On 10/3 at NABOB’s 37th annual Fall Broadcast Management Conference/13th Annual Power of Urban Radio Forum, OMD Supervisor of National Audio Investment Cecilia Jato; Touraan Chestnut, Partner/Broadcast Advertising Manager, Group M; Lauren Russo, SVP/Audio Buying, Horizon Media; Helen Giles, Director National Broadcast Buying, Lowe Campbell Ewald; and Lisa Soderman, SVP/Broadcast Buying, Optimedia, took the stage at the Global Media Agency Panel Session to discuss the current state of ad dollars and African American-owned media.
Left to Right: Cecilia Jato, Touraan Chestnut, Lisa Soderman, Helen Giles and Lauren Russo.
The moderator was Annette Malave, RAB’s VP/Business Development. She began with, “A lot has changed in the last few years with technology. How have things changed with how you do your job and how has radio changed?”
Russo: “We now need holistic measurement across all platforms.”
Soderman: “We see it as one person, consuming media in different ways, when they want to consume it. We want to bridge that gap and compare apples to apples.”
Giles: “We might look at audio in an overall standpoint and then break it down to the individual components. Radio is more interactive than ever. We also talk more about Big Data and how radio fits in to the overall picture.”
Chestnut: “Radio evolves when it still connects with communities. The host now has Facebook groups, they’re talking about what’s going on at the radio station.”
Jato: The listening has become more fragmented and African Americans have become ahead of that curve. We need to let advertisers know.”
Malave went on to say that significantly more African Americans are reached each week by radio—higher than the national average.
How does that good news trickle down to the agencies and advertisers?
Jato: “Let the agencies and advertisers know what their audience is doing. African Americans are influencers—in culture, music and lifestyle.”
Chestnut: “It all comes down to the metrics. You have to justify everything. The African American audience is still undervalued. We need to tie in the numbers for all proof of performance.”
Soderman: The beauty of radio is its evolving into more things than the spots. The DJs are tweeting, posting things on Facebook posts. There’s a personalization you feel with your local DJ. How do we quantify that?
Russo: Radio is sometimes viewed as an outdated medium and we need to capitalize on these new technologies to complete and increase ROI.
Giles: We need to put pressure on Nielsen to make sure they are being accountable to radio in the transition with Arbitron.
Malave said that according to the Selig Center, African American buying power will be $1.3 trillion by 2017. “What opportunities are you looking for most right now?”
Russo: “Syndication opportunities like Steve Harvey and Tom Joyner. They, as well as the DJs at the stations are talking about our clients’ products. That’s very valuable.”
Jato: “The connection with DJs, the engagement, has become very important. What we don’t realize or push out there is radio is an emotive medium. There is a major connection with their stations and their DJs. That connection is what we recommend to our advertisers.”
Chestnut: “We’re looking for flexibility. How do you manage crisis? We also need consistent audience delivery. It should be interesting how the numbers stabilize or change after Nielsen integrates with Arbitron.”
Soderman: “More successful campaigns are organic campaigns—give the DJs talking points, but not a script. Let them put their own personality into what the message is.”
Malave: What do we need to do to elevate the importance of the African American market?
Giles: “We need to see more case studies and business results.”
Chestnut: “More white papers. Get to know who the key decision makers are in each of these organizations. Arm your salespeople with that information. Get it to the decision makers and the media agencies. If possible, get an agreement where post-campaign successful data can be shared after a campaign. We’re salespeople too—help us sell it.”
Russo: “In that vein, some clients are very protective…it may have to be delivered in a general category, non-specific to the advertiser in the report.”
Soderman: The goal is to share the information with our clients. Don’t be afraid to knock on our door with some crazy idea that’s never been done before. If it’s not good for one client, it might be good for another.”
Malave: How are your clients looking at audio consumption and how is it planned and bought internally?
Jato: “Some clients want things all-inclusive. Streaming is now 10-15% of our audio buys. We handle it all.”
Giles: “The digital group brings a skill set to the overall buy, as well as the broadcast group. Now is the time to work through all of that together and share information across these groups.”
Russo: “It’s important not to operate in silos. We have a digital audio specialist on our team.”
Chestnut: “It’s all about how the agencies are structured. The mobile is placed by our digital group.”
Malave asked about how radio is faring with ad dollars supporting the Affordable Health Care Act:
Giles: “With our client Kaiser Permanente, radio is going to play a big role, making sure people know what’s going on.”
Chestnut: “BC/BS of Tennessee is a client. We’re using radio to tie it into the community. The ads will make the advertiser look like they’re on the side of the consumer by helping to disseminate information.”
Malave: What golden nugget can you provide to Urban Radio?
Giles: “Let’s work together…including to partner on what Nielsen is going to do with audio.”
Soderman: “Sell what you can bring to our client. Keep knocking on our door with good ideas.”
Chestnut: “Stations have to be mindful of the content before you place an ad into programming…both the messaging, imaging. Panera Bread, for example, doesn’t want an ad heard right after a vulgar bit on a morning show.”
Jato: “If you own what you have in your arsenal (your culture, your brand, your stations, talent), we can sell it to our clients. You need to own your research as well.”
Russo: “Keep giving us the latest stats.—on digital extensions, etc., so we can see the value that’s associated with radio.”
Giles: “If you don’t have the numbers, you better have a really good idea.”
Jato: “Numbers are what get you into the door. The campaign must be engaging. Millennials have the attention span of a gnat’s lifespan. Give them a reason to engage.”
Giles: “As radio become more digital, the overall buy should become more quantifiable and measurable.”
