The webinar highlighted that, despite perennial predictions of radio's demise due to competition from TV and social media, radio has proven its ability to transform, evolve and embrace other media platforms.

Today, it still reaches nearly 90% of South Africa's population. No other platform apart from TV comes near to attracting such a following, according to the webinar.

Part of that evolution has been the role of the presenter from beyond being 'just a good voice' to extending their talent to social media platforms as well

The webinar panel discussion was led by Arye Kellman, chief creative officer at TILT. The panel included:
  • Hulisani Ravele, radio presenter on 947 Weekend Breakfast
  • John Walls, co-owner at Ultimate Media
  • Anthony Soglo, business manager of Fortune Combo R2000, SAFM and Lotus FM, and
  • Martin Bester, presenter of Breakfast with Martin Bester at Jacaranda FM.
In discussing what sets radio apart, the ability to connect with the audience and to evoke emotions — not just on a one-one-one basis but within a community — was seen as critical.

The old adage 'Content is King' remains as true today as ever, with the credibility of radio being a distinguishing factor over social media platforms, the webinar reported. As the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted, in times of trauma people not only turn to radio for a sense of connection but also as a source of trustworthy information.

Both for media planners and radio station sales forces, there is an urgent need to think outside of the box, said the webinar. Radio and social media should not be seen as competitors, but as part of an integrated package to amplify campaigns across the platforms.

Multi-show advertising is also neglected, while an important trend is the listening evolution into other audio platforms such as music streaming and podcasts. This is increasingly highlighting the importance of developing audio strategies and embracing these new digital listenership patterns for increased audiences. This will also have the benefit of directing advertising back into terrestrial radio.

While data-led advertising buying is still underutilised amongst local media buyers, media planning strategies have grown in complexity beyond just data, with other approaches needing to be considered.

These include 'marrying' a radio talent with a brand to provide a powerful means of launching a new product, for example. The radio industry itself has evolved considerably in terms of building campaigns around a brand, delivering strong and innovative content that meet the advertiser's needs and that resonate with the audience.

Recognising the importance of listenership numbers to attract revenue, the panel discussion emphasised that hiring social media influencers as presenters for their following should be approached with caution.

Social media followers do not necessarily translate into listenership figures or the required listenership profile. However, their ability to connect with a large following could still be used beneficially as a contributor on, or producer of, programmes.

Hiring talent is a balancing act and is not just about being a 'true radio voice' or an influencer, but rather a combination of the two, the webinar concluded. Today's presenters recognise they too need their own business models and strategies, particularly around which brands and campaigns to be associated with, as authenticity is all-important on radio.

A report on the webinar has been made available on the NAB website.

For more information, visit www.nab.org.za. You can also follow the NAB on Twitter.