We all know there are different types of buyers and buyer styles in every business category. You can see this in the way candles are marketed.

The other day, I made a call with one of my station client’s salespeople on a unique little candle boutique, way off the retail beaten path. My clients know I love going on calls, because all three parties — me, the radio account executive, and the advertiser — always learn something.

That’s all this specialty shop sold was candles, and accessories for candles, and they’ve had to expand their countryside real estate three times in recent years to keep up with demand.  I am certainly not a candle aficionado, but I know my wife buys candles at the one-stop shops that sell everything from aspirins to groceries and from cutlery to candles.

But here is the thing. The candles I saw at the candle boutique were selling for 10 and 20 times what Angela pays at the one-stop shops.

It made me think about radio’s business models. Sure there are buyers for one-stop media shops; radio stations that offer everything from radio “clusters” to Web banners, and from SEO to print, special events, and more. But what about a radio specialty shop? A radio station that did radio so well, some buyers would be willing to pay more for their advertising? A radio specialty shop that would be a pleasure to work with, would generate superior results, and that advertisers would seek out.

A radio specialty shop could also sell radio accessories. Accessories like superior creative, listener and customer research, musical identity packages, and superior service.

There is most certainly a market for one-stop media companies, where stations can do a good job at everything, but not a great job at anything…what’s the old expression, “A jack of all trades, but master of none”?

It seems to me, however, there is also room for a radio specialty shop; one with superior craftsman that delivers a superior product for which they can charge a premium. I, for one, think it might be more fun to work there.

Wayne Ens of ENS Media Inc., is the producer of the SoundADvice Radio E-Marketing System and can be reached at [email protected]

The lure of a multitude of shiny new media emerging daily is turning out to be a blessing in disguise for professional radio marketers. It wasn’t that radio stations tried to sell their stations or clusters against other stations and clusters.
Today, most stations are trying to sell their fit with new digital media. The days of muddying the waters by knocking other radio stations, except for in the largest transactional markets, seem to be coming to an end. Hooray!

I’ve always been from the school that a rising tide lifts all boats, and that radio should work together to strengthen our position in the eyes of the advertising community.
The rise of new media has helped us focus on radio’s fit in the new media landscape, in three strategic ways;

1.)Radio is the Proactive Media We position radio as ‘proactive’ and the internet as ‘reactive.’  Radio proactively reaches and influences customers not yet in the market for a product or service in a way that reactive media cannot.
Once consumers have a need for a product or service, they react by searching for a supplier online.
Seldom will you find an advertiser who wants to rely solely on reactive media, once you explain a proactive strategy of radio to inspire, internet to inform.

2.)  Radio is the ‘Turn-key’ Media Rapidly changing and emerging new media options are confusing, even to alleged new media experts, let alone a business owner who’s trying to run a business.
Once an advertiser decides to pursue digital media, they then have to decide which platforms, who produces what content, and how to adapt as each platform changes.
With tried and proven turn-key radio, all the business owner has to do is say “Yes” and sign a check. You do the rest, from advising on creative and scheduling to creating the script, producing the commercials, and scheduling them to reach the target audience.

3.) Radio is the Best SEO Our research of more than 10,000 consumers across North America over the past three years proves that radio is the best Search Engine Optimization. Consistently in every market we’ve surveyed, consumers prefer to click on a business that they’ve heard of over one they have not heard of when they conduct their online search.

Have you had our Local Share-of-Mind surveys conducted in your market? We guarantee a return on your investment with increased sales.

  For more information contact [email protected]