Category: Sales
Pending Business: The Vice President’s Lead List
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. –Last week’s column in TALKERS listed recruitment as the #2 mid-term sales priority for radio in this environment. Hope you’ve started, because during last Thursday’s Presidential Task Force presser, Vice President Pence listed the three biggest companies looking to hire — today. And when the vice president speaks, the world tunes in.
Recruitment sale and marketing is especially well suited for news/talk radio. The news/talk audience can be full of job candidates looking for work, job change, recent relocation, even the listener’s children or grandkids looking for part-time work while not in school. This is about smart marketing in a new normal environment.
Pending Business: Warning, Speed Bumps Ahead
By Steve Lapa
President
Lapcom Communications
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — No hugging, no handshake…not now, not soon, not until we get the virus all-clear. But even then, will the sales environment ever be the same?
The impact of the coronavirus crisis on the work environment is an in-your-face lesson in the speed of change. Where and how you work, plan, think, and create, is changing right in front of you and there are no stop signs.
Wild Political Year Could Lead to Hot Sales
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla — It’s that time again! The political season, and if you’ve been following it at all, it looks to be one of the most contentious in recent memory with national congressional seats up for grabs along with numerous state and local races. Despite the apparent fact that there seems to be a kind of “nastiness” to the current campaigning, this could prove to be a sales bonanza for news/talk radio stations.
Sponsoring Your Podcast: Booze
By Holland Cooke
Media Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND, RI — Seventeen years ago (!) iPod was created to tote music. But it was consumers who reckoned that audio-is-audio and they started swapping spoken word content. This do-it-yourself talk radio was dubbed “podcasting,” back then referring to the device. Today that P.O.D. moniker acknowledges our “Programming On-Demand” culture.
“With hundreds of thousands of audio programs available on topics broad (NBA basketball, American history) to niche (knitting, Atari 2600 games), a wealth of stories and information is instantly available to stream on demand, whenever we want.”
— From “The New Generation of Audio,” an article in AARP Bulletin, read by radio’s heaviest users, Persons 50+.
Commercial Cycles
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — It is fascinating how certain trends in the styles of commercials have disappeared over the years. Yet they seem to re-appear as the generations go by. Do you recall that the singing commercial once was the rage over the airwaves? How about this example?:
Pepsi Cola hits the spot.
Twelve full ounces, that’s a lot.
Twice as much for a nickel too,
Pepsi Cola is the drink for you!
There were numerous others – Ajax (the foaming cleanser); Alka Seltzer (plop, plop, fizz, fizz); and on and on. The products are still here, but the way they are being advertised over the air has changed dramatically.
Sales in the New Talk Media Landscape
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — There have been explosive changes in the talk media since I was last able to chat face-to-face with a number of my peers at a TALKERS conference a year ago. But, at the recently completed one in New York City — TALKERS 2018: Full Speed Ahead! — we, once again, were able to gather and exchange views. You’ll notice that even my terminology has changed from talk “radio” to talk “media,” and that was clearly evidenced from the stage at the Helen Mills Theater just a number of days ago.
The Future of Radio Play-By-Play
Larry Stone
Stonecom Radio
President and General Manager
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — As the radio world awaits word on the merger of Learfield and IMG, we must face a bigger issue. Does radio play-by-play have a place in the media world of the future?
Today, we can watch any event on any device. Outside of driving and watching TV (which technology will apparently soon fix as well), I no longer need radio for sports.
But the technology is only a small part of the issue. We as radio broadcasters (including the two major producers of play-by-play) need to look long and hard at the product we are putting on the air. We, as an industry, are not making it fun or entertaining or, in many cases, even possible, to follow our favorite teams on the radio.
Suicide by Commercial
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — If I were an advertiser using commercials on some talk shows, I’d ask for my money back. There seems to a be a rash of spots currently on the air that are over-jammed with information containing unneeded details and presented at break-neck speed. There even are some where the show host opens each commercial by re-identifying him/herself within the body of his/her own program each time even when three “live” commercials are aired back-to-back. That’s an ok technique if the spots are recorded and run separately elsewhere during the day where it is an implied endorsement. But within his/her own show?Hall Talk 2017
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — In addition to all the other valuable and important matters that were explored at the just-completed “TALKERS 2017” conference in New York City, I enjoyed one extra benefit by attending. It was the opportunity to meet face-to-face and exchange ideas with some of the folks whose responsibility it is to sell the advertising that supports the talk media and hopefully to make it profitable. And the challenge before us clearly appears to be growing. It is a topic we’ve been discussing for years now, but these days it has blossomed into a gigantic bloom. Why? Because of the new technology that allows any individual — even in his or her own bedroom — to create and present a talk show on any topic and make it available to the entire world.
Commercial Fads and Fashions
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — The wide world of commercials is no different than any other segment of society. It goes through its periods of fads and fashions. “Way back when” it was the singing commercial or the jingle that led the way. There even were actual companies that produced these jingles for you in general categories with a space open within them to insert the name of the local advertiser. And, of course, some of the national sponsors had tunes created especially for them that took on a bit of a hit-song quality. There are those among you who may even remember “Pepsi Cola Hits the Spot!”
The 10th Annual Hersky Awards
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — When the reference here is to Clio, it’s not about the Queen of Egypt. How about Grammy? No, not your mother’s mother. Of course there’s Obie which is an obtuse way to say “gynecologist.” And finally Oscar which, with Felix, made up the duo on that old and recently revived TV sitcom – “The Odd Couple.” Oddly these names are the regularly recognized titles of those yearly show-biz awards, all of which now are swept away by the most important of all the yearly prizes — one you can’t define in any other way — The 10th Annual Hersky Awards.
