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May 21, 2008

Why Direct Response Radio Advertising Works

Wait, don't we already know why direct response radio works so well?

Isn't it the razor-sharp copywriting and the highly targeted media placements at super-low rates?

Well, yeah.

But might there be more to the story? More distinction we can add to our understanding?
Perhaps some of direct response radio's success is related to the "Proximity to Pain" theory offered by Seth Godin. He writes:

The closer you are to the point of need, the more you can charge.

Pizza at the airport costs five times more than pizza on the way to the airport.

Tax audit services in the middle of an SEC investigation cost triple what they cost before one.

Scalped tickets cost more than ones bought in advance, by mail.

Emergency towing in a strange town costs more too.

Radio advertising reaches people in their lives. Direct response radio advertising offers a vivid and immediately available solution to customers' "pain". This combination puts the advertiser's solution - pizza, tax audits, scalped tickets, or emergency towing - in close proximity to customer's pain.

Now we really think we know why direct response radio advertising works so well.

Posted by Jeff Small & Brett Astor at 11:30 AM | Permalink