3-13-2013
Lisa DuPr? is the marketing and events manager for the Washington County Fair Complex in Hillsboro, OR, near Portland. DuPr? spent 18 years of her life selling radio. The bad news is that she?s no longer selling for the industry. The good news is that she?s in a position to make advertising decisions, and she understands the power of radio.
Two years ago, DuPr? took all ad buying for the Fair Complex in-house. And she says that to make radio work, you have to deliver a strong message (good creative) and own it (high frequency).
In 2011, she made a change and increased the radio ad budget. ?Our attendance went up 16 percent,? DuPr? says. ?In 2011, with the economy being what it was, and the fair business being what it was, if you were flat, you were considered a successful fair. When we were up 16 percent, everybody said, ?What in the world happened?? The only thing we did differently was our advertising. That year, for the first time, we started having more people say, ?I heard your commercials on the radio.? I don?t think people had ever really heard them before. A lot of it has to do with the fact that we changed how we bought, and we really focused on the message.?
How are you buying radio?
It will be interesting to see the proposals this year. A lot of times, I send them back. They know they?re dealing with a strong believer in radio. A lot of them will come in with a big e-mail campaign, and X amount is dedicated to that. I say take it out. I don?t want the e-mail, I want more airtime. Take the portion attributed to the e-mail campaign and make radio do what radio does best. Let?s spend that money on spots.
Is radio losing focus because digital is hot right now?
I do feel that way. I think radio is focusing too much on digital and not remembering what it does best. There is that beauty you can give with a traffic report, that immediate message that can get out there. I know a lot of us say, ?Young people today listen to their iPods.? At some point, they will grow up. They?re going to get a job. They?re going to start commuting. Then they?re going to start realizing there is value in that traffic report. It?s still the bread and butter of what radio can do best, if they would just have faith in it. I do wonder if the pendulum hasn?t already swung too far the other way.
Are you getting good creative from radio?
I would like to see the creative improve a bit more. This year our challenge was getting the right feel when we gave them the copy. We want listeners reminiscing about the fair they remember. You?ve got the buy from us. Now the key is what we are going to put on the air to make that 30 or 60 seconds really work.
Any advice for advertisers reluctant to use radio because they can?t determine ROI?
You?ve got to buy more to make it work. Look at dayparts. Look at what you can afford, and try to own it. And you really need to think about the message. I always try to envision a person riding in their car, sitting in traffic. Tap in to that. You really have to put a lot of emphasis on what that message is going to be.
When you talk to radio people, do they have confidence in what they?re selling?
The seasoned broadcasters that have been around for a long time still do. You?ve got the next generation now, moving into being the new radio account executives. I wonder if they understand the value of radio. They put a lot of emphasis on digital. I don?t want all the frills of this other stuff that has nothing to do with listening to the radio. I want you to do what you do best. Give us as much radio as you can give us.
What can radio sellers do better?
The creative side of radio ? I sometimes feel like they get the buy, and that?s the afterthought. There is nothing more powerful than a commercial that doesn?t have a lot of production under it, when it?s just the voice. It?s the words that make those 30 seconds really valuable. If you?ve got the right message, you don?t need it to repeat it as many times. You don?t have to buy as much if you?ve got a commercial that sticks with consumers when they hear it. If they put a little bit more emphasis on going back to what the human voice can do, the words and the creative side to it ? that is the one area I think could be a little bit better.
(3/13/2013 3:42:28 AM)
Good grief! LMFAO!!!
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