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Category: Advertising

Thirty Years in Your Ears – Celebrating 30 Years of Radio Creativity

Author: Madison Wright, Associate Producer, Radio Mercury Awards

Since their inception, the Radio Mercury Awards have honored the best in radio creative and have brought together agencies, productions companies, advertisers and radio broadcasters, all to celebrate radio.

On Wednesday, November 17, the awards, produced by RAB, brought the celebration event to wherever viewers were watching – at home, in their offices, with family or with colleagues, all to celebrate the power of radio and the future of audio creative.

Here are four key takeaways from this year’s awards:

  • Radio and audio continue to be front and center in an advertisers’ media mix. The robust number of entries this year exceeding the previous few years reflects this trend.
  • The caliber of work submitted in this year’s competition so engaged and engrossed the final round jury that it took nearly two full days to deliberate and determine the winning work. Thus, showing that the art of radio creative continues to grow and evolve.
  • As reflected in 2020 and again in 2021, the finalists and winning work specifically produced in the Creative Spot for a Cause: Agency/Production Company/Advertiser, Creative Spot for a Cause: Radio Station or Group and Purpose-Driven Spot or Campaign categories reflect radio’s ability to communicate important and meaningful messaging to and with its listeners and the role it plays in local communities.
  • Audio creative continues to innovate and leverage core attributes including driving emotion, the use of sonic branding and shows how radio goes beyond the dial.

2021 celebrates the 15 winners and is now woven into the rich history of the Radio Mercury Awards. Want to hear more? We encourage you watch the full, encore viewing of the show here.

Alejandro Ortiz, executive creative director, Campbell Ewald Detroit/NY, will be serving as the 2022 Radio Mercury Awards chief judge.

“I’m super excited, I have a lot of history with these awards… this is an amazing festival and the quality of work that comes in every year is incredible. I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone comes with.”

Stay tuned for more information regarding 2022 Call for Entry. Want to stay ahead of the curve? Be sure to subscribe to the Radio Mercury Awards mailing list here.

Tradition is Valued by Auto Buyers

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

Before the pandemic, traditional aspects of the auto purchase were changing. People were considering subscription auto plans versus ownership. Vehicle options were also shifting. COVID-19 changed all that.

Traditional vehicle ownership is still considered to be the most convenient, practical and flexible by consumers. When it comes to audio entertainment, traditional sources are important.

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Radio Delivers for Furniture and Appliances

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

There’s nothing more thrilling for some than shopping for a new sofa, bedroom set, stove or refrigerator. It is so important to find the that one item that is just what you are just looking for or to quote the fairytale, the one that is “just right.” Looking for that “just right” item isn’t as easy today.

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Radio Sells Silver and Gold

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

Although some adults have already started their holiday shopping, there are some that will wait for the right time to purchase something new and shiny – for themselves or as a gift. The new and shiny isn’t a car, it’s jewelry.

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Radio – A Safe Bet for Gaming

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

With lockdowns in place during 2020, Americans hungered for the thrill of the game and the luck of the draw as sporting events and casinos shuttered. People turned to gaming and event alternatives, all online – prompting a surge in participation well into 2021.

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Radio Upfronts: 4 Powerful Ways to Maximize Your Sales

Contributor: Stu Jacobs, President, Mr. Master

While TV’s upfronts season traditionally takes place in May, the radio industry’s upfronts season takes place in September and into October. Upfronts are a chance for radio – on a national, regional, or local level – to secure business for the duration of the following calendar year. This benefits radio by securing committed ad dollars well in advance. It also benefits advertisers by allowing them to see what new shows, content or event opportunities a cluster, station, radio group, or network has planned for the upcoming year. In addition, upfronts allow brands and agencies to strategically plan their advertising dollars, book ads at scale, access premium inventory and secure efficient pricing. It’s a win-win opportunity for all.

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Marketers Ride New Waves of Radio Advertising

Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB

One of the hottest trends in advertising is “screen-free media,” as people liberate their eyeballs and engage their ears with a potpourri of audio programming. However, for marketers to capitalize on the audio renaissance, they must develop an audio strategy that goes beyond ad buying and adopts a distinctive voice and sound for their brands, according to the Carat Trends 2021 report, titled “The Year of Emotionally Intelligent Marketing.”

The diversification of audio platforms and the attention audio commands among consumers has opened up tremendous opportunity for brands to expand their audio strategies and grow their audiences.

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Celebrating the Hispanic Community Every Day

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

According to the latest data from Pew Research, the U.S. Hispanic population grew 23% – from 50.5 million in 2010 to 62.1 million last year. Hispanics are the largest minority and have a buying power of $1.9 trillion, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth.

