By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Thank you, Pink Floyd. Perfect description of the proposals I’ve seen that never show a “Why Buy?”
Go ahead and check your last proposal. How did you answer the Why Buy question? Chances are you either omitted the concept completely or channeled Captain Obvious. When it comes to fundamentals, gone is not forgotten.
Let’s face it fellow sellers, radio commercials have been around longer than just about anyone reading this article. Radios hit the 90%+ household and auto penetration level before anyone reading this article made their first sales call. Radio advertising is still a single-digit growth business (pandemic comparatives excluded) and you may be forgetting the basics that keep that growth moving forward. Worse yet, you may still be struggling to understand why podcast advertising is skyrocketing as you sing that memorable jingle you heard on the radio? Oops, there you are! The first clue to an answer for Why Buy?
Let’s drill this down to actionable takeaways.
- What salient point can you make about your radio station that no other competitor can match? Here’s a real world example, (names omitted)
“WXXX hosted nearly 20,000 listeners, as national on-air talents appeared in our _____ Series. Check out this note from (sponsor) about their results.” It’s a mouthful, but when part of a performance talk it shows your client a unique reason why they should feel confidant advertising with your station.
- Same as above for your on-air talent. Years ago, one of my talk show hosts collected over 8,000 pairs of shoes as part of a promotion. Everyone has an extra pair of shoes in their closet worthy of a good cause. How’s that for a unique proof of listener loyalty?
- Are you still singing a jingle or repeating that memorable slogan?
Whether local or national there is always that one memorable jingle or slogan that sits on the tip of your tongue.
Chances are that jingle or slogan was embedded into your memory through the magic of radio’s secret weapon: repetition.
No other medium triggers recall at the time of purchase better than radio. Always there, ready to serve at your fingertips wherever you are in the world, radio delivers when an advertiser needs it most.
Move on from empty “reach” numbers. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Tik-Tok and geo-targeted others will win the numbers game. But when it comes to showing results, radio is still a primary medium.
It’s up to you to always include the “Why Buy” selling points that keep radio at the top of the results roster.
Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com