Because marketing is an ever-evolving process, even a successful marketing strategy can benefit from a shake-up now and then. Public media sponsorship is a great way to disrupt your current marketing approach for better results long-term.
Let's discuss some of the common questions marketers have when considering public media as part of their marketing plans.
Public Media Advertising FAQs
Is public media sponsorship outside my budget?
Intelligent content combined with a loyal, engaged audience gives public media an aura of sophistication. While this is certainly accurate, there are a few key points to remember.
Public media provides access to an exclusive well-educated, professional, and affluent audience. This audience is difficult to reach through other media because quality is expected in advertising as opposed to quantity. Listeners recognize and appreciate sponsors, and they consider what they hear on public media to be endorsements for those brands that sponsor their favorite programming.
As a premium media platform, the value of public media is not the cost, but the ROI. 88% of public radio listeners have a more positive opinion of sponsors because those sponsors echo the values that are important to them. Public radio sponsors are set apart from the competition due to the fact that 75% of listeners gravitate toward doing business with them over a commercial advertiser when given the choice of similar cost and quality.
Your buy also goes further on public media. Clutter-free connection to a high-value audience creates a halo effect for your brand. Your message must be worth listening to if you sponsor public media. More engagement from invested listeners translates to a higher ROI.
Do I need to describe my product or create a call to action?
Public media works with sponsors as partners, not as advertisers. Therefore, copy focuses on what the client can say, not what they can't say. Producers will explain the tone and tenor public media listeners expect and make recommendations using existing content.
Public media does not run pre-produced copy, but creates non-intrusive content that fits the style of public media programming.
Can I get my point across in a 15-second message?
It takes 15 seconds to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. In fact, some of the most memorable brand messages are just a few words long.
The public media audience prefers messages that are not too lengthy. Public media outlets offer shorter messages with fewer breaks than commercial radio stations. Concise messaging makes more of an impact as it doesn't interrupt a train of thought, but seamlessly integrates into the content.
Because public media has limited inventory, messages stand out, so sponsors don't have to compete to be heard. If needed, sponsors can run multiple scripts to get their entire message across.
Is public media politically biased?
Public media shares both sides to every story to help listeners form their own opinions. Award-winning programming leverages third-party research to create stories that go deeper than typical sound bites. Education, not politics, is a common theme among listeners.
NPR is neither liberal nor conservative. Adhering to the long-standing principles of ethical journalism, public media reports the facts accurately and objectively rather than giving in to sensationalism.
Add Public Media Sponsorship to Your Marketing Mix
Consider public media sponsorship as a viable part of your strategy to get the most from your marketing dollars. Public media can improve your brand image, lending it prestige and credibility.
In terms of cost, public media offers short, to-the-point messaging with a high ROI. An engaged, intelligent audience helps your media budget go further because listeners align your brand with values they share and causes they believe in. The trust and loyalty they give to public media is extended to your brand.
In keeping with FCC guidelines, messages on NPR are short and breaks are infrequent. More value is given to sponsorships because of a limited inventory and listeners who pay attention. This audience tends to work harder to learn about your products or services. Unbiased politically, public media shares all sides to every topic rather than telling listeners what to think. The goal is to educate the audience so that listeners receive enough information to form their own opinions.
Contact an experienced media partner to learn how you can include public media as part of your marketing strategy.
