July 2009 – Channel Crossing: Radio

Testing’s Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

By Buck Robinson

“How much do we need to spend in order to test radio?” We’re asked this question on a daily basis by potential clients–and the answer almost always knocks them back in their seat. “That much? I thought you could test radio for five grand or less!”

Therein lies the rub. Because most people looking at radio do so through TV-centric vision, their approach to our medium is completely based on their TV experience.

If the client asks, “Can I get on the air for $5,000 or less?” the answer is certainly yes. But will $5,000 allow for a comprehensive test of the medium? Not even close. Would you ever run a single spot on one outlet on TV and assume that those results are indicative of the entire medium of television? No. But that’s exactly the kind of miracle that we are constantly asked to perform on radio.

GET REAL ABOUT YOUR BUDGET
My first question is often, “What’s your real testing budget?” Let’s say they tell me that they can test a TV spot for $10,000 to $20,000 and know whether or not it works. Fair enough. However, that’s not the real testing budget–it’s just the media portion. Before they spent that investment on the placement of the spot, they spent another $10,000 to $20,000 (at least) on the spot itself.

So in reality, the testing budget is closer to $40,000. So if that’s what the client knows to be a minimal testing budget for TV, why do they assume that radio can get by on a fraction of that amount? While we don’t have that enormous production cost associated with radio, we do still need those funds to procure a far more robust media bed. Radio is a fractured, format-driven medium, and in order to know whether or not you have a potential hit, you need to go fishing for response with a net, not a fishing pole.

The ugly truth is that most DRTV marketers who consider radio don’t have high expectations for the medium. It’s a shame, because when a first-time radio advertiser walks into that self-fulfilling prophecy, he or she usually walks away jaded and unwilling to give radio a second try.

With TV, everyone knows that only one in eight, 10 or even 20 campaigns will be a hit, and yet most DRTV marketers are comfortable with those odds. But when it comes to radio, they expect it to hit it out of the park on the first or second try or else “it just doesn’t work.” Why there is such an egregious double standard set for radio I’ll never understand, but it’s one that we face daily.

Remember, the concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy works both ways. If you come into radio excited about its potential, optimistic about what it can provide to your greater marketing strategy, committed to solid DR principles and armed with a sufficient budget and gameplan for validly testing your creative, media and offer, then don’t be surprised when the end result meets or exceeds your high expectations!

On Sunday, September 13, Buck Robinson will speak on “The Secret Selling Power of Sound” during a special Power Session from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at ERA’s D2C Convention in Las Vegas.

Buck Robinson is president and CEO of Robinson Radio Inc., a full-service, radio-only advertising agency based in Glen Allen, Va. He can be reached via e-mail at buck@robinsonradio.com.