For the uninitiated who have been living in a remorte, dark cave ‘lo these recent years, this event honors the very best in talk radio sales and advertising.
It’s All in the Sell
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — Some years ago there was a popular TV sitcom about funny doings at a radio station. It was called “WKRP in Cincinnati” and was created and written by a radio guy. So it had a pretty good handle on the internal goings on. The series pops up now and then on one of those old-show cable stations.
The characters included a grumpy general manager, a beleaguered program manager, a sexy receptionist, a nerdy news director, a couple of on-the-air personalities and a wacky salesman. I’d like to focus on the salesman. Not only was he way-off-the-wall, but he wore loud, mismatched clothing – shirt, tie, sports jacket and ill-fitting pants, and he didn’t seem to understand fully what was happening at his radio station.
Another Race to Win
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — The national election season is over and there is no more of that easy political advertising money flowing in. But we are in the midst of the heaviest part of the sports year: the middle of the National Football League schedule, heading for the Superbowl; the windup of the college football season going toward the beginning of 2017 and all of those Bowl games. Let’s not forget professional hockey and NASCAR. So even if yours is not a sports talk station, and you don’t carry any play-by-play broadcasts, there is no reason you cannot find a way to profit from all of this top-of-the-mind activity.
A Bundle of Happiness
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — There are scores of them out there – independently produced, nationally distributed, specific subject talk shows. You know which ones I mean. The ones you regularly hear on weekends or very early in the morning or quite late at night – health programs, legal advice, financial advice, pet care, news analysis, gardening, etc. Most of them are quite good. The program hosts are knowledgeable on the subject matter and are articulate. And the shows are well produced and professionally presented covering subjects that are important, informative and valuable to listeners.
Yelling and Obfuscation
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla — There are those who blame the explosion in the use of social media as the cause for the increase in yelling and obfuscation one hears in commercials today. Yes, it seems to be somewhat true but, in my memory, auto dealers always have screamed their spots, although I’ve never understood why. I suppose the idea is, if you holler loud enough, the listener is more likely to pay attention to your message.
And there does seem to be an increase in obfuscation with the use of words such as “nearly, virtually, almost, up to.” There was one I recently heard for a liquid detergent that will “virtually remove the dirtiest spot” in your clothes. What does this mean? If you still can see the stain, would you walk around wearing that shirt? I guess if you were a gambling person, you’d buy the product and hope for the best.
Hall Talk 2016
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
HEMPSTEAD, NY — One of the great added personal advantages I enjoy by attending TALKERS conferences is that I can meet face-to-face with numerous broadcasters who are responsible in their markets for advertising in the talk media. In the halls, between the panel sessions, we bat around the major challenges we currently are facing and exchange ideas as to how we can deal with them.
It’s the food that feeds the beast! And two topics dominated Hall Talk 2016: #1 – Political advertising in this election year….#2 – Climbing the daunting mountain of our new digital era.
9th Annual Hersky Awards
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — The selection of the top commercial of the past 12 months was a real strain for the Hersky Awards selection committee. They are reported to be all pooped out. But they did come up with a winner for the national commercial of the year. And the award goes to Squatty Potty! Yes, Squatty Potty! This is real! It’s a cleverly produced 60-second spot that is airing all over talk radio promoting a portable add-on seat for your toilet. It is done with a wild sense of humor using numerous voices that resemble those people currently running for president.
But there are other major winners, of course, chosen by the selection committee which, you recall, is made up of just one person. ( Note byline above.) Casting aside all those other minor, just-completed awards presentations, the Herskys, devoted to talk radio sales, have no elaborate ceremony. And no one sashays down any crimson carpet in fancy clothes, the designer of which gets a free plug during the TV interview and a photo on the fashion page of USA TODAY. Here, it’s all tee-shirts and flip-flops. And no one makes a speech thanking a distant cousin in Antarctica. And no one walks off a stage waving a tin faux-bejeweled statuette.
Radio: The Weapon of Choice
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — With the 2016 national political season well underway, the question remains as to how prepared the sales departments of talk stations and independently syndicated talk shows are? Political advertising can turn a so-so year into a darned-good profitable one. And if the current primaries are a clue, radio appears to be the weapon of choice.
In a recent edition of a daily bulletin sent by the National Association of Broadcasters, it reported that going into the upcoming South Carolina primaries the major candidates have blanketed that state with radio spots. For a stretch covering a little bit more than the past month, the NAB says Hillary Clinton is leading the way for Democrats with, thus far, airing close to 600 commercials. And on the Republican side, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush are well within the same range, if not higher. Why all this interest in advertiing on talk radio? Because it works!
The Sports Season of Gold with a Hint of a Smudge
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — These truly seem to be golden days for sales departments at sports/talk stations around the USA. The professional football schedule is in full swing with the play-offs in view, and college and university teams all over the country are aiming toward the Bowl Games. The collegiate basketball and National Basketball Association contests have gotten underway and pro-hockey players are skating up and down the ice. So participation in play-by-play presentations are well-sponsored. Then there are the pre-game shows, the pre-pre game shows, the coaches’ shows, the locker room shows, the post-game shows.
Somebody’s Listening
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — The current pessimism in the talk radio arena is a self-inflicted wound. Quick! Let us all immediately run for our sack-cloth and ashes as we tell each other that the format – talk – and the medium – AM radio – are dead. Of course we are shaken when we hear of large, well-known companies imploding or others which are burdened with enormous debt. But is it because of the medium or the format or the new technology?
Nielsen Research recently produced an extensive, in-depth study that revealed that 91% of Americans over the age of 12 listen to the radio every week. Think about that number for a minute. That’s almost everybody!
