"The radio industry is not a bazaar"
Martin Muerner, Head of Radiopower.ch, on the advantages of radio as an advertising medium, black sheep in its own ranks and the unequal length of the stakes between SRG stations and private stations.
Martin Muerner, Head of Radiopower.ch, on the advantages of radio as an advertising medium, black sheep in its own ranks and the unequal length of the stakes between SRG stations and private stations.
WW Radiopower wants to promote radio advertising. What are the USPs of radio as a medium? Martin Muerner Radio advertising can be realized very quickly. You can book today and the spot runs the same day or the next day at the latest. Radio advertising is efficient and very favorable in terms of CPM. The net reach of private radio stations in German-speaking Switzerland is around 2.3 million listeners. Furthermore, emotions can be conveyed better than via advertisements, for example. We therefore believe that the medium will gain in importance in the media mix. The fact that PubliGroupe is now also interested in this medium reinforces our opinion. But it is clear that radio is too weakly positioned in Switzerland compared to other countries.
What can the radios themselves do even better?
Under the existing framework conditions, the private radio story is a success story. But certain framework conditions are bad, for example in terms of frequency distribution: SRG has around 90 percent of the frequencies and the best ones at that. In the Bernese Oberland, for example, SRG broadcasts with 5000 watts from 2000 meters, while Radio BeO has to make do with 100 watts from 1000 meters. Due to a lack of frequencies, private radio stations are also unable to offer a second program.
Nevertheless, what can be improved?
The public service could be expanded regionally. We then hope for improvements in technical distribution via RTVG. Marketing can also be improved. This has not always been optimal over the past 20 years, which also has to do with personalities who are no longer on the market today.
Reinhold Weber wrote in Werbewoche that radio stations were broadcasting moronic word contributions and cloned music. Advertising is not interesting in such an environment.
I have to strongly disagree with that. Our content is certainly no worse than that of other media. It would also be presumptuous to accuse 2.3 million listeners of debility. Nor is it true that all stations sound the same. Especially in the regional public service, the stations differ enormously. The same applies to the choice of music: If our audience wants certain tracks, we play them. Anything else would be stupid. For these reasons, I can in no way understand Weber's aversion to radio as an advertising medium.
The Radiopower homepage and campaign launch today. What happens next?
For example, we also want to promote spot quality by launching a radio spot award. Although the "Golden Ear" award already exists, it doesn't seem to be taking place this year. Nobody knows exactly what's going on. What is certain, however, is that private radio stations are no longer taking part in the previous "Golden Ear".
For years, garden-variety thinking and envy prevailed in the radio scene. Does Radiopower indicate a change of attitude?
Something has certainly changed. We have succeeded in uniting all radios in one association. Radios did leave at the beginning of the year, but this was solely due to political differences over two RTVA articles. We are largely in agreement on the other issues. That is why we spun off our internal association marketing group called Taskforce and renamed it Radiopower. This allows us to reintegrate not only the radios that have left the commercial sector, but also the agents and recording studios. Radiopower is also a kind of bracket that will hold us together even if the pool constellations change.
Time and again, we hear that private radio stations offer customers lower prices if they book directly instead of through intermediaries. Such actions turn generic marketing into cosmetics.
There are black sheep everywhere. But I would say that they make up no more than one percent in our company. Paying fair rates is our top priority. The radio industry is not a bazaar. What's more, we have already addressed such issues in the task force and will continue to do so at Radiopower. For example, if a customer wants higher discounts, freespace or additional competition from radio stations or agents, we discuss this together. We usually refuse. We want to stick to our tariffs, otherwise they make little sense.
It is also said that IP Multimedia (IPM) often lures its TV customers with radio freespace (see box below). Isn't that also damaging the industry?
I can't say anything about that, you'll have to ask the IPM directly. I've heard rumors like that, but I've never seen any figures to back them up. And I don't respond to rumors anyway.
