Marketron

Insurance and Radio – It’s Personal

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

With major shift in the workplace model from in-office to hybrid, Americans are revaluating their residences. Is their current residence conducive to sustain a regular work-from-home situation versus an occasional event? Whether it is a condo, a home or rented apartment, many consumers appreciate the importance of homeowners/personal property insurance.

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Radio Drives Nonprofit Site Traffic

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines charity as “generosity and helpfulness, especially toward the needy or suffering; an institution engaged in relief of the poor,” as well as a few others. Whichever definition you choose, the outcome is the same – giving.

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Radio Reaches Adopters of Technology

Author: Victor Texcucano, Content Coordinator, RAB

The world of technology advances every day, and it sure is getting interesting. We now have 8K smart televisions with more than 33 million pixels, smart home speakers that let you hear local, national and global news with a mere voice command and even internet-connected thermostats that can be controlled from smartphone applications. Today’s technology is truly transforming our living spaces into smarter, more helpful environments.

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Radio Reaches Taxpayers

Author: Stephanie Heracleous, Research & Insights Assistant, RAB

The pandemic has thrown a wrench in the tax filing process the last couple of years as new incentives, deductions and tax credits have emerged. As we settle into the first few months of 2022, tax season is in full swing. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued more than $4MM in tax returns so far this year. Consumers are looking to online businesses and professionals for assistance in filing to make sure their taxes are prepared correctly.  

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From Bud to Bloom – Radio Grows Site Traffic for Lawn and Garden Retailers

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

According to Punxsutawney Phil, winter should be over in three more weeks. Within those weeks, landscapers and lawn and garden centers will experience an influx of want-to-be and experienced gardeners. It’s the time when most people will find out what kind of “thumb” they have.

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Radio Digital Sales Surge 33%: Debriefing the RAB-Borrell Annual Benchmarking Report

Todd Kalman, senior vice president of sales at Marketron

Now in its 10th year, the RAB-Borrell Digital Benchmark report is a must-read for the radio industry. As broadcasters seek to increase revenue and diversify offerings, digital advertising is a critical part of this. In 2021, the world faced year two of the pandemic and its impact. The findings of this year’s report show there are reasons for optimism.

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Health and Wellness – An Important Theme for Black History Month

Author: Annette Malave, SVP-Insights, RAB

With only a high school education, Vivien Thomas worked as an assistant to a surgeon. Born in 1910 and without any formal medical training, he developed a procedure used to treat blue baby syndrome. He was a teacher of operative techniques and was a pioneer in cardiac surgery. He received an honorary doctorate from Johns Hopkins University in 1976.

Dr. Thomas’ contributions to the medical field are just one of thousands of reasons we celebrate the achievements of Blacks every year during Black History Month.

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Radio – You Can Bank on It

Author: Annette Malave, SVP-Insights, RAB

A 2016 PwC publication stated that fintech (short for financial technology) would reshape banking. Based on a survey of banking executives, the article stated that, within five years of the article, 90% of banks expected growth of mobile applications. At that time, a little more than half of the respondents offered a mobile app for their clients, and 18% were currently developing one. Clearly, the pandemic has had a greater impact on services and offerings by banks and financial institutions.

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Radio Plays a Part in the Future of Retail

Author: Victor Texcucano, Content Coordinator, RAB

COVID-19 fears and restrictions have helped establish several new trends in the world of retail. Since the rise of e-commerce over the past decade or so, shopping has evolved to become much faster and much more convenient.

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Insights Into CES

Author: Jeff Schmidt, SVP/Professional Development, RAB

Dr. Everett Rogers, a communications studies professor at Ohio State University, popularized the theory of diffusion of innovation. According to Rogers, there are four key groups or mindsets when it comes to new technology, new ideas and new concepts. At the front end are Innovators, the people who are constantly looking forward and searching for what’s next. At the back end are Laggards, who are constantly looking back and wondering what happened and how the world around them changed.

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Radio’s Power Hour for Fitness

Author: Stephanie Heracleous, Research & Insights Assistant, RAB

The new year inevitably brings new goals into homes. As communities wind down from the holidays, folks are actively seeking healthier routines. The pandemic has heightened awareness to the importance of health and has sparked a larger interest for consumers to get back to working out.

According to IBISWorld, January and February are the busiest times for new fitness club memberships as consumers are looking to start resolutions for the year.

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How Partnerships with Radio Can Change Kid’s Health

Contributor: Fleur Voruz, Senior Director, Programs (Media), Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

No one ever expects to need a children’s hospital, yet every day, thousands of kids enter a children’s hospital, many of them fighting for their lives.

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Radio is the Best Policy for Insurance

Contributor: Rick Kestenbaum, General Manager, AnalyticOwl

As lockdowns occurred at the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Americans experienced financial concerns and reviewed all their household expenses – including insurance. Consumers evaluated their auto, home and life insurance policies. They also realized the importance of their insurance carrier’s ability to handle their concerns quickly, efficiently and virtually.

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Radio Advertising Is the Perfect “Lift” for Digital

Contributor: Dustin Wilson, Manager of Client Development, Digital, Marketron

It’s no secret that integrated advertising campaigns typically perform better. When you pair radio and digital ads, they’re an excellent complement to each other. That’s because audiences consume content in multiple ways across lots of mediums. And that’s a necessity in a world where people encounter hundreds if not thousands of ads in a single day.

The competition to break out from the noise and connect with audiences is key for any advertiser. However, they may have misconceptions about what channels work best. Well, they don’t need to go on hunches, and neither do you. Data and research support that radio ads can lift the performance of digital ones.

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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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