Wetpaint Advertising launches Wetpaint FM

Wetpaint lauds itself as a Boutique agency that guarantees absolutely zero "copy and paste" campaigns and the presence of Wetpaint FM will enable them to offer competitive pricing along with uncompromising control of their creative vision for all radio campaigns. Now the scripting, producing, recording and editing requirements for radio campaigns will be taken on in-house using an internal database of voice talents with rates exclusive to Wetpaint FM.

But what makes a good Radio Campaign?

Radio, in comparison to traditional print media, can appear to be very expensive. However, when one considers the amazing reach that radio has and the cost to reach a thousand individuals, it is actually much cheaper than your average Sunday Newspaper.

This makes radio a very serious proposition for any company, whether building on existing brand equity, or looking to position a new product in the marketplace. However, there is much to consider when planning your campaign, says Petra Liu (Managing Director and founder of Wetpaint Advertising). Here are a few of her helpful hints for the radio campaign novice.

It's all about planning.

The first step is to choose the right radio station. Seems obvious doesn't it? But there are so many questions to ask, that finding the right radio station can seem like a Herculean task. Is your product a national or a regional product? Are you looking for ethnic South Africans, and if so, do you wish to broadcast in your language or theirs? Which radio station has the right LSM audience, and which station offers a package that will accurately target your audience, whilst keeping within your budget?

Going Vertical, or Horizontal

So you have the right radio station, but the audience changes from hour to hour... Females respond better during the lunch time hours, and men respond better during the news. Want to get the family on board, how about drive time? But do you choose morning or afternoon drive-time? The questions are endless. Do you wish to dominate a single day of the week, or a time channel on every day of the week?

Depending on your product or service, you could make a huge mistake by not planning correctly and wasting your money on unnecessary adverts.

Check that Added Value

Ever booked an advert with a radio station who promised you an extra 20% added value on your campaign, only to find out that those free adverts played at 2AM in the morning when only truckers and sleeping people were listening? You need the experts to help you aggressively negotiate the added value, in order to make sure your campaign works.

Production, Production, Production

Finally, once you have chosen the right mix of stations, booked the media schedule, and come up with a script; you need the right people with the right equipment, as well as access to the right voice over artists to get your advert on the air.

You will get quotes from production companies ranging anywhere between R2000.00 to R15000.00, and none of them tell you what you will get for your money. You need a great Sound Engineer, who has access to the best equipment, and the right Music and Effects Library to get it done right.

The Wetpaint team creates radio adverts for many of the Top Companies in South Africa. "We have secured these contracts by charging the right price and by managing the job from the initial script right through to material delivery to the stations..." Petra Liu.