Podcasting Gets an ‘Upfront Showcase’ with Advertisers
By Jeff McKay
TALKERS
Special Features Correspondent
NEW YORK — Peter Senerchia, Cari Champion, and Farnoosh Torabi. One is a former champion professional wrestler known in the ring as Taz, one is a TV reporter and anchor for ESPN, and the other works in her Brooklyn apartment. However, all three have something in common – they have carved out their own niches and become stars in the world of podcasting… and with their advertisers.
Digital audio has been on a roll over the past 18 months, and this is especially true among younger listeners. A February survey by Edison Research found approximately 46 million people listened to podcasts in February. Meanwhile, ad spending on podcasts is soaring. A recent survey by eMarketer says ad spending for digital audio is expected to reach $2.75 billion, up over 27% from a year ago.
Remember the Commercial
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — Here are two interesting lines I recently heard in a couple of produced and pre-recorded commercials. From a law firm’s spot: “so get your head out of your apps….” From a seafood restaurant’s ad: “…and you’ll get a shipload of shrimp.” If you’re not listening super closely to your radio, what exactly did you think was being said? Try saying these lines out loud.
Turn Digital Disappointment into Direct Success
By Holland Cooke
Radio Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND, RI — This past month, I presented at two state broadcasters’ association conventions: Illinois and Iowa. My topics: “The Six Most-Dreaded Words in Sales: ‘Radio Doesn’t Work,’” specific techniques for creating commercial copy that produces better results; “How Millennials Use Media”; and “Quick, Actionable Sales Ideas to Make Money Selling Digital.”
Here are the common threads from all three sessions…
Recent years’ radio revenue data has many shrugging that “flat is the new up.” Less so in small and medium markets, where local direct retail comprises more of radio’s income than in big markets where transactional business is the ball game. And in every market, digital is the shiny object sucking dollars away from legacy media. Especially ours. Ask car stores: Detroit is telling them to move radio money online.
Hall Talk
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — One of the great benefits of attending the recent Talkers New York 2015 conference in New York City was what I call “hall talk.” Between formal sessions and panels it was the chance to meet face-to-face with some of our peers in the halls, in the reception areas, over a plate of tasty delicacies, and discuss the hot sales topics of the day. At this event the subject that kept popping up again and again was political advertising.
Yes, the presidential election is over a year away, but as everybody in talk media knows, national politics is topic A with almost all of the major news stories being related in some way to office-holders, their advocates or opponents. And history shows us that when there is an unusually hot national race, local and regional races are equally as contentious. A good political sales season can turn a so-so sales year into a remarkably profitable one.
Sales Promotions Lead to Sales
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — Did you ever try to wash a lion? Don’t. He does not like it. But trying to wash him makes for a great sales promotion if your advertisers are a local animal farm and a shopping center. Just don’t do it at the farm. Transport the beast to the mall (in a cage, of course!) Then be sure one of your program hosts is there with a mop, a brush and a bucket of water.
Creative sales promotions are tools that all sales persons should have in their arsenal. They can induce new ad schedules, lengthen regular ones and make for long-term, good customer relations. And they can aid in listener growth as well.
YES-YOU-CAN Sell Rush Limbaugh
By Holland Cooke
Holland Cooke Media
Talk Radio Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND, RI — Since his Sandra Fluke faux pas, a relentless boycott effort has scared-off big national advertisers. Yet — and I speak from experience at client stations — this show sure can be a local money-maker.
- This guy moves product. Evidence: additional national inventory, since the boycott, to make-up for departed blue-chip accounts (those live spots Rush sneaks-in after the stopset). They’re there because they get results. Many are Direct Response deals, no guesswork there. And non-traditional B-to-B radio advertisers like Mahindra Tractors are selling high ticket stuff to the like-minded out thar’ on The Fruited Plain.
The 8th Annual Hersky Awards
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — There is no simpering, third-rate actor in a silver tuxedo making an ill-informed political statement on the red carpet. There is no cutesy starlet in a besequined gown cut down to her pupick sashaying on the red carpet. In fact, there is no red carpet.
This is not the Emmys, the Oscars, the Clios, the Obies, the Tonys and all those other minor award ceremonies that have, at long last, been swept out of the way to make way for the most important presentation of the year – The Hersky Awards….The Eighth Annual Hersky Awards – honoring achievement in the field of talk radio advertising and sales.
Weekends: Healing Talk Radio’s Achilles Heel
By Holland Cooke
Radio Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND, RI — Plain talk: At too many stations – some with once-proud call letters – weekends are an embarrassment. Through utter neglect, stations injure ratings and leave money on the table.
In many cases, management doesn’t even listen on Saturday and Sunday, either because:
a) They don’t dare listen. It’s like a solar eclipse: “Look away!!!” They know their weekend is a wasteland of automation misfires and pay-for-play shows, the audition for which was the check didn’t bounce. Management just shrugs.
b) They can’t listen. There are more stations in the cluster than they can manage, and the one dismissively referred to as “the AM” gets short shrift. No names, but one station I hear airs the same disclaimer copy before and after paid shows. The voice (who was PD two-PDs-ago) says “THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM…” after the show has ended.
Local Talent Can Become Indispensable
By Holland Cooke
Radio Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND, RI — Before all the firings radio has suffered since, it might’ve seemed overstated when – four years ago — I wrote here: “tough decisions are being made, in meetings you’re not invited to. Possibly in meetings your boss is not invited to.”
My column then declared that, “if you’re in radio, you’re in sales;” and offered tips for improving the endorsement spots that only local personalities can deliver, and other ways to become a more conspicuous contributor to your station’s revenue. ICYMI: http://www.radio-info.com/2012/11/02/now-that-youre-in-sales/
Cutbacks since then – and, likely, still to come – only underline the need for on-air talent to be as sales-supportive as possible, if not actually carrying a list. To that end, this guidance about writing effective commercial copy, a task talent is often better-at than station reps, whose time is better spent pounding the pavement.
