Advertising News
What’s working for radio right now?
Head of programming at POWER FM, Lance Rothschild, examines the trends in the radio programming space and how stations can keep listeners plugged in to this resilient and popular medium. The media market is constantly evolving and whilst radio’s demise has been predicted over several decades, it remains one of the best performing constants within the media mix. Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of Clear Channel, the predominant radio-owning organisation in the US, says: “The radio industry has never been bigger or better. With the TV business turning into delayed viewing, cord-cutting and binge viewing, radio is the last mass-reach, real-time medium. We’ve never been more important to the consumer or the advertiser.”
Fundamentally the business model of radio is quite simple. The continuous sequence that sustains all commercial radio stations starts with the making of a great product; progresses through the attraction and retention of an audience and concludes with advertising sales. “In South Africa, radio is the medium with the broadest reach across the population,” says Natano Brache, Head of Programming and Innovation at SABC Radio. “Radio remains more relevant than ever, particularly our African Language Services (ALS) stations that have a mass reach, especially in the rural areas.” In today’s radio environment, stations are increasingly emphasising that it’s less important to count the people you reach than it is to reach people who count. It’s about having a clear focus on the listeners and offering content that delights and engages an audience. Like all media in a growth-constrained economy, radio will continue to come under immense pressure. However, as long as it maintains its context and relevance, and most importantly its ease of consumption, it will remain an important media choice for marketers seeking to reach clearly-defined prospects.
Innovative Advertising Ideas
How Pokémon Go could benefit your business
You’ve heard of B2B and B2C, but are you ready for O2O? The new online-to-offline trend is lighting up markets across the globe, particularly with the growing Pokémon Go phenomenon. Chances are strong that your social media newsfeeds were flooded with images of friends and family either taking part in or marvelling at crowds of people converging in common places and then simply staring at their screens Pokémon Go activities this past weekend. It’s quite literally the biggest online-to-offline trend we’ve seen yet, and also predicted as just the starting point of augmented reality – yes AR, not just VR – looks set to shake-up business as we know it.
Leigh Andrews explained her thoughts on Pokémon Go, “ Let me backtrack a little: Confused about “online-to-offline”? At it’s simplest, O2O is a sign that business is following the slow but steady consumer shift offline… sort of. While the digital boom of the past two decades means consumers can find almost anything they want online, it also means they’re bombarded with unwanted advertising that constantly interrupts and distracts them. It makes sense if you take off your marketer’s hat for a minute and replace it with your consumer hat. If anything, we’re redefining the way we interact online – bringing it offline.” The main take-out is that it’s all about enabling your consumers to interact with your brand wherever they may be. The increasing offline attention shift means businesses need to adapt to this – not by calling a day on their digital offering, but making sure customers can engage them just as easily in the traditional space as in the real-time realm. In fact, Pokémon Go has just partnered with McDonald’s in Japan, in a deal that sees the fast food restaurants function as ‘training gyms’ for enthusiastic players.
Industry Information
How long should a TV commercial be?
When asked how many TV commercials would be in a campaign, why do most media planners calculate the answer using the 30-second rate? asks Chris Brewer in his recent opinion piece published on Bizcommunity. New York agency, Ted Bates, issued a statement (admittedly many years ago) about length. It was that “the true answer is that 15-second commercials are potentially half as effective as 30 seconds.”
Chris explains that, “It still amazes me that so many TV (and radio) commercials are 30 seconds long.” What is of paramount importance is that, for example, a 15-second commercial must NOT be a speeded up version of a 30-second commercial! A specific message must NEVER be trimmed “to fit” within a time span that’s too short. If the message demands 35 seconds of air time, then that’s what it should get – not 30 seconds. Similarly, 35 seconds will not be long enough to do justice to a 45-second commercial. There is very little reliable data regarding the ideal length of a commercial. The general consensus internationally, however, would seem to indicate that a 15- or 20-second commercial is well suited to reinforcing an established brand image or as support to a longer, more informative spot. But it seems logical to assume that the question of “how long is ideal?” is dependent entirely on how long the copywriter needs to put across the message. The inevitable conclusion therefore is: Question: How long should the commercial be? Answer: Long enough.
Exciting Media Campaigns
Wimpy promises SA’s meat lovers a thrill
A new campaign from FCB Joburg, Team Best and Hungry Films for Famous Brands’ casual dining destination chain, Wimpy, is promising South Africa’s meat lovers a ‘thrill’ the next time they opt for a grill in one of its restaurants. “To increase brand relevance and grow market share, Wimpy wanted to enhance its positioning as a casual dining destination offering big eat and value grill meals,” said Marketing Manager, Luise Peters.
What’s happening in Africa
Unique mobile subscribers in Africa surpass half a billion
More than half a billion people across Africa are now subscribed to mobile services as the continent continues to migrate rapidly to mobile broadband networks, reveals a new GSMA study. ‘The Mobile Economy: Africa 2016’ was published at the GSMA Mobile 360 Africa event this week, being held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 26 – 28 July. The report also highlights the increasing contribution of Africa’s mobile industry to the regional economy, including employment and public funding, and mobile’s role as a platform for digital and financial inclusion. “More than half a billion people across Africa are now subscribed to a mobile network, providing them not just with connectivity but a gateway to a range of other essential services in areas such as digital identity, healthcare and financial services,” said Mats Granryd, director general, GSMA. “The rapid move to mobile broadband networks is also unlocking new opportunities for consumers, businesses and governments, growing an ecosystem that last year added more than $150 billion in value to Africa’s economy.” Africa’s three largest markets – Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa – together accounted for around a third of the total subscriber base. The number of unique mobile subscribers is forecast to reach 725 million by 2020, accounting for 54% of the expected population by this point. With more mobile users emerging in Africa, it is crucial for brands to adopt mobile advertising into their advertising strategies. Let us help you reach mobile users across Africa.
About Get Set Go Media
At Get Set Go we specialise in planning and implementing media campaigns that align with your brand strategy. Our advertising reach spans across TV, Radio, Newspaper and Magazine media in Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Angola, Mozambique and Zambia. Some of the services we offer include media strategy, media buying, proof of flighting and research on the media landscape. Our team partners with local media agencies in South Africa and take care of the entire media buying process for them. If you are a media owner or a client, we would love to hear from you!