Why should you consider radio advertising to promote your dealership and Cummins home standby generators?
Well, according to Entrepreneur magazine, radio can be one of the most effective forms of advertising because it is oriented around formats - such as sports, talk, classic rock or country - giving business owners an advantage in targeting their audience.
Before jumping in, there are a few things you should consider:
1. Audience. Radio audiences are broken down by gender, age, income and location. Simply ask the stations you are considering to provide you with this data.The target audience for Cummins home standby generators is likely to be a married couple aged 55+ and retired with a household income of $75k+ (but more likely around $200-250k)
2. Cost. There are two types of costs you will incur - airtime and production. While radio spots are typically sold in 60 second spots, you can also purchase :15 and :30 spots... but this doesn't mean the spot costs 25% or 50% less. Production costs cover the cost to record the commercial; some stations include this in the cost of the spot. Cummins will help you with production costs and media placement expenses through our Co-op program. 50-80% Co-op reimbursement is possible dependent on use of Cummins- or independently-created content. Cummins must be referenced at least 2x per :30 of air play. You will need the following items to claim reimbursement: (1) invoice/credit card statement; (2) script and/or broadcast; (3) length of commercial if providing script only; (4) broadcast area.
3. Schedule. The radio station can determine the days and times (a cheaper option) or they can assist you in determining ideal times based on your goals (the more expensive option).
4. Creative. As a general rule, 85 words is the max for a :30 commercial. Keep in mind most people are listening to the radio while doing something else, so you have to be able to cut through the noise by focusing your message and getting clever with music and sound effects. We've done the work for you by creating two new radio campaigns, each with :15, :30 and :60 options that can be customized with your dealer or distributor information. Or feel free to use the scripts we've provided and get creative with your message.