Words
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, FL — Like everything else in today’s world, language is changing, and language in radio commercials is changing with it. New phrases and descriptive terms are popping up all over the place. Even a venerable old clothing retailer, Abercrombie & Fitch, is planning to drop its long-running identification and is reported to be working on a new logo yet to be revealed. And are you familiar with “YP?” This is the way the Yellow Pages is now labeling itself. That big, fat, old yellow book that used to materialize on your doorstep is all but gone. It’s now a website where you tap in your desired category and a listing of choices appears for your specific area. You can even download coupons. A heavy national radio ad campaign is currently underway.
Talk Station that “Doesn’t Need to Sell Advertising to Make Lots of Money” Looking for Ad Sales Heavyweight to Make Lots MORE Money
By Mona Lipschitz
TALKERS
Staff Writer
SANTA CRUZ — Michael Zwerling, the eccentric owner of one of the nation’s leading independent local talk radio stations, KSCO AM 1080, Santa Cruz/Monterey/Salinas/Silicon Valley, is looking for a general manager/sales manager to bring his station’s monthly ad billing up from “a laughable $30,000 per month” (his words not ours) to a “more respectable and completely doable $300,000 per month.”
Asked how a station billing only $30,000 in monthly ad revenue could be considered anything even REMOTELY deserving of being described as “one of the nation’s leading independent local talk radio stations,” Zwerling retorts, “Easy — ad sales have never been our focus in the past; we have done and continue to do very well, thank you, with our ‘royalties from radio’ revenue model we have employed for nearly 18 years. Yet we continue to serve our communities FAR better than most corporate-owned stations, and far better than most other independent stations that can’t AFFORD to serve their communities.”
Bricks and Bouquets
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — Topic A in all conversations I have with broadcasters is about radio’s pending doom. The woe-is-me and the finger pointing invariably aims at our new-tech world where anybody can be a talk show host if they possess one of the many available space-age devices… and anybody can listen to an infinite number of unlicensed shows and networks on a variety of readily available “devices” that are not AM/FM “radios.” I hesitate to name these devices because by the time I finish this sentence there will be a new one.
This is the easiest way to cast blame without looking into our own house. I listen to a lot of radio and have a whole bunch of radios around my home and office from big, boxy ones to a couple real tiny ones that’ll fit into my pocket as I do my exercise hike around the neighborhood.
Holding Hands at the Talkers Conference: The Importance of Getting Close to the Advertisers
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, FL — One of the many valuable side-effects of attending a TALKERS conference is the opportunity to meet face-to-face with a number of folks with whom you communicate only by phone or email. In addition to the onstage presentations at Talkers New York 2014 held this past Friday (6/20), it was a unique opportunity to discuss and explore some of the current challenges facing the talk media — particularly those offered only moments prior from the podium. At lunch, between sessions and during the cocktail hour I found myself in the midst of several of these spirited exchanges.
Regarding the slowly, stuttering recovery of the national economy, within my various knots of conversers, it was clear that one issue dominated all others — advertising sales. It was agreed that sales never have been really easy, but one element of the process has become far more important. It is servicing the account after the sale has been made. All acknowledged that advertisers are demanding more attention, reassurance and hand holding. And in the medium and larger markets, their obsession with having a digital component connected to just about all packages can be positively maddening. On the local level, especially in the small markets (which remain extremely important in my book) mere occasional contact and messaging no longer are sufficient in the current atmosphere.
A Sales Dilemma
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — There is a recent U.S. Congressional Report that reveals that the Army National Guard doled out more than $32 million of its marketing and recruiting budget so far this year. Most of it went to NASCAR coverage – TV, radio, cable, etc. And, at best, they only could attribute about 3% of it to getting recruits. A spectacular and costly failure.
Why do ad campaigns fail and what to do about it? Well, this one fundamentally tanked because of poor research. According to the investigative report, about 90% of NASCAR fans are between 35 and 54 years old. Not exactly National Guard possibilities when they are seeking 18-to-24-year olds.
There is no question that research is critical. You must know who your station or show is trying to reach, and, if, in fact, what you are presenting has any chance of reaching them. Independently syndicated programs boast of the number of their affiliates, then cry mightily when that hard-fought-for ad schedule is canceled or not renewed. And individual radio stations face a similar dilemma with their local business accounts that include the added obstacle of having to face their home business community.
Bringing Creativity and Heightened Localism to the Radio Sales Department — with a Biographer
Wordsmith Rix Quinn delivers a unique mix of creative writing and a down-home vocal presentation to any station’s local marketing arsenal
By Jeff McKay
TALKERS
Special Features Correspondent
NEW YORK – Budget cutbacks are not only limiting the resources of radio programming departments – they are squeezing station sales and creative marketing efforts as well. Concept development and simple copywriting take personnel and time – something in short supply these days on the radio front. Add the potential of literally limitless internet real estate to the mix of radio’s marketing possibilities and the frustration of having limited man/woman-power only grows.
In a recent report on the top-billing radio stations for 2013, BIA/Kelsey wrote of Washington, DC’s all-news WTOP-FM (103.5) that the top-billing radio station in the United States “WTOP is morphing into a digital media company by providing access to its audience in many different ways beyond over-the-air.” Mark Fratrik, senior vice president and chief economist for BIA/Kelsey concludes, “Its approach is serving them well and its model demonstrates that as the industry continues to adopt a multi-platform approach, it will engage audiences and sustain growth.”
