Marketron: ‘Owning the Creative’ Helps Media Sellers Break Through the Noise.

In a crowded and ever-growing field of media suitors chasing after local businesses, how can radio stand out? The answer: owning the ad buy by “owning the creative,” Marketron Senior Manager, Onboarding and Development Travis Cartier says in a guest column for RAB’s “Radio Matters” blog.

“When local sellers come to the conversation with ideas, it can be persuasive enough to win them the deal,” Cartier says. “Overlooking this competitive advantage keeps a seller’s offerings on par with anyone else’s, since most advertising is a commodity, and targeting options are standard.”

Citing research showing creative is more powerful as a sales driver than targeting, Cartier notes that “The path to differentiation has a foundation in the creative, which has more impact on performance.”

Owning the creative comes down to a few key strategies, Cartier says. “It’s easy for [advertisers] to promote specific sales or promotions, but what are they doing for consistent brand awareness? Most don’t have answers for this. That’s where strategies for creative ideas come into play.”

Right up top, radio salespeople need to understand vertical and leverage trends. “Changes in consumer preference — [such as] the explosion of online grocery shopping, or how many consumers transitioned to digital banking — caused businesses to adapt their advertising strategies,” Cartier says. “Before a seller pitches something, it is important to research the vertical and understand what’s trending. Center campaign ideas on these and present them to companies. It shows knowledge of their market and customers — key characteristics of a marketing professional.”

Sellers also need to take into account each business’ uniqueness. “Combining industry insights with actual company wants and expectations matters,” Cartier says. “It may mean evaluating their current ad campaigns to understand why they aren’t working. Much of the time, the cause will be the creative. The key to attracting business owners as potential advertisers is customizing your valid business reason, [which] can be used to tease creative ideas for them.”

With all the resources available to salespeople, from RAB itself along with other sources of media and advertising research, Cartier suggests that salespeople have an advantage by “being a creative fountain for advertisers. All this information can help personalize pitches and build credibility and value.”

All these strategies can give sellers the edge with local advertisers. “Owning the creative requires guiding the campaign’s core to achieve advertiser goals and resonate with audiences — that’s good for performance and eventual renewal conversations,” Cartier says. “With this approach, it is no longer purely sales. Instead, it is a consultative approach, solidifying relationships with businesses for the long term.”