Radio Direct Response: Direct Response Radio Advertising Agency | Blog Zone

Format Description:
The Tejano radio format is a mix of cultural variations between Latin America and the area around Texas. The music combines influences from country music, rhythm and blues, rock and popular Latin styles.

Audience:
Hispanic Adults 25-54

Core Artists:
Selena, Los Lonely Boys, La Mafia, Mazz

Key Radio Stations:
KKPS/Brownsville, TX
KRTX/Houston, TX
KSAB/Corpus Cristi, TX
KXTM/San Antonio, TX

DR Factor:
On this mainstream, Spanish language music format, your
advertising message needs to stand out from the pack and grab the listener by the ears. Tejano stations can provide the voices (and implied endorsements) of its popular air personalities. Getting station management to understand and accept your specific marketing goals – and enlisting their support as your “partner” – is essential in making your placement profitable.

For more information, visit Wikipedia.

In 1993, Radio Direct Response was created to build the bridge between the explosively successful TV infomercial industry and the radio industry.

Our first client, “ThighMaster” almost put us out of business.  We paid a big-name, New York creative shop $10,000 to write and produce one radio commercial.  Next, we convinced thousands of stations to run that ad for free, in return for 25% of all sales proceeds generated by their station’s support.

Then, the company that gave us the marketing rights to sell ThighMaster on radio went bankrupt.  We never saw a dime.  To stay in business and protect our reputation, RDR paid – out-of-pocket – every dollar in sales commissions earned by every radio station and radio network that had run our ads.  So, on top of not getting reimbursed for all we had invested into this project, we emptied our war chest to preserve our reputation within the industry.  What a way to start a business.

Since then, we’ve learned that flashy, $10,000 commercials may sound terrific but they don’t necessarily sell product.  We’ve learned that one station – with an audience the same size as another – can generate seven times the sales as its cross-town rival, simply based on its format and the way people “listen” to that station.

We’ve also learned the survival technique of reinventing ourselves.  RDR started as a per inquiry (PI) agency, creating and placing both spot and radio infomercial advertisements in return for a percentage of sales.

When the dot-com boom came along, we abandoned PI and thrived with some of the industry’s hottest names and free-flowing venture capital ad dollars.

Today, we’re one of America’s leading “radio only” advertising agencies with a well-balanced list of B-to-B and B-to-C clients.  We understand how to write and produce radio commercials to get results, how to place those ads on media properties that generate results and how to work with our clients to measure and manage those results – turning first-time tests into long-term campaigns.

To all of our friends, clients, colleagues and coworkers, we thank you for your support and look forward to the next 15 years together.  And to those of you who’ve yet to work with us, we look forward to the opportunity to share what we’ve learned so that radio can be your breakout marketing medium in 2009.

Mark Lipsky, President & CEO

It’s almost that time of year again. The one I called The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year. To quickly summarize, the MLB playoffs are a couple weeks away. The NFL just kicked off its season. The NBA and NHL are about to start their training camps.

In other words, right now is the best time to be a sports fan.

And if you have a direct response product aimed at Men 18-54, it makes perfect sense to be part of a sport’s team play by play, right? WRONG.

Think about it. Whether it’s radio or TV, when you’re watching a game, when do you tune out to run to the ‘fridge or to the bathroom or to make a phone call? When the commercials are on, right? So like everyone else, you’re missing the commercials. Which means you just wasted a LOT of money on airtime that a LOT of people won’t hear because they’re not listening to the broadcast.

So how can you reach those fans? I have three words for ya.

Sports…Talk…Radio.

There’s no other outlet that rabid sports fans can tune in to voice every worry or concern BEFORE a game starts. And after the game, there’s no other place they can dissect EVERY blown call, EVERY game-turning event that happened. So for a fraction of the cost of buying time in play by play, you can be on air when people are more willing, more in the mind set to take action. Sports talk radio junkies are ready to call a phone number or go to a web site in a moment’s notice.

Now if you really want to grab the sport junkie, have a show host read your copy. Or go even bigger and get a team’s play-by-play announcer or star player to voice it. Your money will be better spent on the endorsement from the talent than it would be during play by play. When there’s a break in the play by play, listeners are doing something else, ANYTHING else, other than taking time during the game to respond to your offer. Deliver your marketing message on their terms and everyone wins.

Ian Cohen, Production Director

When it comes to Direct Response Radio, Radio Direct Response is downright evangelical.  RDR goes out into the world every day and tries to convert CEOs, CMOs, VP’s of Marketing, ad agencies and business owners to the wonders of Direct Response Radio, and how we can help their businesses grow. Many prospects arrive like lost sheep, searching for a beacon in the night to lead them to the promised land of success. They find us through our blogs, articles, our website, searching the internet and various other places and we welcome them all with opened arms and minds.

However, before we move forward with a project, we determine if the prospect can benefit from an aggressive DR radio campaign.

We ask ourselves these critical questions:

1. Can the product be easily explained on the radio?
2. Is the price point realistic?
3. What’s the competitive landscape?
4. What’s our experience in this product/service category?
5. Can we duplicate the success that we’ve had in this category?

If we can’t help you, we tell you. The truth will set you free.

Radio is a very strong DR channel. However, the DR Gospel according to RDR is not an industry standard. After 15 years in business, we know what works and what doesn’t. RDR spends millions of dollars in radio every year on successful DR radio campaigns. Every campaign starts with a test.

We practice what we preach.