Seventh Annual Hersky Awards
Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla. — No, this is not about the Emmys, the Oscars, the Clios, the Obies, the Tonys, the CMAs or the Golden Globes. No, this not about these lesser annual awards. They all make way for the most important citations that occur around this time, and this is the seventh year – the Annual Hersky Awards. As you all know, the Herskys honor outstanding achievement in the field of talk radio advertising and sales.
There may be a handful of readers who are still among the uninitiated, so let us restate the few, simple rules. There is no actual statuette, naked or semi-clothed (just the mock-up seen here)! There is no committee, although nominations and suggestions from the greater broadcast world are accepted and reviewed. There is no formal event with a red carpet or fashion parade. Keep in mind, however, the honors are pretty much confined to national entities, since reviewing every talk show or program in the country is a physical impossibility. The decisions of the judges are final, and there is only one judge (see byline above). So, may I have the envelopes!
It’s Pop-Up Time!
By Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, FL — There is a remarkable, growing retail phenomenon occurring around the country this time of year that is directly attributable to the current national economic downturn. And it is a unique opportunity for sales reps.
These are retail outlets that suddenly appear in vacant spots in shopping centers and malls and stay just for the holiday season and then close. The phenomenon even has gotten a name. They are called “Pop-Ups.”
As you probably have noticed in your very own community, there are numerous barren locations which give the centers a certain forlorn appearance. Therefore, shopping center operators are delighted to have them filled even though the leases are short-term. They provide a more festive and better look and at least generate some income. They also are a lure for shoppers to frequent the regular space occupiers as well.
Sports/Talk Expanding Commercial Envelope as Traditional Norms Fade Away
By Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON — Of all the subsets of talk radio, sports/talk appears to be the most innovative and pioneering when it comes to finding new and appropriate sales opportunities. After you think you have heard it all a category comes along from out of the blue that really throws you. It’s a relatively new category of commercials that currently is most prevalent on sports/talk stations. The category – “Strip Joints”…euphemistically referred to as “Gentlemen’s Clubs.” The spots primarily are voiced by females using seductive tones as they list the club’s attractions through indirection. Considering the sports/talks audience make-up, it does make a great deal of sense.
Radio Sales Lead: ObamaCare
By Holland Cooke
Radio Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND, RI – While conservative radio talkers cheered on Ted Cruz’ Senate marathon, and other repeal-ObamaCare efforts, there’s a different conversation underway in the station manager’s office. Some 500 broadcasters recently sold out a Radio Advertising Bureau webinar on harvesting Affordable Care Act-related advertising.
I just watched the (archived) webinar, and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. Here’s the link, and it’ll be $49 well-invested: http://www.rab.com/webcasts/wod.cfm
Veteran broadcaster Dave Burke spent the last year immersed in studying ObamaCare’s impact on various stakeholders, and draws a road map to what shapes up as a major, long-term advertising revenue stream.
To Beat the Devil
By Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, Fla — With cries of woe, beating of breasts and the rending of garments, radio sales reps are responding to the mournful tune being sung by predictors of the medium’s imminent demise. It is the same song we heard many, many years ago with the emergence of television. “It’s all over for radio,” they wailed. “Nobody’s going to listen to the radio anymore when they can watch TV.” But sharp management, innovative programmers, and clever promotion beat that notion into the ground.
We heard that tune again with the FM explosion. “Nobody’s going to listen to AM radio anymore when they have FM.” Then talk radio expanded across the AM band to such a degree that national leaders, columnists and commentators, public figures go bonkers when a program host says something that they deem controversial or are against something they said or did. Only today as I write this I read a column in a major metropolitan daily that railed against Rush Limbaugh. If nobody is listening, what are they worried about? After all he’s just a talk show host on AM radio.
Why Some of Radio’s Best Advertisers Are the Most Difficult to Find for Consumers – and How to Fix It.
By Chris Pendl
Bonneville Seattle
Creative Director
SEATTLE – One of the things that make radio an effective advertising tool is that it’s often the last message a consumer hears before making a purchase. This point-of-sale proximity drives results for advertisers and keeps radio as part of their marketing mix. With smartphone ownership now 56 percent among American adults, searching on smartphones is increasingly becoming a part of the consumer’s journey before making a purchase. A recent local search study, revealed there’s an 87 percent increase in local searches via mobile apps. It is in this mobile space where some of radio’s best advertisers, local and regional businesses, have poor visibility and are often non-existent.
Local search is a bit different than searching on your computer. Without going into the super-technical details (you can read more at the MOZ blog), know that even when a local business shows up on a desktop search – there’s no guarantee the same will happen on a mobile phone.
Let’s dive into some real-world examples.
Sales Lead, Programming Heads-Up:
“The Fixer Mindset”
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND, RI — Remember that riveting scene in “Mission Impossible III?” At a swank Vatican City reception, the MI force kidnaps Philip Seymour Hoffman’s villainous character…and nobody knows. The switcheroo is high tech. In a back room, a 3D printer creates a mask that enables Cruise to masquerade as the abducted Hoffman, and walk right out the front door.
Don’t shrug this off as something you only see in the movies. Elsewhere in Hollywood, one Jay Leno has spent a small fortune on high-end 3D printers, to produce otherwise-unavailable engine parts for his couple hundred collectable cars. At the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, there’ll be an entire Tech Zone dedicated to 3D printing; so look for my CES coverage here in January, and listen for my reports on “America in the Morning” and my client stations.
Back when ex-DJs my age got into radio, we played the hits. And “a hit” was a song, on a 45-rpm vinyl disc, sold in brick-and-mortar storefronts. Now, songs are digital downloads from Amazon and iTunes. And the definition of “television” has broadened to include Hulu, Netflix, and other interlopers investing aggressively in their own hits. Real soon, “a hit” will be 3D print software code. You’ll order the part or gadget you need from Amazon or iTunes, and the author will print-and-ship to order.
