ORLANDO — For advertising and marketing executives, there’s no bigger annual destination for learning and networking than the ANA Masters of Marketing Week.
The 2019 event began Wednesday and concludes Saturday morning. While there’s been much discussion on diversity and inclusion, there’s something noticeably different at Masters of Marketing today compared to a decade ago.
Radio is very visible as an industry, and so are some of its biggest leaders.
Thursday evening (10/3) saw iHeartMedia — ANA’s “Audio Partner” — sponsor the entire dinner and entertainment, provided by classic Alternative Rock act Bush.
That followed an opening night dinner where ANA Masters of Marketing attendees were treated to a performance from pop-rock band OneRepublic, “courtesy of Westwood One.”
Pierre Bouvard, Westwood One’s Chief Insights Officer, was busy talking up radio’s positives with attendees.
“Radio is getting rediscovered,” he told RBR+TVBR while in front of the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB)‘s prominently situated expo booth.
Bouvard noted that brands such as Progressive and Lowe’s are upping their ad spend with radio, while Procter & Gamble is now the fifth-largest radio advertiser. “They hadn’t been spending for 30 years,” Bouvard says. “That’s turning a lot of heads.”
Amazon took notice. Now, they’re using radio.
The goal for Bouvard: Getting more brands to understand radio’s ROI.
It doesn’t require radio broadcasters from erasing a negative perspective on what AM and FM stations can provide in terms of brand growth and increased product sales.
Says Bouvard, “It’s not that marketers have a bad impression of radio. They have no impression of radio. It is not on their radar.”
Asked why he thought this was the case, Bouvard adds, “There are glittery shiny objects out there.”
This was in reference to local digital, and perhaps streaming audio platforms including Sirius XM-owned Pandora, which had a presence on the convention floor by way of a snazzy lounge open for attendees to work, or relax, in between sessions.
Bouvard also pointed to an “over-reliance” on TV by marketers who are now struggling with frequency and ad repetition, in particular in the digital realm. For The Hershey Company‘s head of integrated media and communications planning, Charlie Chappell, how to adjust the ad spend if one can’t spend on Netflix is now an active question.
Also spotted at the ANA Masters of Marketing: Hubbard Radio President/COO Drew Horowitz, who is retiring at year’s end after 43 years in radio. He also noted that marketers are increasingly interested in learning more about radio as part of a total audio buy.
Meanwhile, iHeart CEO Bob Pittman has been seen at various conference-related events.
For Bouvard, one-on-one meetings at an upstairs suite at the Rosen Shingle Creek, where ANA Masters of Marketing is being held, is providing Cumulus and Westwood One with one valued connections.
PUMP UP THE RADIO
Perhaps the biggest visible sign that Radio was very much present at ANA Masters of Marketing was a prime location for the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB)‘s expo booth, where President/CEO Erica Farber was busily chatting with marketers about the benefits of terrestrial radio.
Farber commended iHeart for an “exceptional job” the company has done in bringing radio to the forefront of conference attendees’ minds. She also noted that many Entercom and Katz Media Group executives were present in Orlando.
For the RAB team, “We walk away from here with so much work,” Farber says. “They’ve embraced us here. Clients are interested in talking about radio’s benefits, and we’ve heard from both national and regional brands.”
Plus, those speaking with RAB staff are asking specific questions about radio’s deliverability. To help with the queries, touchscreens with six different content headers have been set up in the RAB expo booth. This, Farber says, allows marketers to provide input on perceptions, and creative. “We’re gathering data from individuals.”
This will help the RAB in its efforts to determine who a brand’s customers are, and the best way to reach them.
Farber sat in on a presentation from Rashad Tobaccowala, Chief Growth Officer at Publicis Groupe, one of the largest ad agency umbrella companies in the world. Of all the things he said, one resonated most with her: Buzzwords don’t mean anything.
This, she believed, was poignant for Radio, as a successful campaign simply relies on strategy, understanding the customer, and how to communicate best to them.
Meanwhile, author and marketing entrepreneur Joe Jaffe, who in 2018 launched consultancy HMS Beagle, ended his Friday morning presentation by noting that Radio is very important to the future of advertising — a pleasing statement for the industry and for Farber.
How does she feel about RAB’s presence at the world’s foremost marketing and advertising industry conference? “We get to see clients face-to-face, and build new relationships,” Farber says. “Plus, we have a seat at the table. People just aren’t walking by us.”
