Re: Cross Media Promotions

From: Jim Reilly <jreilly_at_104krbe.com>
Date: Mon 22 Oct 2001 16:10:43 -0500

>>>Kevin Frazier, CEO AdAce, Inc. posed the following
on October 5 about: Cross Media Promotions - ...Are there
any companies that are using or developing cross
promotional strategies that can share some insights,
frustrations, and successes with us?<<<

I work for a company that operates 21 radio stations
in 8 markets. The markets range from San Francisco to
York, PA. Collectively, my stations reach over 5.3
million people weekly. My company has been involved
in developing a database of our audience for over 20
years. In 1996, each station began developing its own
web site to match its on air brand identity. The local
stations' sales teams developed programs for local
advertisers using radio announcements, print & email
to the database, inserted audio on the streamed signal,
and web promotion in an integrated fashion. The effort
proved worthwhile to local businesses because they
could capitalize on the millions of dollars in airtime
poured into publicizing the station's site to draw
traffic to their brick & mortar location, web location,
build their own brand and increase sales with a specific
event or reason.

Radio's ability to target a consumer group, build an
image through theater of the mind and develop trust,
relationship and knowledge of its audience made moving to
the web a no brainer for us. In 1996, my group faced the
same dilemma any business faces when deciding on the web:
putting the necessary capital out to hire people at each
location who understood extending the "on air brand" to
the web and further developing the relationship established
by listening to the stations. For sales, the challenges
included finding people willing to be the "first"; charging
a fair price for the elements of a program instead of paying
for radio commercials and getting everything else as "bonus,"
and arriving at a success measurement that worked for all
parties.

2001, my company decided that collectively we would offer an
advertiser exposure in all markets through one source. Many
thought the same thing. Other media companies have invested
in platforms such as radio, TV, outdoor, cable and/or event
production. The idea is to link the message horizontally.
Our model is different. Our program delivers vertical
integration drilling down on the target. The radio message
with sponsor identification drives the target to the station
site. The sponsor benefits from the built up equity of the
station's address and ease of action for the audience. The
target engages in the promotion or activity hosted at the
station site and provided by the sponsor's support. E-mail
and/or print additionally drive exposure and response.
Collection of consumer data, special offers by the sponsor,
streamed audio messages, links to sponsors sites are just a
few parts of the equation that when put together grab
attention and allow action.

The biggest challenge here is finding the right person(s)
to present this integrated program. With the brick & mortar
companies, the ad agency is not set up to evaluate the
non-radio components. The initial re-action is "we will get
it for free" with a commercial buy. If the brick & mortar
comapany has a separate web initiative, the internal web
marketing department or the web agency is interested in
only the web or email components of the plan. Perhaps,
they're just not open to look at an integrated model that
marries the wired & unwired worlds.

The frustration lies in not yet finding a way to illustrate
that the success of the program lies in the wholeness of it
not the strength or weakness of its specific parts. However,
we believe we are on the right track. We have been encouraged
with feedback that tells us when compared to the horizontal
platform approach of other companies, we have people in
place who will take responsibility for the program's success.
Pricing is a work in progress. On one hand, I believe we
should get an upfront payment for delievering audience. Yet,
I recognize the need to perhaps add a component of payment
that is tied to a certain performance metric.

I look forward to reading what others on this forum can add.

Jim Reilly
jreilly_at_suscom.com
DD: 713.260.4485
Fax: 713.954.2343
Cell: 713.825.1041

Group Manager,
SRC Integrated Solutions
9801 Westheimer Suite 700
Houston, TX 77042



Received on Mon Oct 22 2001 - 16:10:43 CDT