HD Radio Alliance Adding New Marketing Approaches
By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 6/30/2008
Orlando, Fla. — The HD Digital Radio Alliance, formed by radio broadcasters to accelerate adoption of HD Digital Radio, has expanded its marketing program to include cellphone texting and an online station guide that can now be printed at the point of purchase by retailers, car dealers and consumers.
“We’re now reaching consumers via the radio, on their phone, online and in stores,” said Diane Warren, alliance executive VP.
Under the cellphone texting initiative, 65 percent of the alliance’s radio ads during the latest $57 million, 13-week campaign will invite consumers to send the word “upgrade” via text message to 34343, and the rest will ask consumers to visit www.hdradio.com for more information. The ads will be heard in100 markets on more than 700 stations.
Consumers who hear an HD Radio ad will be able to use their cellphone to receive a list of area radio stations broadcasting in HD Radio format, as well as get information on HD Radio receivers, retailers and HD Radio-equipped vehicles. Consumers will also get a chance to opt in to win one of 200 HD Radio receivers and receive future updates about HD Radio. Other information available via cellphone includes an iTunes Tagging tutorial, a $50 rebate on an HD Radio receiver and the opportunity to participate in interactive polls.
The mobile marketing campaign was created in partnership with 3Cinteractive.
On HDRadio.com, which launched in 2006, consumers will find new features and special pages including printable Instant Station Guides and new, easier-to-read buyers’ guides. Consumers, retail salespeople and car dealers will be able print out HD and HD2 station guides, whereas before the guide was only an online tool. The buyer’s guide will enable consumers to sort available HD Radios by price or device manufacturer.
Other resources previously available to broadcasters, retailers and car dealerships are available at www.hadradioalliance.com and include:
--a station-guide widget that suppliers and stations can incorporate in their Web sites to show all stations broadcasting in HD and all multicast stations;
--a marketing toolkit for local stations currently or about to launch HD stations;
--planning and marketing materials for car dealers;
--iBiquity Digital’s HDRadioUniversity.com site offering HD Radio product training for retail associates; and
--access to produced commercials promoting HD Radio products, programming and availability.
Earlier this year, the Alliance said it would focus this year on converting awareness of HD Radio broadcasts over the last three years into purchasing activity. Awareness among radio listeners hit 75 percent in 2007, the alliance said in citing Critical Mass Media. Awareness among current or likely vehicle buyers is at about 31 percent, according to J.D. Powers.
The alliance also announced that HDRadio.com traffic has grown “exponentially,” with the site logging more than 2 million page views for the year to date to exceed the number of views in all of 2006, the site’s first year. The site sees about 2,700 unique visitors per day, and they spend an aggregate of 5,600 hours per month on the site, the alliance said. “All of the stats are for organic traffic, not aided by any search-engine optimization,” Jamie Allen, COO of Texas Creative, the company that built and maintains the site.
“As we convert consumer awareness into action, it was especially important to increase the breadth and depth of our marketing,” said Warren. “Giving point-of-sale professionals at retailers and auto dealerships instant access to programming and device information needed to close a sale was our top priority. And by opting in, consumers now have a one-stop shop. They can choose and get a discount on a radio, find the station in their market they like and even get information on iTunes Tagging.”
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