DEALING WITH RADIO'S PERCEPTION PROBLEM Katy Bachman - Mediaweek Despite the radio industry’s efforts in the last year to clean up its act—through new research and marketing, clutter reduction and advancement of electronic data interchange initiatives—advertisers and agencies still say the medium doesn’t measure up against its rivals.
For the second year in a row, the Radio Advertising Bureau’s annual perceptual study funded by Arbitron and conducted by TargetCast and Padin & Eastbrook found radio ranked below all other ad-supported media when it comes to schedule integrity (running commercial schedules as ordered), accountability systems and timely measurement.
“It’s all the things we’ve been saying combined in one ugly report,” said Richard Cotter, senior partner, director of local broadcast at MindShare. “We just want stations to take the order and run it correctly. We don’t want to key in [data] 400 times; we want it electronically. [And] we want better audience research.”
Broadcasters took the news in stride.
“We’ve received a tremendous wake-up call in the past 12 months,” said David Field, president, CEO of Entercom Communications. “We saw ourselves get repositioned by new technologies. Clients are being candid with us. This gives us a road map.”
Compared to other media, spot radio ranked No. 8 and network radio ranked No. 10 in schedule integrity behind magazines, newspapers, network TV, spot TV, outdoor, syndicated TV, cable TV and Internet. Agencies and advertisers also had less confidence in the accuracy and timeliness of radio affidavits to prove ads ran as ordered than in the affidavits from network TV, spot TV and newspapers.
“We have to make sure we deliver what we promise,” said Peter Smyth, president, CEO of Greater Media, who believes the industry needs to market itself better. “We’ve made some light-year progress. Are there issues? Absolutely. Are we going to do more? Absolutely.”
Radio’s current ratings system is a particular weak spot. Still based on diaries, ratings are reported quarterly, an excruciatingly long time before agencies can gauge ad effectiveness. Agency execs routinely call it “antiquated.” |