subject: Clear Channel Radio Branding Campaign Pitch [print this page] Clear Channel Radio's Branding Campaign Pitch
by Dan O'Day
Recently a small business owner made a lengthy blog posting with the title, "Why Radio Advertising is a Really, Really Stupid Waste of Money in 2010."
I'll quote a few salient points....
"I was invited to a 'branding conference' for Clear Channel Radio....I was quite interested to learn anything about marketing and branding that might help my company....But within just a few minutes I realized that this seminar really...was an attempt to convince small business owners that radio was the best and most essential means of taking one's business to the next level.
"Within minutes of listening to the electric presentation, hundreds of small businesses were sitting down with individual 'consultants' who were there to essentially pressure them into committing to long-term radio advertising campaigns with the 'promise' that they would achieve brand status within 12 months or so.
"...I feel sadness toward the business owners I watched that day make long-term marketing commitments they could in no way afford and that would by no means 'brand' them as this hired oratorical gun had promised. Frankly, this event was a slick move by Clear Channel. In my opinion, they knew radio was floundering so they brought in a company that specialized in mentally manipulating any vulnerable small business owner into spending thousands of wasteful dollars.
"If you are debating on sinking more and more of your hard-earned dollars on radio advertising, I'd strongly urge you to get with the 21st century and invest your money into your website. Start a blog. Embrace such platforms as Facebook and other social media."
So, is this where I leap to radio's defense? Not quite.
His analysis of the cynicism behind that slick pitch is pretty accurate.
But whether or not to advertise via radio isn't a "21st Century" question; it's a "competence" question.
Most people don't know how to create radio advertising that works. It's not difficult, but it does require an understanding of how the medium really works...plus some skill.
Clear Channel's "branding" pitch is their admission that they don't have a clue how to create a radio campaign that motivates targeted listeners to take a specific action. Because they don't have the knowledge and ability to make a retailer's cash register ring or drive qualified leads, they tell business owner's THAT'S not what's important; what's important is seeing how many more people recognize your company's name after a year of heavy advertising.
Right....
90% of radio advertising is a waste of moneyNOT because the medium is weak but because the creation and delivery of the message is incompetent.
The other 10%, however, makes lots of money for the advertiser.
It saddens me to hear a business owner say radio makes no sense "especially for small businesses," because small businesses are the easiest for which to create a profitable campaign. Assuming, of course, the ad campaign is created by people who know what the heck they're doing.
