RadMark Top 10 SA Radio Case Study Project demonstrates radio’s efficacy

RadMark Managing Director Graham Willcock says there is a natural tendency for advertisers and marketers to pull back on advertising during tough times, but media that is able to produce quantifiable results always wins - in both the good times and the bad: "A recession is the perfect opportunity to gain market share, as competitors cut back on their marketing efforts. Each share point gained during tough times is worth incrementally more as the market eventually recovers."

The prudent thing is to be smart with where you spend your money: "Smart = familiarity" because as risk goes up so you rely more on those things you trust.  Radio engages and yet is unobtrusive; it evokes the emotions and yet is inoffensive.  It is the ultimate social networking platform.  There is a dependability about radio that helps marketers manage their risk."

Radmark continues to encourage marketers and advertising agencies to engage with them and to challenge the traditional use of the medium by pushing boundaries and this is clearly revealed by the 2009 case studies.

The Love Cruise campaign for client Malibu, on Heart 104.9FM, exceeded all expectations, with tickets sold out three weeks before the event and almost 200 bottles of Malibu sold on board the cruise.

Malibu had wanted to grow its market share and entered into a paretnership between Heart 104.9FM and Starlight Cruises.  The result was a definite increase in awareness for the brand and a ‘friendship' established between listeners and the brand itself.

When McCarthy Ford and Mazda opened a new car dealership brand in the Pretoria east area, they wanted to raise awareness of the brand profile.

A reality radio concept was born that centered on the Currie Cup final between the Sharks and the Bulls and used radio presenters as proponents of these teams to set the scene for a showdown at the car dealership where the losing personality was pelted with rotten eggs.

Almost 1000 people arrived to watch the showdown - people who would ever have visited the dealership otherwise.

Selection criteria for the case studies included:

Return On Investment : Were the client's objectives met and did the radio campaign deliver a solid return on investment?

Innovation : Whether it was a generic campaign or a promotion/competition; was the campaign innovative/ground-breaking?

Entertainment : Was the campaign entertaining for the listener?

Engagement : Was the campaign interactive/engaging of the audience?