IPM counters the often-heard accusation that IP Multimedia (IPM) is luring its TV customers with free space for radio advertising as follows: "We have no interest in diverting advertising budgets from radio to TV. Nor vice versa. That would make no sense for our Electronic Division, through which we market both genres." The accusation is being spread by agency competitors, but is based on weak foundations. "They had a monopoly in the radio market for over 25 years, now they've become comfortable. What was true 20 years ago no longer has to be true today." (mk)
Interview: Markus Knöpfli
WW Radiopower wants to promote radio advertising. What are the USPs of radio as a medium? Martin Muerner Radio advertising can be realized very quickly. You can book today and the spot runs the same day or the next day at the latest. Radio advertising is efficient and very favorable in terms of CPM. The net reach of private radio stations in German-speaking Switzerland is around 2.3 million listeners. Furthermore, emotions can be conveyed better than via advertisements, for example. We therefore believe that the medium will gain in importance in the media mix. The fact that PubliGroupe is now also interested in this medium reinforces our opinion. But it is clear that radio is too weakly positioned in Switzerland compared to other countries.
What can the radios themselves do even better?
Under the existing framework conditions, the private radio story is a success story. But certain framework conditions are bad, for example in terms of frequency distribution: SRG has around 90 percent of the frequencies and the best ones at that. In the Bernese Oberland, for example, SRG broadcasts with 5000 watts from 2000 meters, while Radio BeO has to make do with 100 watts from 1000 meters. Due to a lack of frequencies, private radio stations are also unable to offer a second program.
Nevertheless, what can be improved?
The public service could be expanded regionally. We then hope for improvements in technical distribution via RTVG. Marketing can also be improved. This has not always been optimal over the past 20 years, which also has to do with personalities who are no longer on the market today.
Reinhold Weber wrote in Werbewoche that radio stations were broadcasting moronic word contributions and cloned music. Advertising is not interesting in such an environment.
I have to strongly disagree with that. Our content is certainly no worse than that of other media. It would also be presumptuous to accuse 2.3 million listeners of debility. Nor is it true that all stations sound the same. Especially in the regional public service, the stations differ enormously. The same applies to the choice of music: If our audience wants certain tracks, we play them. Anything else would be stupid. For these reasons, I can in no way understand Weber's aversion to radio as an advertising medium.
The Radiopower homepage and campaign launch today. What happens next?
For example, we also want to promote spot quality by launching a radio spot award. Although the "Golden Ear" award already exists, it doesn't seem to be taking place this year. Nobody knows exactly what's going on. What is certain, however, is that private radio stations are no longer taking part in the previous "Golden Ear".
For years, garden-variety thinking and envy prevailed in the radio scene. Does Radiopower indicate a change of attitude?
Something has certainly changed. We have succeeded in uniting all radios in one association. Radios did leave at the beginning of the year, but this was solely due to political differences over two RTVA articles. We are largely in agreement on the other issues. That is why we spun off our internal association marketing group called Taskforce and renamed it Radiopower. This allows us to reintegrate not only the radios that have left the commercial sector, but also the agents and recording studios. Radiopower is also a kind of bracket that will hold us together even if the pool constellations change.
Time and again, we hear that private radio stations offer customers lower prices if they book directly instead of through intermediaries. Such actions turn generic marketing into cosmetics.
There are black sheep everywhere. But I would say that they make up no more than one percent in our company. Paying fair rates is our top priority. The radio industry is not a bazaar. What's more, we have already addressed such issues in the task force and will continue to do so at Radiopower. For example, if a customer wants higher discounts, freespace or additional competition from radio stations or agents, we discuss this together. We usually refuse. We want to stick to our tariffs, otherwise they make little sense.
It is also said that IP Multimedia (IPM) often lures its TV customers with radio freespace (see box below). Isn't that also damaging the industry?
I can't say anything about that, you'll have to ask the IPM directly. I've heard rumors like that, but I've never seen any figures to back them up. And I don't respond to rumors anyway.
IPM counters the often-heard accusation that IP Multimedia (IPM) is luring its TV customers with free space for radio advertising as follows: "We have no interest in diverting advertising budgets from radio to TV. Nor vice versa. That would make no sense for our Electronic Division, through which we market both genres." The accusation is being spread by agency competitors, but is based on weak foundations. "They had a monopoly in the radio market for over 25 years, now they've become comfortable. What was true 20 years ago no longer has to be true today." (mk)
Interview: Markus Knöpfli
