Word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising – if a trusted friend recommends something, most people listen.
When radio works in that way, it can be just as powerful, said Zemira Jones, president and general manager of ABC Radio Stations, Chicago.
People look for the same things in friends as they do in a radio station, he said: information, companionship, entertainment and escape.
Radio reaches 80% of the population daily and is most effective when it talks with, rather than just to, consumers, said Mary Bennett, executive vice president of the Radio Advertising Bureau.
One of the most effective radio personalities when it comes to advertising is conservative icon Rush Limbaugh. His audience listens and trusts everything he says, noted Jones, adding that Limbaugh will only do spots for products he uses and believes in.
"His show is designed to sell. This guy is all about mercantilism and making money, he said, noting that Sleep Comfort's president Chuck Dorsey claims Limbaugh's show is the most effective of all its advertising venues, said Jones.
Radio works well as a companion to direct mail campaign, Jones said. Money Mailer recently ran a campaign to alert audiences of Chicago's WLS NewsTalk 890 to an upcoming mailing which features a sweepstakes for a trip to DisneyWorld, and also directed them to MoneyMailer.com. An e-mail alert to 20,000 "WLS Insider" members alerted people to the mailing as well.
Jones and Bennett spoke at the Chicago Association of Direct Marketing's DM Days on Wednesday.
