Procter & Gamble Co. has been selected to receive the 2023 Radio Mercury Awards “Radio Marketer of the Year” award, in recognition of the company’s longstanding and strategic partnership with the radio industry.
Their efforts, led by famed Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard and Most Senior Media Analyst John Fix, are perhaps second to none when it comes to Radio.
For Radio Advertising Bureau President/CEO Erica Farber, who serves as Chair of the Radio Creative Fund, Pritchard’s tenure following the departure of Jim Stengel from P&G is what helped cement the CPG leader as a champion of AM and FM radio.
In particular, she notes that P&G’s brands opted to use Radio to reach and engage consumers when they are most receptive and ready to act.
Consistency has also helped P&G in standing out from the pack.
“P&G’s support for broadcast radio prior to, during and post-pandemic is unprecedented,” she said in a Tuesday morning conversation with RBR+TVBR. “The CPG leader, in support of its brands, leverages and values radio’s community influence and its cross-cultural relationships.”
Another reason why P&G has emerged as one of Radio’s biggest champions is tied to its commitment to multicultural marketing efforts, and its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. Farber pointed how it has been a strong supporter of Black and Hispanic radio, and shows their knowledge level when it comes to reaching those who may not prefer to consume English-language content and rely on Radio to deliver what they seek every day.
“P&G’s commitment to minority owned broadcasters and its stewardship of diversity, equity and inclusion is unparalleled,” Farber said. She points to P&G’s founding sponsorship of the “More than that with Gia Peppers” audio series; its strategic alliance with the National Association of Black-owned Broadcasters (NABOB) and Reset Digital to steer more digital investment to their member stations; and P&G’s heralded “Lead with Love” community impact program, activated in partnership with Katz Radio Group and the RAB.
That said, P&G’s honor is wholly tied to Pritchard’s decision to make Radio a key component of its advertising campaigns, activating programs that leverage the medium’s core equities. These efforts involve such brands as Charmin, Tide and Cascade. But, it was a 2019 Radio Mercury Award Best in Show honor for an Old Spice campaign that Farber believes truly makes P&G a standout advertiser today.
She said, “The ongoing collaboration with P&G and its agencies is driving results among our shared consumers, and we look forward to their continued innovation and thought leadership in audio.”
For Pritchard, the use of AM and FM perhaps provides a strong learning lessons for CMOs still on the fence about incorporating it into their marketing efforts.
“Radio can reach 93% of audiences in a way that engages a wide range of consumers, with the resonance needed to grow brands, expand markets, and serve communities,” Pritchard said. “It is an honor to receive this recognition from the RAB, an esteemed organization that constructively works with advertisers like P&G and consistently takes action to advance the radio industry.”
The “Marketer of the Year” award will be presented to Procter & Gamble at the 2023 Radio Mercury Awards on June 8 at Sony Hall in New York City. Ahead of that event, The Radio Mercury Awards Finalists will be announced in early May and these winners will be announced there, too.
