main Street Podcast Featuring Cristina Ceresoli Senior Vice President for Retail Strategy at the National
Retail Federation

Erica Farber, President & CEO of the RAB, spoke recently with Cristina Ceresoli, Senior Vice President for Retail Strategy at the National Retail Federation.

Cristina is responsible for NRF’s product offering and event content strategy with a specific focus on the customer experience and digital expansion for the retail industry. There are positive indicators coming from the retail sector which is good news for local Radio. As Cristina discusses, retail has the opportunity to connect and delight their customers something the Radio industry knows a lot about.

Radio Wins in Chicago – A Case Study

“Radio is the most important thing we use on the media side because it touches so many people.” 
Ed Wehmer, Founder, President & CEO, Wintrust Financial Corp.

“It’s personal, it’s daily & we can tell our story in an evolving way on radio.  That’s hard to do in other media.”
Diana Sikes, Senior Vice President, Art Van Furniture 

“We can target different demographics, change the message.  It’s a tremendous, flexible medium.” 
Roy Spencer, President & Owner, PermaSeal Basement Systems

“Radio is the core of our influence strategy.” 
John Alfirevich, Dealer Operator of Apple Chevrolet and President of the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Chevy Dealers Association

These are real, current testimonials that speak to the effectiveness of radio and are highlights from a bi-product of the Radio Broadcasters of Chicagoland (RBC), a committee of the Illinois Broadcasters Association, focused on demonstrating the power, influence and evolution of radio as the most effective results-driven medium through innovative collaboration.

These testimonials represent phase 2 of what is called an “RBC Roadblock” concept where more than 40 radio stations in a single major market (Chicago) simultaneously air the :60 spot.  Phase 1 of the Roadblock campaign was first introduced through an unprecedented and uninterrupted “live” 30-minute “Town Hall Meeting” conversation between Hall of Fame broadcaster Bill Kurtis and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Since then, the “roadblock” concept has been used to support fundraising efforts for 2017 hurricane victims and, more recently, this campaign featured advertisers who believe strongly in the medium of radio.

The results have been terrific.  Click here for the case study.

Results:

Inaugural Event: Chicago Radio Town Hall Meeting

One third of the population listened to the broadcast.

7 in 10 Chicagoans were aware of the event, with nearly half knowing  about it prior to the air date.

88% of those who tuned in listened to all or most of the broadcast.

Eight in 10 adults dialed in to their preferred station.

The location of listening was equally split between those listening at home and away from home.

Radio on Main Street Podcast Featuring Rishad Tobaccowala, Chief Growth Officer, Publicis Groupe & Gordon Borrell, CEO, Borrell Associates

Recently, RAB’s Dave Casper and Jeff Schmidt attended the Local Online Advertising Conference in New York City. They had a chance to talk with Gordon Borrell from Borrell and Associates – the organizer of the conference; and one of the keynote speakers, Rishad Tobaccowala who is the Chief Growth Officer for Publicis Group.

Rishad suggests that the future will not fit in the containers of the past, and this is causing widespread fear and confusion. He says all of us must change to meet the demands of a very bright future.

Radio on Main Street Podcast Featuring Chris Brown, EVP Conventions & Business Ops for the National Association of Broadcasters

Erica Farber is the President & CEO of the RAB and in this edition she speaks with Chris Brown, EVP Conventions & Business Ops for the National Association of Broadcasters.

In this role, Chris is responsible for producing the NAB’s annual conventions, with their largest conference, the NAB Show coming up next month in Las Vegas. The NAB Show covers over 2 million square feet of space and is the ultimate event for media, entertainment and technology professionals looking for new and innovative ways to create, manage, deliver and monetize content on any platform.

Radio on Main Street Podcast Featuring Erik Schmidt, a Recent Saga Communications Graduate of RAB’s Certified Radio Sales Manager Course

In a multi-year study of workplace learning entitled “In Search of Learning Agility,” one of the key findings was, there is no such thing as permanent competence any longer, or a fully developed skill set either in individuals or organizations. There is a constant need for new learning and training. The good news is, for those who want to continue their professional development there are plenty of resources.

Jeff Schmidt, who leads RAB’s professional development team had a chance to speak to Erik Schmidt, a recent graduate of the Certified Radio Sales Manager course conducted in RAB’s Dallas office.

Radio: Still the One

There is little doubt that we are in a golden age of media overall, as content is available everywhere and across all devices.  Yet, according to Nielsen’s second quarter 2017 Comparable Metrics Report, radio remains the top way to reach consumers across all media platforms – 93% A18+. And radio also provides advertisers with effective digital opportunities to compliment and extend its large over-the-air audience. Such as: streaming, on-demand podcasts, HD radio, NextRadio, and pure plays… the list continues to expand. Radio’s social media websites provide advertisers with new ways to relate to the enthusiastic radio audience. As smart marketers, we must look ahead to understand these drivers of change and signals of progress to navigate forward. The media landscape is vast, complex with technology changing the way consumer’s engage with media and radio remains the best way to reach consumers across demographics.

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