If I had a 3D printer, the first thing I’d print is another 3D printer. But I digress.
Here’s what all this means to radio…
Auction an Alternative to Unsold Inventory
Mike Kinosian
Managing Editor
TALKERS magazine
LOS ANGELES — Airline executives are adamant that all seats on all flights are sold, albeit by fluctuating fares.
Likewise, hotel owner/operators strive for as few vacancies as possible.
The same sentiment obviously applies in radio, as managers cringe at the notion of any unsold inventory.
What Happened to the Remote?
The poor, abused programming/sales tool still can work well in sports talk
By Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON — The remote on-location broadcast was once a staple in the sales rep’s arsenal. It almost has disappeared from the airways, particularly from talk radio. And for logical reason too. The strength of the talk format comes from the right and left, pro and con, political and social issues topics. A remote could possibly generate a partisan flash mob that might trash Charlie’s Auto Parts and Car Wash. That’s the last thing “good ole Charlie” would want. This is aside from the currently popular radio rows which are not commercially sponsored events for stations or programs and not meant to draw crowds to the location.
However, there is a place for the commercial remote broadcast to flourish… in sports/talk radio!
Finding Radio Advertising Solutions
Mike Kinosian
Managing Editor
TALKERS magazine
LOS ANGELES — Use the word “creative” in a radio context and the first thing generally summoned up is a programmer spinning a different take on a music format, or as an application to that extremely rare, exceptional on-air personality who is capable of generating substantial buzz.
Infrequently though is it linked in a word-association game to commercials, which is not only distressing, but highly unfortunate since creative commercial content can be a strong attribute.
Five Secrets to Hiring Excellent Digital Sellers
By Walter Sabo
Sabo Media
Chairman
NEW YORK — Made you look!
There is nothing harder than finding effective digital sellers. So hard, it is logical to conclude that there aren’t any great digital advertising sellers. The job listings are packed with ads begging, “Sharks wanted.” “Are you a shark?” “Can you bring business with you?” “Closers only.”
The account executive turnover at major digital firms is very high. Start-ups raise funds to salary qualified, experienced shark-sellers but their hires sell—nothing. Not a little, but nothing. In talking with dozens of start-up CEO’s they share the same story:
Have You Hugged a Lawyer Today?
An Exterminator?
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND — If you work on air, you get to keep working because you’re real valuable to sales. Heck, you should be in sales, if only handling a handful of accounts that you yourself prospected. Commission-only! The station has zero to lose, and another set of feet on the street; and you COULD double your income. Yes you could.
To get you started, here’s a sure shot, including killer copy points, from a radio great.
When I moderated the very first session at the very first Talkers New Media Seminar — as Talkers New York was called in the 1990s – venerable Bruce Williams was among the panelists. And he ad-libbed a paragraph my clients have been making money with ever since.
Although Bruce’s recognizable voice and trust-me delivery slam-dunked the copy, this spot could also be effective voiced by the client, unless the attorney can’t affect the sympathetic delivery necessary.
Controversy Proves the Power of Radio
By Walter Sabo
Chairman
Sabo Media
NEW YORK: Let’s review a show that promotes:
• Co-habitation without the benefit of marriage; Sexual stereotypes — girls throw themselves at football players just for a kiss.
• Racial stereotypes. For example, it promotes the need for more black friends in order to be appealing.
• The discussion of condoms.
• Living together and sex with strangers.
Then, it promotes even more living together and sex with strangers and the humor of meeting a possible mass murderer.
That show commands the highest spot rates of any comedy show this year. It is on Fox.
Radio Should Learn About Hyperlocal Marketing
By Walter Sabo
Sabo Media
Chairman
NEW YORK — A vital revenue and programming trend to understand is “hyperlocal” marketing. It is easy to assume that live, local radio is hyperlocal but in marketing terms it is not. Hyperlocal to a brand marketer is content, technology and commerce that is one step in front of the target customer. Hyperlocal marketing influences the buying decision at the moment of decision and purchase.
For example, if your station offers an app with hyper-local commerce capabilities, a listener carrying that app could pass by a Dunkin’ Donuts, and through GPS, the app could signal the listener that they can walk into DD and receive a free donut. That’s hyper-local marketing at its simplest.
Interview Your Dentist
By Holland Cooke
Radio Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND — Assume that, in meetings you’re not invited to, tough decisions are on the table. And as cutbacks continue, it’s real smart for on-air personalities to seem real valuable to the sales department. If your endorsement spots move product, bean counters view you as “revenue,” not just expense.
Savvy hosts are pro-active, not just reactive. They THINK sales, spotting prospects everywhere, and tipping-off the sales department.
Next time you slide-into the dental chair, you might chat-up your doc…at least until he or she numbs you.
Sixth Annual Hersky Awards
By Al Herskovitz
H&H Communications
President
BRADENTON, FL — Who cares why “Brave” beat out “Frankenweenie” for the Best Animated Feature Oscar? Who cares about Anne Hathaway’s coiffure? And who the devil is Seth MacFarlane (alright, alright…even I know who he is)? The Oscars is just about one of a score of lesser awards presentations – the Emmys, the Grammys, the Golden Globes, the Obies, the Tonys and on and on that have swept through the past 30 days or so. They pale in comparison to the one awards presentation that has any worth or meaning or gravitas. It’s 2013 Hersky Awards. For the uninitiated the Herskys honor outstanding achievement in the field of talk radio advertising and sales.
