Buyers remain bullish on radio remotes.

Story by Inside Radio

Despite the availability of newer, shinier campaign elements, old-school radio remotes remain a high demand, high premium channel that sets radio apart from other media. But is it live or Memorex? Not all buyers are sold on pre-recorded call-ins.

“They continue to be super popular,” says Christine Travaglini, president of national rep firm Christal Radio. “They’re a great way to build traffic and can be highly effective when done right.” Driving traffic isn’t the only goal. Some clients use them to highlight their presence at events that already draw a crowd.

Dozens of stations broadcast live from baseball stadiums around the country yesterday, as part of a Macy’s Day at the Ballpark campaign to promote the retailer as the shopping destination for Father’s Day gifts. “Association with local events is one thing we’re seeing, especially with some of the cellular companies,” Travaglini says. Other clients, like PNC Bank, value remotes more for the entertainment value they deliver, keeping the crowd entertained and engaged. For still others, it’s all about the additional on-air mentions remotes and appearances bring.

Retail and automotive remain the top categories but cellular, financial services and restaurants are strong too. Grand openings continue to be a slam dunk. Case in point: O’Reilly Auto Parts, a big radio spender, does 10-30 radio remotes a month, many tied into the acquisition-minded retailer’s grand openings. Remotes and appearances continue to provide incentives for clients when placing a quarterly buy. Some even negotiate a quantity of them up front as part of their buy. “A lot of advertisers look for remotes as added-value,” Travaglini says. “But a lot of people buy them because they’re highly valuable and produce solid premiums.”

While they remain one of radio’s unique sales propositions, station remotes have been redefined. “Rarely are they straight live broadcasts,” JL Media director of broadcast Rich Russo says. “More often they’re appearances with pre-recorded call-ins.”

Many stations prefer that to maintain control over on-air quality and for better timing. But some buyers say pre-recorded talent call-ins and client interviews don’t convey the same excitement as live. “It’s all smoke and mirrors,” Collins, Haynes & Lully Advertising principal Nancy Haynes says. “It’s not like getting that client on site, seeing people coming in, capturing the excitement in their voice. They’re not actors, they’re clients.” Haynes thinks she gets better results doing remotes with stations that still send out a DJ and a remote truck to produce the broadcast live.

More and more programmers see the benefits a well-orchestrated sales appearance can bring. The day after school let out in Florida’s Lee County, Beasley CHR “B-103.9’ WXKB, Ft. Meyers was broadcasting live from a water park. The next day it set up shop at a McDonalds and gave out free ice scream to students. “The more times you’re out in the community, the more your name is out there,” PD Adam Star says. “It’s one of the reasons we’re successful. Advertisers don’t just want the 60-second spot.”

Agencies say personalities remain one of the difference-makers. “If it’s a high octane personality, people will go to see them,” Russo says. “Those personalities are rock stars and when they show up it’s a big deal.”

With Father’s Day Weekend approaching and Fourth of July holiday sales just around the corner, radio is entering one of its prime seasons for client remotes. Some stations are already sold out on peak days. While many will meet client expectations, others will fall short due to the unpredictability of a live event. Buyers and sellers identify several crucial elements to improve the odds for success.

At the top of the list is a tangible value proposition to the listener, such as giving away concert tickets, gift cards or other items of value. O’Reilly Auto Parts provides $25 and $50 gift cards and offers sale specials. Also frequently mentioned is the opportunity for listeners to meet their favorite personality, live entertainment or a sound system, activities and street visibility to draw passersby in.

In addition to a significant on-air push, clients increasingly expect stations to promote appearances on Facebook, Twitter and via their email database. But for stations doing dozens of appearances a week, that’s not always feasible so some clients negotiate social media up front. Appearance recaps, including photos, are also seen as essential. So is effective communication between the account executive, the promotion department and the talent. Some agencies set up pre-appearance conference calls. Others dispatch an event coordinator to the store to work with the station team.

“The stations that do it best have trained their people to handle the things that can go wrong,” Russo says. “There’s an art to it.”