At a certain immature age, I would have considered that a product benefit.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Someone pitching the idea to sell radio to 65+ demo
- Thread starter joebtsflk1
- Start date
At a certain immature age, I would have considered that a product benefit.
I was mortified, while watching the CBS network news, to come to the realization that every single spot looked like it was tailor made for the Lawrence Welk Show!
Oscar Madison
Leading Participant
I am not talking about business, discrimination or rulings from judge. I am talking about your stereotyping comment, which reeked of prejudice. Apparently, this is a prejudice shared by many broadcasters and ad agency people. Doesn't make your beliefs accurate.
Please don't blame the radio stations. The advertisers choose which age group(s) they want to reach.
More information: http://www.radiodiscussions.com/sho...ver-55-why-radio-does-not-program-for-seniors
More information: http://www.radiodiscussions.com/sho...ver-55-why-radio-does-not-program-for-seniors
It doesn't matter what I believe or what you believe. It doesn't matter if you don't think it's accurate. What matters is the advertisers. It's their money, and they can spend it however they wish. Seniors are welcome to spend their money subscribing to services that program to their tastes. They will find there are lots of options available.
Radio broadcasters offer formats that target over 55s, most notably news/talk. Advertisers find that format works for them. They often will create their own program length commercials for news/talk radio stations. But as I said earlier, advertisers say most music formats are not the right environment for selling products aimed at seniors.
Last edited:
With the visual of sitting in two separate bathtubs in a field on the mountain, where they are discussing how to locate the sadist who thought that one up.
MarioMania
Star Participant
People over 65 listen to the Radio like News, Sports & Weather
But there Grandchildren will tell them to get all the stuff on the internet
But there Grandchildren will tell them to get all the stuff on the internet
I wonder where the mediocre recovery fits into this 55+ scenario. If one looks at the statistics, a massive swath of Americans over 45 are still working age but out of work. Many are supporting other unemployed members of their families. How many of them really have the disposable income to appeal to advertisers, and I'm certain the advertisers must be aware of the statistics.
As a representative market, I looked at Chicago. Just under 40% of 65 and over listening went to talk, news and sports stations. Over a third of that went to one station, WBBM, which is all news.
But just over 60% of listening goes to music stations, ranging from classical to classic rock to AC, Country, Urban AC and regional Mexican.
Having disposable income isn't the issue. It never has been. It has to do with effectiveness of radio advertising on the demo. Two different things.
Was it always this way, then? Were the 55+ demos always considered a negative to radio advertisers? I remember when I was a kid that there were more stations targeting older demos -- or at least it seemed that way. But at the time I wasn't savvy about radio demographics -- not to say I am now.
As discussed earlier this thread, the reason Beautiful Music went away in the 70s and 80s was because the demo was too old. And there were better, more profitable uses for FM frequencies.
BigA, for being just 21 years old, you are ahead of your time.
I am scared of estate sales. They make me feel old (and I am in my mid 50s.) LOL. Do you find any cool ancient artifacts?BTW, this is a good post. Gr8Oldies - I totally get your point on products up against the music, but, to be honest you would NEVER hear a station playing probably even the 80's if the ads had to reflect youth vs. reality of who the listener is and attempting to reach that precise audience with age appropriate commercials.
Speaking of possible discrimination. Frank, why did your text have to be the largest font size on this post? L0L.
Oscar - I deal with what you are saying on a weekly basis. These folks on here are just presenting the reality of radio in 2016. Most of them are in the exact demo that the ad buyers run from. The agencies don't see the value of radio for those over 50-55+. I politely disagree. So far, no one can really change the ad buyers method of operation.
Media buyers simply take the buy specs of the client and make the best deals they can. Changing the target of the buy would cost them their jobs and possibly lose the account for the agency.
Up unitil the end of network radio days, radio was rated by the household as that was the way the medium was listened too. By the 60's, rating started to be increasingly stratified by demos. And as formats fragmented, advertisers started looking at age groups. As advertisers developed age-based marketing plans, buys were placed based on age ranges. So very definitely by the late 70's and early 90's buys all had age specifications and seniors were not targeted.
Captain Rock
New Participating Member
Honestly, why would ANYONE want to advertise on a music radio station, and have a non-visually appealing ad buried in a long stop set?
I agree with what has been posted here about agency business and older demos, but is radio advertising magically more effective on younger listeners, or is it just that clients want to "REACH" them. Just numbers on a spreadsheet.
Do commercials on music radio stations really work?
I agree with what has been posted here about agency business and older demos, but is radio advertising magically more effective on younger listeners, or is it just that clients want to "REACH" them. Just numbers on a spreadsheet.
Do commercials on music radio stations really work?
If radio did not work, the bulk of radio revenue would not come from local, in-market accounts.
The job of actually selling is not the sole responsibility of radio. It is the primary concern of the advertiser and depends on things like location, hours, products, pricing, environment, need and such. Radio is an ad medium; it allows a business to reach potential consumers.
Of course, much local advertising is created at a radio station in conjunction with the advertiser. A good percentage of those non-agency creations are less effective at selling than they could be.
But as a medium, radio does sell when the message is right.
Of course they do. That's why companies advertise. The ad breaks are just as long (if not longer) on talk stations as music stations. The difference is that people listen longer on talk stations, they pay attention to what is said, and they are likely to be persuaded by the words said by their favorite talk show host.
- Status