First, the rules…
Now to restate the rules for this sixth year for those who don’t remember. There is no golden statuette of a naked, bald man protecting his vitals with a sword or naked woman leaping after a sphere . The criteria vary from year to year at the whim of the awards committee. The committee consists of just one person. (See byline above.) Since it is impossible for the committee to hear every talk program or station in the country, the awards are pretty much confined to national entities or concepts national in scope.
So, now the envelope please!
Endorsements Should Be Interesting
By Michael Berry
Host
The Michael Berry Show
HOUSTON — All I ever hear radio industry execs talk about is ratings and revenues, as if the two go hand in hand. With music stations, that may be true. But talk radio’s future will be determined by our ability to get results for our advertisers. That includes, but is not limited to, ratings, and it probably has more to do with ratings in categories currently seen as less, or altogether un-, important; namely, 55 and up, or 35-64.
Ratings are not an end in themselves, but rather a pricing mechanism by which advertisers determine the rates they will pay. In an industry which measures itself primarily, indeed almost exclusively, on the 25-54 demo, it’s good to remember how many people are active consumers who don’t fit into those niches. Twenty-five-year-olds don’t buy houses, or improve them. Their bodies aren’t breaking down, so they don’t need all the medical advancements of companies willing to advertise those services. They are not investing, banking, exercising, losing weight, restoring vision, or maintaining a house that needs everything from new pipes to electrical to roofing to driveway pavers to a pool. In short, radio can still be very profitable as our society ages by appealing to direct-buy advertisers. But only if radio can yield results for the client. Think about it: listeners tune to music radio to zone out to music, and when someone talks it’s a distraction. Listeners tune to talk radio to be engaged, and the talk by the host is what they sought. If the host’s endorsement of a product could be as compelling as his discussion of Obama’s hypocrisy, imagine the boon to advertisers. Winning the ratings war for most listeners under 54 does not necessarily yield financial returns to the people who pay for advertising. It is not the size of the audience, but rather the size of the response for the advertiser, that will build loyalty in clients. So how do we get results for clients, especially live, direct clients? Read More
A Conversation with Marketron President and CEO Jeff Haley
HAILEY, IDAHO — Jeff Haley is president and chief executive officer of Marketron, the, Hailey, Idaho-headquartered company that is the media industry’s leading provider of business software solutions and services. Prior to joining Marketron almost a year ago, Haley served as the president and CEO of the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB). Prior to that he served as senior vice president for Time 
Warner Global Marketing where he was responsible for creating marketing programs for some of the largest advertisers in the U.S. Haley worked extensively in advertising sales and marketing at Time Inc. and Children’s Television Workshop (CTW). He is on the board of directors for the Ad Council and a member of the Arbitron Radio advisory council. He also serves as co-chair of the Radio Creative Fund (RCF), the governing body of the Radio-Mercury Awards. Haley holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross and attended Boston University’s School of Management. The TALKERS interview with Jeff Haley was conducted by Michael Harrison.
TALKERS: What led you to leave the RAB and join Marketron? Erica Farber – then a recently signed-up VP of the RAB – has publically stated that she was surprised by your announcement to leave (which led to her ascending to your position). What happened to spark the decision?
JH: At the RAB, my goal was to reenergize the radio advertising business, taking advantage of all that radio does best. The time I spent there was the perfect preparation for this role – which focuses on providing stations the support they need to be as successful as possible in a new, much more competitive environment.
Baseball Stations: PLAN NOW
for Spring Training
By Holland Cooke
News/Talk/Sports Radio Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND, RI — With 2013 expense budgets now in umpteenth revision, this reminder: Be there or be square.
After all the sub-freezing days and nights that chill much of the USA this time of the year – and various off-season trades and free agent signings – The Boys of Summer will be a welcome sound come March.
Yet too few baseball stations establish a presence at their teams’ spring training camps. Smart baseball stations are cheerleaders, and really smart baseball stations start cheering a month before opening day, when every team is in 1st place.
Five reasons this has value:
Read More
Talk’s Unique Advantage
By Al Herskovitz
President
H & H Communications
BRADENTON – In the wild mad scramble for ad dollars during these highly challenged economic times, Talk Radio has one outstanding and special advantage over other popular radio formats. In order to enjoy listening to talk, it is obvious that one has to listen to it attentively. It doesn’t make a very good background service as does music.That is why certain products tend to gravitate toward both the demographics and the psychographics of the format…. particularly higher priced goods and services.
Tips to Rejuvenate Your Listener Emails
By Chris Miller
Chris Miller Digital
SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH — Once upon a time, it was cool to communicate with people via email. Now, it’s a utility like the power company. You don’t think about it very much, but it’s hard to imagine getting business done without it.
I hope you haven’t gotten so blinded by social media that you’ve fallen out of love with email. It’s still a powerful tool to communicate with your listeners, especially if your station targets adults. Here are three things you can do to make your emails that much more powerful.
Killer Endorsement Spots: Advertisers’ (and Your) Best Buds
By Holland Cooke
Radio Consultant
BLOCK ISLAND, RI – Even with Google now sucking SO many local advertising dollars away from legacy media, local radio can still be local retailers’ best friend, and that’s not an opinion. Data from the Radio Advertising Bureau and elsewhere continues to demonstrate that radio is, mathematically, the most efficient way to tell-a-lot-of-people-something. And being the #1 in-car medium, we can still reach consumers closest to the cash register.
And your relationship with listeners can be a powerful bond. Radio is an intimate medium, with decades of cred’ to the two generations which control most retail spending. So the local DJs and talkers who will survive the ongoing bloodbath do so by being more than just voices. Properly applied, the trust you have earned with listeners can sell-sell-sell, in a way that makes Arbitron numbers irrelevant.