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Radio – A Booster for Wellness

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

While many behaviors shifted during the pandemic, Americans became more aware of their overall health and wellness. As consumers focused on exercise and rediscovered the outdoors, many reviewed their intake of vitamins, supplements and nutrients as a way to improve and or boost their immunities.

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Podcast and Broadcast Radio – Listeners in Common

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

The growth in audio usage across all platforms and devices has been incredible. One segment of that growth has captured a lot of attention – podcasts. Podcast listeners have been considered a niche audience. Do they differ from broadcast listeners, and what are their views about broadcast radio?

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Targeting the Next Big Consumer – Teens

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

An online search for Gen Z will deliver results in the billions regarding various topics and industries. If you are wondering why, it is because they are about to become the largest and most important consumer target. They may also be the most complex.

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Using Omni-Shopper Insights to Create More Effective Ads

Contributor: Sarena Gerard, Senior Research Associate, GfK

Combining online and in-store shopping is a highly personal, consumer-driven experience that’s here to stay — one that predates COVID-19 but that has picked up major momentum over the last 18 months.

For many consumers, pivoting from in-store to online shopping was one survival tactic among many adopted to cope with pandemic lockdowns —and as the omnichannel trend continues to rise, many advertisers are working hard to get in front of consumers in both online and in-store environments. This is especially true in categories that have experienced strong omnichannel growth over the last year – among them clothing & fashion, household cleaning products, and packaged foods and beverages.

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In Your Ears – The 30th Anniversary
Radio Mercury Awards

Author: Madison Wright, Associate Producer, Radio Mercury Awards

For the past 30 years, radio broadcasters, agencies and advertisers have entered their creative work into the Radio Mercury Awards. Produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau, it is the only awards competition that exclusively honors creativity in radio and audio since its creation in 1992. Around 20,000 commercials have competed for close to $3.5 million in prizes.

When reflecting upon the Radio Mercury Awards, especially during this special anniversary, two things come to mind – the rich heritage of the awards show and how they continue to matter to the creative community as the medium continues to evolve.

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Radio Mercury Awards”

Meet the New Retail Shopper

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

We know that consumer shopping behavior changed dramatically in 2020 – due to both restrictions and personal preferences. However, live events are on, places are open, and consumers are ready for it all.

The National Retail Federation revised their 2021 annual forecast and now projects that retail sales will total anywhere from $4.44 to $4.56 trillion this year. Yes, consumers are ready to shop, but where they shop, why they shop and what they buy will look different in 2021.

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Objections Overruled. Radio Drives Double Digit Site Lift for Legal Services

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

A 2019 blog post noted how 58% of consumers will use search to find an attorney or legal service. That was well before the events we all experienced during 2020. No doubt, the search for legal counsel increased during 2020 for various and obvious reasons.

As many consumers and businesses across the country were impacted both economically and medically by the pandemic, the need for legal services spiked. According to the American Bankruptcy Institute, bankruptcy filings were up 30% just between April and May 2020. When Americans needed help, broadcast radio was there to inform them of where to get those legal services – driving a double-digit lift in site traffic for legal services in 2020.

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It’s July – Time for Back-to-School Shopping

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

Having just come off a long summer holiday weekend, parents of children across the U.S. are prepping for, or have already begun, back-to-school shopping. If you think it is too soon, think again. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), 61% of consumers typically plan their back-to-school shopping around retail sales events like Fourth of July.

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The Value of Trust

Author: Jeff Schmidt, SVP/Professional Development, RAB

‘Trust me.” Ever have someone say those words to you? Or “I’m going to be totally honest with you…” Just saying those words is likely to raise red flags for the people with whom you’re talking. If people can trust you to be honest, why would you have to say it?

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Radio Post-Pandemic

Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB

The challenges that the marketing, advertising and media community faced throughout 2020 and the first half of 2021 have been like nothing any business has ever seen or experienced before. These challenges brought opportunity and have demonstrated a collective resilience in nearly every sector of business.

The next frontier for radio has been shaped by many of the lessons learned as consumers, businesses and brands have leaned in to audio across all platforms as the soundtrack to their daily journey.

What is new is old. What is old is new. Radio trends born from past truths.

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Radio Gets the Job Done for Recruitment

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

The disruption to businesses and the economy created by the pandemic throughout 2020 was unprecedented, impacting unemployment levels not seen in prior recessions. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over twice the number of jobs were lost between March 2020 through April 2020 than those lost from 2007-2009.

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Play Ball with Radio

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

The role that sports plays in the lives of Americans became magnified during 2020. Whether it was the dribbling of a basketball on a court, the crack of a bat or the sounds from a huddle – people needed to watch and experience sports.

Sports fans are passionate, and they are engaged in the team or player they are following. They are emotionally connected – just like they are with radio.

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