Brands don’t advertise on public media, they sponsor public media. Seth Godin describes the difference between sponsorship and advertising: "Sponsorship isn’t about, ‘how do I interrupt more people more aggressively?’, Sponsorship is about, ‘how I can be affiliated with something I’m proud of, that the people who are engaging with it see me supporting something they want supported?’"
The distinction is important, both due to FCC regulations on public media advertising and the expectations of the public media audience. Public media sponsorships get results and provide an opportunity for your brand to stand out to an audience who will appreciate that you are supporting something they care about too.
Here are some reasons your public media sponsorship message will stand out, so you can reap the benefits of an increased ROI.
Your Message, TRUSTED
“The greatest thing to be achieved in advertising, in my opinion, is believability, and nothing is more believable than the product itself.” – Leo Burnett, pioneer American advertising executive
Public radio sponsorship messages convey instant believability because they state a simple brand promise or truth. The message stands alone without a lot of hype. We’ve all heard or seen ads that made us wonder what the point was (see Super Bowl) and what the company was trying to sell. The ad was more important than the product it was promoting. Public radio's simple, elegant messages are the exact opposite of hype.
The noncommercial nature of sponsorship messages add a level of trust that listeners then associate with the sponsor. Your support builds a trusted connection with listeners, having a Halo Effect of brand lift and preference. 75% of public radio listeners take action in response to a public radio sponsorship message.
No Dial Turning Here
Sponsor messages are heard because listeners don’t turn away.
Public media listeners are passionate fans who often have ‘driveway moments’ – after arriving at their destination, they will sit in the parked car just to hear the end of the public media program they’ve been enjoying.
That same passion applies to regular programming throughout the day. While listeners of commercial stations often reach for the dial during a commercial break, public radio listeners accept sponsorship messages for what they are – an important part of the public radio environment.
Sponsor messages are most often recorded by local station talent – either by program hosts or other on-air talent. This makes sponsorship breaks feel endemic to the programming rather than a commercial break signaling listeners to tune away. It also means that your brand message is delivered by a familiar voice that the local audience knows and trusts.
Be Remembered
Because public radio stations are credible public services that tell important stories about our world, supporting them through sponsorship not only enables a sponsor to promote their brand promise but also burnishes their reputation.
Compared with up to 15 minutes of advertising per hour on a commercial station, most public radio stations only run 2-5 minutes of sponsor messages, devoting most of the hour to the quality programming listeners expect.
This uncluttered advertising environment benefits sponsors by driving brand recall and awareness. If you see a fish tank with 40 fish swimming furiously, you may not remember the different colors or types of fish in the tank. But if you see a fish tank with 4 fish calmly swimming, you will likely recall what you saw. Don’t be a guppy when you can be a goldfish.
EDUCATE YOUR LISTENERS
“Good marketing makes the company look smart. Great marketing makes the customer feel smart.” – Joe Chernov, CMO of InsightSquared
Listeners that consume public media, whether via radio, podcasts, or television, seek smart and captivating programming. While public television such as PBS often provides documentaries, news shows, and educational children's programming, public radio programming includes news and talk to educate, inspire, and captivate listeners. They watch or listen to learn things; they are there to be educated. This is, in part, due to public media's commitment to education.
Your organization can benefit from working with a media partner who understands how to reach public media listeners. Together you can create sponsorship messages that deliver a strong return on your investment.
Source: Kantar, NPR State of Sponsorship Survey, April 2020
Photo by Fernando Maté on Unsplash
