Air personalities are taste-making influencers with the power to persuade listeners to take action. And that power can become a great revenue source through endorsement ads.
Personalities Fuel Endorsement Ads
A study into the role of air personalities reveals a strong bond between personalities and the audience. Radio hosts are influencers, and that’s great news for the future of radio, at least for broadcasters who develop and nurture talent. Personalities can unlock the cash vault for radio stations and themselves.
The hopeful study shows that trust in popular radio hosts is growing. Host-read ads are twice as powerful as straight voice (recorded) ads, and 59% more respondents recall endorsement ads than voiceover ads.
Advertisers are taking notice. Even as traditional voiceover ads decline, endorsement ads from radio hosts have increased.
Radio Personalities = Friends
But wait. There’s more.
Check this out. This is truly awesome:
60% of listeners say radio hosts are “like a friend.”
60%! That’s huge.
A separate study by Westwood One is even more encouraging:
Endorsement Ads Work!
The primary role of air personalities is to attract listeners and turn them into fans, not drive advertising results. But personalities that connect listeners to advertisers is a huge benefit in a world of shrinking radio ad budgets.
Endorsement ads are more effective than sponsored Facebook posts, tweets, or television commercials.
More than half (yes, over 50%) of all respondents trust brands, products and services recommended by a favorite personality.
Consider this report from the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB):
How to Benefit From Endorsement Ads
Great live reads are believable, stand out from the endless commercial load, and are heard. They provide credibility to advertisers.
Familiar voices offering recommendations for goods and services are effective, especially when the commercial is an entertaining story about a product or service.
But here’s a heads-up for broadcasters: Don’t kill the goose laying these golden eggs! Revenue-starved broadcasters are flooding the market with live read and endorsements without considering the long-term impact.
To preserve this precious revenue resource, stations should follow these guidelines:
Talent Must Approve Before The Ad Is Pitched: Happy, involved air talent makes great spokespeople. But trouble is brewing when an AE makes a sale and then puts the GM in a position to force talent to cooperate.
Charge a Premium Rate – No Exceptions: Endorsement ads work, and supply should be limited. That deserves a higher rate. Some stations charge up to 50% more for endorsements. This is a great way to increase station revenue and filter advertiser quality.
Manage Advertiser Expectations: Monitor the sales process to maintain integrity in the pitch. This will protect the rate and help AEs manage advertiser expectations. Endorsements produce amazing long-term benefits.
Talent Performance: Many radio personalities seem to read through the copy as it’s presented. Telling a story as a transition to the pitch is much more effective. Use their copy points, but make it sound like an original story that happens to include a plug for the product or service. This requires preparation for each ad.
For more tips, watch this short video for eye-opening tips on how to get the most from this valuable resource:
Pic designed by KaikaTaak for Envato Elements.
Tracy Johnson is a talent coach and programming consultant. He’s the President/CEO of Tracy Johnson Media Group. His book Morning Radio has been described as The Bible of Personality Radio and has been used by personalities worldwide.