We recently worked with a great brand to create radio promotions and sampling opportunities for their new CPG product in some pretty small markets.  As with so many things in life, there are “pros” and “cons” to working with stations in a smaller market.

Typically, our clients target the top 40 or 50 DMAs so we don’t often have the opportunity to work with our partners in these markets.  Here are some “pros” that I was reminded of:

1)      The Promotions Director wears many hats (On-Air Host, Music Director, Street Team!), so they were REALLY appreciative of the fact that we came to them with a turnkey solution that fit in with their most loyal listeners.  The Radio Agency does it all – from providing multiple creative concepts for stations to select to delivering great prizing and product samples in advance of the promotion’s start.

2)      The number of promotional mentions (live and recorded) we are able to negotiate is usually much greater than what a top 25 market would or could offer for a variety of reasons.  Stations in larger markets have a greater demand on their inventory and tend to follow stricter policies regarding promotions.

3)      We are able to execute twice as many stations as we would have been able to using larger markets, due to the lower cost of prizing needed in smaller markets.  Whereas a large market station will have a minimum value for any prize awarded on-air, the smaller markets are more lenient with what can and will be given away.  These days, brands are looking to get more bang for their advertising buck.  Smaller markets may be an inventive solution.

4)      There is less clutter on small-market stations, and we are often able to “own” the airwaves and garner the full attention of our client’s target consumer.  Since we are looking at a smaller audience size, the gross impressions may be less than what we typically see in a larger market (could be construed as a “con”) but our message is showcased in a way we might never see in New York or Los Angeles.  There may be fewer ears listening but we have their full attention and truly saturate the market with our message.

Now, onto the “cons”…We were lucky enough to have some quality radio people to work with during this particular campaign, but sometimes, in small markets, there is a lot of hand holding and educating.  Because the Promotions Director wears so many hats, they aren’t 100% focused on promotions and what industry standards have come into play in recent years.  Fortunately the promotional team at The Radio Agency has that experience and works with each Promotions Director to ensure everything is in order for those who are not used to executing promotions often or the way we expect for our clients.

Launching a product or a creative concept in small markets before you roll out in the Top 10 gives you the chance to work out the kinks before moving to the big stage.  There is a lot more flexibility to experiment and get everything just right before investing the bulk of your marketing dollars in the major markets.

Barbra Tabnick is a Senior Marketing Strategist at The Radio Agency. Please follow The Radio Agency’s Blog “Sounding Board” by subscribing to the RSS link above. Visit our website TheRadioAgency.com