What Do You Want From Me?

Are you confused about all the constant changes in the advertising world?

Cookies versus no cookie

Opt-in versus opt-out

OTT versus streaming

Streaming audio versus apps

How do you define radio versus audio?

Digital, what’s that?

If you’re finding it difficult to stay educated on what’s current, what works and what doesn’t, imagine how business owners feel. The good news is we don’t have to imagine, thanks to Borrell Associates. In a recent advertiser survey, Borrell Associates asked clients what they want from us as marketers. Top four answers:

1. High level of marketing expertise – They expect and depend on us to be current with our knowledge of the marketing world.

2. Have a partnership attitude, not a client/vendor attitude.

3. When presenting a plan, it must be well-supported with research, case studies, and objective proof.

4. Think holistically about the client’s business, not just yours.

At RAB, we teach being a source of business intelligence and a resource for your clients and prospects. This chart from Borrell is extremely helpful in directing our attention to the most valuable forms of business intelligence we can provide – marketing expertise. This is no longer a “wish-list” item from advertisers, it’s a minimum requirement for doing business with you. This also represents a shift in our thinking. We’ve operated under the understanding that we have to be an expert in the client’s category. While knowledge of their business is important, it appears that our knowledge of our business is most important. As Gordon Borrell summarizes the business owner sentiment: Don’t pretend to be a thought leader who knows all about my business and has everything I need. Be smart. Think about my needs. We’ll work out the rest. The great news is there is no shortage of information available to help you stay current and sharp with your marketing knowledge. The key is you must devote the time and energy. Here are some suggestions:

Read Radio Sales Today – Every day, the (free) daily newsletter from RAB curates articles most relevant in today’s marketing world.

Read books on advertising – search “advertising” on Amazon and you’ll find over 10,000 books on the topic.

Take a class at the local college.

Enroll in a RAB certification course or other training courses on advertising.

Subscribe to the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) newsletter and explore their Marketing Knowledge Center.

Gordon Borrell will be sharing information like this at Radio Show in Las Vegas from October 13 – 14. For details and to register, go to radioshowweb.com.

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com. You can also connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.