The Pitch for Political Radio Advertising

The broadcast radio industry finds itself at an unusual crossroads.? It is generally accepted that radio has the widest audience reach of any medium.? At the same time, radio is widely shunned and disrespected.

In the automotive industry it is not unusual for stories to crop up – about every six months or so – regarding car makers removing built-in radios from their cars.? (This is followed by the usual radio in the car mandate conversation - ugh.) The significance (the threat?) of car makers turning away from radio derives from the fact that in the U.S. and in other markets around the world, in-vehicle listening to radio accounts for about half of all radio listening.

Car makers routinely weigh the benefits of including car radios in the context of signal interference from electric propulsion systems or to save on the hardware necessary to support in-car listening and shift free over the air radio reception to streaming cellular-based access.? The car makers save a little money but shift significant cost onto the broadcasters. Not good.

While radio trade magazines track industry developments and Nielsen Media in the U.S. measures radio listening, advertising trade magazines actively avoid reporting on radio advertising.? Radio industry analysts report that advertising trade publications are simply no longer interested in the radio advertising market.

It's hard to say which came first the lack of interest from the advertising industry or an erosion of the understanding of the value of radio advertising, but the two have combined to reduce radio advertising to something of a lost art.? In this context, I reached out to Steve Newberry, former executive vice president of the National Association of Broadcasters, President and CEO of Commonwealth Broadcasting, and Chief Executive Officer of Quu.

I was looking for Steve’s perspective on the dearth of political advertising on the radio in the midst of a hotly contested, high-profile and national presidential campaign.? Steve talked at length about the personal nature of radio advertising and how it contrasts with television and digital advertising, where hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent.

?This is what Steve had to say:

“I believe radio is an extremely effective advertising vehicle for both building a brand and for triggering specific actions and decisions from listeners. ?Both are proven, highly successful benefits of radio advertising, and they are the very results needed by political campaigns. ?Candidates want to establish their identity and name recognition and then activate their supporters to cast a vote in their favor. ?

“So, the question is, ‘why don’t political candidates include radio as a prominent piece of their advertising budgets?’

“Having been a radio station owner for 40 years and having been involved in politics (including as a candidate), I point to one key factor as the answer. ?The vast majority of campaign consultants have no experience with radio. ?They have been trained to produce television advertisements reinforcing the campaign’s key talking points. ?Those points either promote their candidate or attack their opponent, they are presented in a :30 second television ad and the consultant buys as many gross television ratings points as they can afford. ?IF radio is a part of the candidate’s budget, campaigns often simply capture the audio for the television commercial and repurpose that for their limited radio buys.

“Television is a general market advertising medium. ?It has traditionally been the centerpiece of the home, where all genders and demographics gather to watch favorite shows, news and big events. Advertising on television is intended to reach as many people as possible. ?While some shows have specific demographic appeal, the viewer understands different types of people are watching the same program they are. ?

“In contrast, radio is an intensely personal medium. ?By design, different formats attract very specific age, gender and ethnic audiences.???The most successful stations craft programming that elicits intense listener loyalty.??It might be the relatability of the personalities, the prizes awarded through contesting or the music played. ?People often say, ‘my radio station is X’, but they rarely use that phrase with a television station.

“Digital advertising has certainly improved the campaign’s ability to more effectively target their television dollars, and advertising on social media allows much greater targeting than ever before.??However, neither of those digital products are accompanied by the emotional connection radio provides to listeners, and that emotional connection to one’s radio station is a powerful tool radio is not getting or, in many cases, taking credit for.

“Listeners expect a much more personalized radio experience than what they expect from television. ?Using the audio from a television ad intended for the mass audience does not take advantage of radio’s unique and highly personal connection.

“Missing that connection handicaps the ability for the candidate’s message to either build a candidate’s brand or activate actions like attending rallies or voting.

“Advertisers who truly understand the power of radio’s connection to specific demographics are then able to capture the power of radio. ?

“But it cannot be done with generic, mass market, run-of-the-mill audio from a television ad.

“NO medium reaches more Americans than radio. ?I believe NO medium creates the intimate and passionate relationship with the audience than radio. ?

“It is a power that has repeatedly proven its ability to brand and activate. ?Political candidates and their consultants can unleash that power with targeted messages to targeted audiences that emotionally resonate and connect. ?

“But, that can’t be done if radio is simply an afterthought, running generic audio from the television campaign.”

Those are some powerful thoughts from someone who ought to know.? Radio advertising requires a particular skill set and a very specific approach.? Radio advertising in moving vehicles has the potential for uniquely powerful connections.? Let’s not forget these realities in the last weeks and months of the current campaign. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat or something else - as a candidate you want to connect. Radio can make that happen.