Pitching GM execs on radio
Last week Bill Burton, President/Detroit Radio Advertising Group mentioned he was meeting with General Motors marketing and advertising execs (9/22/06 RBR #185)
in Detroit to discuss the benefits of radio advertising in these more difficult times for domestic automakers. He met with several, including Betzy Lazar, Executive Director of Advertising and Marketing Operations, Mike Jackson, GM North America's VP/Marketing and Advertising and Liz Vanzura, Global Marketing Director for Cadillac.
Said Burton: "It was a home run day for radio. I wanted to get five points across to them-one is radio is a frequency medium, you've got to keep the left jab in there. We understand the dealer association groups use a great deal of TV, but you can add legs with radio. Here's the key rule-91% of drivers are alone in their automobile, the largest captive audience of any medium. That's where we probably spent the bulk of the conversation. Now if your commercials suck, I can't help that. Or if you're on the wrong station and you're improperly targeted, that can be a problem."
Burton also discussed radio used in combination with TV, outdoor, Internet and other mediums.
He added, regarding Jackson, "I've met him twice before, but you've got to respect a guy when you go in and call on him...I do my homework on him because that's what I get paid to do. To know what he's doing, where he's from, what's his background. Well he did about the same pretty good job with me. He knew that I had met with [GM VP/Sales, Service and Marketing] Mark LaNeve, what I had said, everything. So he was as up to date on me as I was on him!
Both LaNeve and Jackson are looking for partnerships, new ideas and new thinking. I pulled out a highlighted article quoting them on that and said, 'I am one of your partners. I'm here to move product. That's what I'm dedicated to. Nothing happens until something is sold. Your company means a lot to me and a lot to this country, so I'm here to try to help you.'
I know they have limited funds, so I pressed on about radio's frequency-keeping that left jab in there. If you're tightening your belt because of sales, you've still got to keep yourself out there - and that's radio. You can keep that left jab pounding away in their ears. That was basically my pitch."