In Search of the Effective Commercial
By Al Herskovitz
President
H & H Communications
BRADENTON, Fla. — The radio advertising world is going through a major shakeup. National ad agencies and the clients they represent are finding that “funny commercials ain’t workin’” as intended. Research is showing that these spots do get an occasional chuckle, create some brand awareness, may even improve market share a little bit, but have not been as effective as designed in bringing in new customers. Does this mean the disappearance of the Geico lizard and the spokesduck for AFLAC? The insiders are not saying, but there are strong hints that changes in approach are coming and soon to a number of national advertisers who have been featuring humor and what is termed as “cuteness.”
In what direction will they be going? Sources say the Madison Avenue move is going to be to recognizable spokespersons and “scenes from real life” in order to make an emotional connection with the listener.
Newspaper Decline Spells Opportunity for Talk Radio Sales
By Al Herskovitz
President
H & H Communications
BRADENTON, Fla. — Have you noticed lately how thin and anemic your daily newspaper has become? That is if you read a daily paper at all. New Orleans’ famous daily, the Times-Picayune, is reducing itself to three days a week starting this autumn. Incoming publisher Ricky Mathews says the move is necessitated by “upheaval in the newspaper industry.” There also will be staff reductions in this newspaper that’s been around for some 175 years. This is quite an admission and development.
And that’s not all! Three major papers in Alabama are going the same route: The Birmingham News; the Mobile Press-Register; and the Huntsville Times are also cutting back to three days. All of them will be publishing only on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Why only these particular days? Because these are the days they carry the ad flyers and coupons.
How sad it is that the newspaper business has declined to the point of becoming just a coupon delivery system.
Newspapers cannot even depend on the classified ads for sustenance which were historically their bread and butter now that Craig’s List has eaten that portion of their lunch.
I can’t tell you how many times in recent years when I called on a local retailer to pitch him talk radio time that I was hit with, “I must have my newspaper ad before I can even consider radio at all.” Now is the time to go back in and see that retailer.
Let the Talent Be Talent: 10 Things You Need to Know About Live Endorsements
By Michael Berry
Talk Show Host
KTRH, Houston
HOUSTON – When I listen to Rush Limbaugh, I zone out during the commercials. Except, that is, when the “commercial” comes from Maha-Rushi’s lips. I’ve never heard anyone deliver a better live endorsement than El Rushbo. It doesn’t feel like advertising at all. He makes me feel it’s his personal opinion, which is why I tuned in to him in the first place. I want to know his opinion of Obama’s latest move, and I’ll listen when he tells me where to shop.
Clients pay a premium for live endorsements on radio. It has been my experience as a talk show host that they then sometimes do everything possible to undercut the effectiveness of it. So, here are my list of suggestions to ad agencies, sales reps, and yes, even clients (the people who pay our bills) as to how we, the talent, can get better results for you. Help us help you. To sales reps and talent: I wrote this in hopes you could send it to your clients, whether direct advertisers or ad agencies. Let me be the bad guy and this can be your conversation starter.
- Don’t write a script. Any talent that needs a script isn’t worth the fee you pay for his endorsement. If all he’s doing is reading a script, have someone else read it. Hire a professional voice, or produce a better spot. Listeners can tell when a talent is reading your ad. You won’t get results. But if he uses your good or service and believes in it, you will get results. We can sell what we like because then it’s not “selling.” It’s simply sharing what we like and it’s what we do. Make sure your endorser understands you, the individual who owns the business. If you started the business out of your garage; if you are there every single day; if you answer when the phone rings to the main line, he should note that. People want a personal touch. He should share that you have it. Read More
Commercials Are Content, Too.
By Al Herskovitz
President
H & H Communications
BRADENTON, Fla. — It was one of those a-scene-from-life commercials. It went something like this: Woman 1 was the voice on an answering machine. “Hi, This is Madge, please leave a message.” Woman 2 was the caller. “Hi, Madge, this is Marge. Do you remember last week when we were talking about hormonal imbalance?” HORMONAL IMBALANCE? Regular folks don’t chat about hormonal imbalance on the telephone! Not unless they are two endocrinologists. The commercial was supposed to be about a weight loss product, but the premise was implausible. The commercial finally got around to the real topic – belly fat. Now there’s a subject many of us can relate to, and diets are something we could talk about to a friend.
Scenes-from-life commercials are quite common. The challenge is to make them sound like normal conversation. Sadly many of them come off contrived and unnatural because no one repeats an 800 number three times in rapid fire succession or refers to “plenty of free parking, open nightly ‘til nine” in this manner during talk between ordinary people.
The 2012 Hersky Awards
By Al Herskovitz
President
H & H Communications
BRADENTON, Fla. — Those minor, frivolous awards shows – the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes, etc. – have come and gone and are mostly forgotten. Can anyone tell me who won the sound editing award for the best foreign language documentary? Who won what for what is but a dim memory, if that. All of this has been swept out of the way to make room for the most important of all: The 2012 Hersky Awards!
These are honors given to the very best in sales orientation in the talk format. Keep in mind there is no fancy ceremony with the ripping open of envelopes followed by the inevitable pregnant pause. No need to bring back Billy Crystal to salvage the event. There is no red carpet to walk in fancy, designer clothes where focus is put on how much “pupick” you can expose. There is no need to hire some expensive accounting firm to verify the honesty, authenticity, secrecy of the judging.
The process is very simple. There is only one judge. (See name above.) The judge reviews as much talk radio as he can hear and peruses as many talk station websites as he can view over the preceding 12 months. Keep in mind that the awards go only to national entities since it would be impossible to assess all the local ones, many of whom would be quite worthy in their own markets. There is one exception: local station website.
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