Katz Media Group announced the expansion of its Clear Channel Katz Advantage marketing group to promote the benefits of a multi-platform radio buy as well as implement national buys on behalf of specific brands.
In addition to new staff for Atlanta and San Francisco, the company will add a couple new offices and business-development pros to each of its existing offices—from 22 to 40-45 folks on the street selling to agencies and advertisers. This is the biggest expansion in CC Katz Advantage’s history. They will also be adding staff to their creative solutions group, which helps in the ideation and execution of concepts. The integrated sell will include radio, online, on-demand, mobile text and real-time data and digital broadcasts.
The expansion formalizes success the group has already had on behalf clients including Carmax, Pizza Hut, Seat Exchange and Turner Broadcasting. These brand marketers are currently using the full range of marketing and advertising options, from “take-over” sponsorships to pre-roll online video to blinks.
Said Bonnie Press, president of Katz Advantage, in the press conference: “The CMOs, agencies and brand managers we’ll be calling on are all looking to do things differently. They’re looking to break through the clutter, they are looking at different objectives. Some are even looking at radio as a national branding medium. Some are looking for very specific options and programs that allows their particular product or service to stand out.”
RBR observation: This may not be a bad move on behalf of CCKA’s radio clients. While we mentioned the other day that GroupM’s consolidation will mean less national spot sales folks because of less agency contacts and could hurt pricing (2/1/08 RBR #22), it appears the strategy is specifically addressing that issue and is heads directly to the clients—marketing directors, CMOs, brand managers, etc. That may make a difference—at least in educating the clients and driving that message back to the media agencies: that radio is a great multiplatform/integrated component to a campaign. The lone radio sale is getting tougher and tougher, but radio remains a fantastic reach and branding vehicle.
