Archive for the ‘Advertising’ Category

Most radio sales representatives are referred to as Account Executives (AE); this is because they handle multiple accounts for their company they work for. The purpose of a radio sales representative is to provide a solution for a client, which is to promote there company’s growth. AE’s have a large variety of educational backgrounds. They could have an education from Communication to Business. Most AE’s do not work a traditional 9-5 work schedule, because they have to work around their clients schedules. Working in sales is a risky job because it is primarily commission based. Therefore, the AE must be driven to work in sales in order to have lucrative career.

Given the demands of the job and an irregular schedule, what does an AE do on a day-to-day basis? While interning with a Chicago based corporately owned radio station, I followed an AE around for a day to get a clear understanding on what they do from start to finish. The AE that I shadowed for the day is a well-established sales representative that has worked with the company for 5 years, so her activity is slightly different from most. Every day the AE starts by reading emails from her current clients to make sure that they are satisfied with their commercials and promos running on the radio. Most successful AEs have created a prosperous client list that will usually follow them if they are relocated to a different location. I noticed that radio sales is both and inside and outside job. The outside form of radio sales is when the AE searches for new clients, meeting clients, and working outdoor event. The indoor format is based on checking emails, cold calling of possible new clients, researching possible leads, planning promotional events, and paperwork. Every week all of the AE’s send in an updated list of what clients they have on their roster, so that there is an accurate count of the current clients and to see what companies are available for business.

When an AE meets with a client it is usually over a meal, and they will discuss multiple issues, such as:

• The company’s goals
• The company’s budget for advertising
• What radio format they want to advertise on. (I.e. Adult Contemporary, Lite Rock, or Top 40)
• What were there previous advertising formats
• What are their ideas for advertisements (i.e. What time frame they want to advertise in)

Then the AE will come up with a plan of execution for the client, that would satisfy their needs, and the client can either accept or decline the offer. The AE I shadowed said that she has never lost a client because she learned how to compromise with what works best for the company and the client. Even though this job may be very fast-paced it is a profession that can have large return in investment.

-Amina E. Mance

In the era of the IPod and satellite radio, is the radio audience decreasing in size? Recently, when I spoke with the Coordinator of the Promotions department for a corporately-owned radio company in Chicago, and she informed me that radio listenership is not down. In fact, she explained that in the last years radio listeners share has increased by 2%. This is a large number when considering the six stations this company owns.  In observing listeners in the Chicago area, however, I noticed that although they listen to the radio, they are not actively listening to the radio personalities and the content of the programming (with active listening defined as when people remember specific on-air personalities are and the current events during a listening period). Most people are only able to name the station and a few songs…

My analysis shows that fans are not actively listening when they are in settings where they have multiple tasks going on. For instance, while traveling in and out of their car, listeners do not carefully listen to the advertisements because they may be interacting with someone else in their vehicle, or leaving their vehicle before a radio ad is complete. In this way, listeners are missing out on very expensive advertisement. In other situations radio is played as background filler and people are relatively unaware of what they are listening to.

The next big question is: What can be done to increase active listening, and active exposure to radio advertisements? In my opinion, redeveloping the execution of the client’s campaign is the best solution, giving the listener something exciting and fresh to listen to. Additionally, it is important to make sure that the client is positioned in the right time slot to reach their targeted audience. Advertisers need to be aware of what issues are blocking their message, ensuring that they do not feel like they are wasting their company’s time and money. Hopefully, the inaccurate, but all too popular phrase “Radio is Dying” never becomes true. But only the future will tell…

-Amina E. Mance