A DR radio test takes commitment and surrender. Prospects need to be patient and understand the process. Often we’re told that they want the test “to work.” If a prospect is not willing to commit to a 4 to 8 week test to discover what success looks like for their product/service, odds are we won’t be working together. It costs a good deal of money to undertake a DR radio test the “right way.” Many who come to us want to test for short money over a short period of time, and we politely decline.

RDR is made up of radio zealots, whose goal is for RDR to develop successful and sustainable, ongoing DR radio campaigns for all of our clients.

“Belief” in our methods is the first step. It’s a patient, systematic approach to advertising that’s paid off handsomely for our clients.

When you’re ready to take your first step with RDR, I will hold your hand.

Vince Raimondo, Vice President of Marketing

The United States presidential election is scheduled for November 4^th, 2008.

Politicians use all kinds of paid media (Radio, TV, Print, Online, etc.) to influence voters. They also use different kinds of election advertising techniques such as Direct Marketing, Campaign Button, etc.^[1] outside of the traditional media mix. You’ve probably already seen and heard some of these messages, but the volume of advertising will increase as we approach the election date.

Advertising during election season is important not only for the candidates but for special interest groups who seek to impact the election. These special seasonal advertisers will make their strongest case in the swing states where the electoral votes are up for grabs.

This year’s swing states have been identified as Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Will the advertising inventory be affected from the election? If so, on which level? Network or local?

Dan Matter, Senior Vice President/Director of Talk Radio Sales at Premiere Radio Networks, notes that during a Presidential election, audience levels for talk programs spike considerably leading up to and after the actual election. He predicts that since the election falls in November, demand will remain high through the end of the year as the retail holiday season starts shortly thereafter. Does this mean the network inventory is going to be affected from the election?

Chip Gedney, Senior Director at ABC Radio Networks, ESPN Radio and Radio Disney, agrees that more interest will be generated by the news/talk stations. However, he stops short of translating this demand for programming content to an advertising demand for commercial inventory.

Past presidential elections have seen greater demand for political advertising time on local radio, but not much with network radio. And the local markets that will feel the squeeze for airtime fall in the swing states, shown above.

We at RDR don’t foresee a significant change in network inventory unless one of the presidential candidates makes the surprise decision to use network radio. But be forewarned that local market avails will be tight in swing states in late September, October and the first week of November.

Askin Emir, Media Director

^[1]For the full list of the election advertising techniques on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_advertising

Before my nine-year old daughter and I started playing Wii games, we had a blast working our way through Frogger, the PC game that takes the 1970s arcade challenge of navigating a frog safely across busy highways and adds dozens of new and challenging levels with an infinite array of would-be frog flatteners.

At first play, each level seems unbeatable. Then, over time, patterns emerge. Practice reveals tried and true tactics that will safely traverse Frogger through each obstacle course. Guiding him through slime pits and swooping vultures becomes child’s play once you learn and follow the patterns.

I couldn’t help but notice the similarities to crafting a successful radio commercial.

I’ve written over 3,000 radio commercials, including flashy award-winning spots that would be an asset to any agency reel. But the ones that have earned our agency loyal clients and campaign longevity are simple, sometimes boring spots that follow a proven formula for effective radio commercials.

• Grab the listener’s attention.
• Focus on the one benefit most likely to inspire a consumer to take action.
• Present an irresistible offer.
• Rally the listener to take action with an urgent call to action.

For all the bells and whistles, clever copy and dazzling audio effects you can cram into a radio commercial, the simple science of following these four steps has kept us in business and growing, year after year.

Take note of the commercials you hear on the radio month after month. Listen analytically for similar patterns in how they’re structured. You’ll discover that creating a successful radio commercial is more a function of “copy smart” than “invent something new and clever.”

Mark Lipsky, President & CEO

Format Description:
“Jack” is a radio format that showcases hit songs from the past 40 years with little (if any) regard for their genre. The common slogan (and attitude) on these stations is, “We play whatever what we want.” Flitting from pop to rock to R&B; 60s to present day; the ever-changing sound of a “Jack” radio station has often been compared to an iPod set on shuffle. The format gained traction with the name Jack, but the name can vary from market to market, including incarnations known as Ben, Mike and Sophie.

Audience:
Adults 25-49

Core Artists:
Virtually anything and everything that was popular at some point during the past 40 years. Many Jack formatted stations place a heavy emphasis on music from the 1980s.

Key Radio Stations:
KFMB-FM/San Diego
KJAC-FM/Denver
WJMK-FM/Chicago
KJKK-FM/Dallas
KJAQ-FM/Seattle

DR Factor:
Strong compelling scripting and/or arresting production values are
a must for success in this format. Many Jack stations just “play the hits” without any air personalities buffering the music from the commercial announcements. This eliminates the opportunity for talent reads and endorsements. And given the broad scope of music on the “we play anything” playlist, listeners are accustomed to switching away when they hear something they don’t like.

For more information, visit Wikipedia.

The vote is in. The election should be the theme of your radio promotions for November.

Ask consumers to help vote on the discount of the week/month. Have radio stations poll listeners on local issues, the funniest movies or the hottest local celebrities to win your product or service.

We should all be casting our vote this election, so why not make it fun for consumers by rewarding them for doing so?

If politics aren’t your thing, celebrate Black Friday by having a radio listener win a chauffeured limousine, shopping spree at your retail location with some of his/her friends. Or, celebrate the anniversary of “The Price Is Right” on November 26^th by slashing prices for all!

There are dozens of other anniversaries and events that would be a perfect fit for your brand. Call us and ask us how you can break through the promotional clutter this holiday season.

Barbra Tabnick, Senior Account Manager