Time To Face Facts

Jerry Lee, Chairman of WBEB (101.1 More FM)/Philadelphia has long been recognized as a radio pioneer — in his latest effort to move the radio industry forward, Lee announced he will offer free effectiveness testing of radio commercials to every Philadelphia-area advertiser that spends $12,000 or more a year in radio. Lee is partnering with Minneapolis-based Sensory Logic to implement the program and make recommendations on how to increase engagement and effectiveness of the advertisements. The testing program utilizes lessons learned from facial coding to help advertisers create more engaging spots for radio, which still has the largest weekly reach of any medium, including television.

“As the greatest reach medium, radio has only touched the surface of what it can deliver for advertisers and brands,” said Lee. “This program can be a game-changer for advertisers, for agencies and for radio as a whole. It uses proven research methods to create better commercials that create emotional connections with listeners and drive consumers to action. Radio is extremely powerful and if it takes a bold action to make people realize it, then that’s what we’re prepared to do. This is an investment we are willing to make because we know it will pay off for everyone.”

Studies have shown that commercials that engage the listener are eight times as effective at getting increased sales as compared to commercials that don’t engage the listener. Yet facial coding research shows that only 20 percent of radio spots nationally engage the listener, while only eight percent of local radio commercials engage the listener. While the overwhelming majority of national television spots are tested for engagement before they air, less than one percent of radio spots nationally are tested. According to a recent Advertising Research Foundation study, 75 percent of the effectiveness of an ad campaign is based on the strength of the creative.