Radio Production

Radio production:

The medium of radio has frequently been called the ''theatre of mind''. Radio is also described as the most pervasive medium of all, reaching more South African households than any other single medium. Radio is with us every day, whether at home, at the office or in the car.

The two factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the spoken word are that the mind holds the spoken word in mental storage much longer and that the tone of the human voice gives words emotional impact that no picture can achieve. Think of all the pictures that one word, for example, love or happiness conjures.

Owing to the fact that there is a great number of radio stations in South Africa that are aimed at specific audiences ranging from geography to taste for example Five FM to Classic FM. The main advantage of radio over other media lies in its accessibility.

Benefits of using radio as a medium:

1. Relatively low cost - It is relatively inexpensive to produce voice commercials for radio.

2. Selectivity - Radio stations broadcast in different formats, ranging from talk radio e.g. Radio 702, Cape talk, to music radio e.g. radio 5, Classic FM, to specialist programmes e.g. SAFM and radio Sonder Grense, to specialist publics e.g. Highveld stereo, Jacaranda, OFM. This allows for a large degree of selectivity in media planning.

3. Flexibility - Radio has probably got the shortest lead time for material, enabling advertisers to change their messages at the last minute before going on air. In some instances, where disk jockeys read the advertising messages, the message may even be changed to studio.

4. Potential for mental imagery - Back to the concept of the theatre of mind. One of many benefits from using radio in the sense that the listener is able to use his or her imagination when listening to a radio commercial.

5. Integrated marketing opportunities - Many radio personalities and radio stations are used by advertisers in their involvement in local markets and as part of their overall marketing and advertising campaigns.

6. The ability to reach segmented audiences - Owing to the fact that radio comes in so many formats and is sometimes specifically focussed on regional or lifestyle audiences, the potential for successfully reaching specific audiences is greatly enhanced.