Do You Want to Know a Secret? Do You Promise to Tell?

February 5, 2019

The Beatles 1963 album “Please Please Me” had the song, “Do You Want to Know a Secret,” which was also the opening line of the song. The second line was “And promise not to tell.” There is an assumption that if someone tells you “a secret” that you keep it to yourself.

While keeping a secret is considered an admirable thing, there is one secret that radio broadcasters need to tell everyone.

Most in the radio industry recognize the tremendous reach that radio has on a weekly basis. Across just about every market and demographic group, radio has a weekly reach in excess of 90%. In other words, just about everyone is tuning to the radio in an average week. This is better than broadcast TV, internet, and mobile telephone usage. It greatly out-delivers the meager reach that the Pureplays hold.

Even on an average day, which is easy to find in PPM markets, radio’s reach is incredible. Very often, two-thirds of the population is tuning to radio in an average day.

Just as important as radio’s tremendous reach are the great studies Nielsen has released that demonstrate Radio’s incredible return on advertising investment. On average, a one-dollar investment in radio advertising will return eight dollars in added sales.

The problem exists that most broadcasters and radio sales people know these facts but they are keeping it a secret.

Radio broadcasters need to tell the story. A standard deck in the hand of every sales person with the proper training is a great first step. Some broadcasters and broadcast groups have advertiser seminars to tell radio’s secret. Most important, build a plan and execute it.

The radio industry will never grow its share of the advertising pie if we keep this secret to ourselves. Need some help getting started? Reach out to Research Director, Inc. at info@ResearchDirectorInc.com. We can help.

-Charlie Sislen, Partner

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