RAB Advertising & Prospecting Activity Indicator Report
A tool designed to help identify advertising categories for new business prospecting.
This indicator report has been developed by monitoring and summarizing advertising and prospecting activity from
various RAB sources including:
• RAB Instant Background Report Requests
• RAB Articles on Demand Downloads
• RAB Co-op Categories Queries
• Media Monitors Spot 10 National Radio
• BIGresearch Retail Merchandise Categories – 90-Day Outlook
• Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co., LLP Ad Spending By Category
• Promotional Calendar
The information from each source is the most current available to RAB at the time of the publication of this report and
is updated on a weekly or monthly basis as indicated in the source line for each data set.
RAB INSTANT BACKGROUND REPORTS
RAB received the most requests from member stations for information through our Instant
Background services for the week of March 8-14, 2009:
Advertiser Category % of Top 10 RAB Observations
Home Improvement 15% Fix up current home
Restaurants 12% Value-priced meals, special promos
Lawn and Garden 11% Spring planting
Auto Service and Repair 11% Keep current car running longer
Health Spas/Fitness Centers 09% Shape up for spring, maintain health
Air Conditioning 09% Get ready for warm weather
Cellular Phones and Beepers 09% Competition based on price; pre-paid
Furniture Stores 08% Promote low- or no-interest plans
Chiropractors 08% Alternative health care service
Doctors 07% Use up HSA money; keep healthy
Source: RAB.com, Instant Backgrounds, Top 10 Page Views (Weekly)
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RAB Advertising & Prospecting Activity Indicator Report
RAB ARTICLES ON DEMAND
RAB received the most requests from member stations for information through our Articles on Demand
services for the week of March 8-14, 2009:
Advertiser Category % of Top 10 RAB Observations
Advertising in a Challenging Economy 27% Advise clients who want to cut ads
Beer and Malt Beverages 11% St. Patrick’s; ongoing promo efforts
Dry Cleaner/Laundromat 11% Keep garments longer, clean at home
Banking 09% Comparative services, cost offers
Furniture Stores Home 09% Sales to move inventory
Lawyers 09% Advice on bankruptcy, foreclosures
Auto Service and Repair 07% Keep current vehicle running longer
Restaurants General Information 07% Low-cost meal options, promos
Office Supplies Stores 05% Replenish supplies, equipment
Bridal Wedding Market Services 05% Moving into big season for nuptials
Source: RAB.com, Article on Demand, Page Views (Weekly)
RAB Co-op Categories
RAB received the most requests from member stations for information through our Co-op
services for the week of March 8-14, 2009:
Advertiser Category % of Top 10 RAB Observations
Lawn, Garden, Chemicals 15% Outdoor projects for spring
Automotive Aftermarket 13% Maintain current car; services, DIY
Heating, Air Conditioning 12% Get ready for warmer weather
Floor Coverings 09% Enhance home decor
Health 09% Fight colds, flu; maintain good health
Hardware 09% Tools for home-improvement projects
Pharmaceuticals 09% Start of allergy season
Boats 08% Spring and summer recreation option
Insurance 08% Shop for low-cost policies
Paint 08% Indoor and outdoor spruce-up
Source: RAB.com, Articles on Demand, Page Views (Weekly)
Top 5 Request Categories (IB, Articles, Co-op)
Lawn and Garden RAB Resources Summary:
Home Improvement Most-requested categories based on combined
searches. Source: RAB.com, IB, AOD, Co-op Page Views
Auto Service and Repair (Weekly)
Furniture Stores
Restaurants
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RAB Advertising & Prospecting Activity Indicator Report
MEDIA MONITORS SPOT 10 NATIONAL RADIO
Media Monitors reports the most-played commercials for national advertisers on the top-rated
Radio stations in major markets the week of March 9-15, 2009:
Account Parent Company Category
GEICO Berkshire Hathaway Insurance
Home Depot Home Depot, Inc. Retail; Home Improvement
HD Digital Radio Alliance HD Digital Radio Alliance Media
McDonald’s McDonald’s Corp. Restaurant
AutoZone AutoZone, Inc. Retail; Auto Service and Repair
H&R Block H&R Block, Inc. Financial Service; Tax Prep
Verizon Verizon Communications Telecommunications
Midas Midas International Corp. Retail; Auto Service and Repair
AT&T AT&T Corp. Telecommunications
Veramyst GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical
Source: MediaMonitors Spot Ten National Radio Report (Weekly)
RAB Observations on MediaMonitors National Spot: GEICO targets budget-conscious consumers with lower
premiums, and McDonald’s also appeals to those seeking value for their money. AutoZone and Midas offer products
and services for auto maintenance/repair. H&R Block zeroes in on tax filing deadline, consumers’ desire to get refunds
faster. Veramyst taps into the market of springtime allergy sufferers. Verizon and AT&T battle for share of the
wireless services market. HD Digital Radio Alliance promotes exciting new Radio delivery channels.
While these advertisers may not be active in your market, you can point out to an insurance broker that GEICO ran
more spots on Radio than any other national advertiser; what works for GEICO should be good for local insurance
agents, brokers, or companies, for example.
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RAB Advertising & Prospecting Activity Indicator Report
Retail Merchandise Categories – 90-Day Outlook – March 2009 versus February 2009
Consumers in the BIGresearch survey say they’re planning to spend more on the following retail
merchandise categories over the next three months – making stores that sell these goods excellent
prospects for Radio advertising in the months to come. As the recession weighs heavily on
consumers’ minds, only toys and the seasonal favorite lawn/garden are moving up on their radar this
month:
Toys/Games UP
Lawn & Garden UP
BIGresearch’s panel also sees consumers putting this year’s tax refunds away to save for major home
improvements/repairs, and other big-ticket purchases, rather than rushing out to spend them..
Source: BIGresearch Executive Briefing – March 2009 (Monthly) (BIGresearch is a consumer intelligence firm providing analysis of behavior in
areas of products and services, retail, financial services, automotive, and media. BIGresearch conducts the biggest surveys with sample sizes from
4,000 to 15,000 and employs unique computer intensive statistical methods to give highly accurate consumer information with a margin of error of
+/- 1 percent.)
MILLER, KAPLAN, ARASE & CO., LLP - AD SPENDING BY CATEGORY – MOST RECENT DATA
Data from Miller, Kaplan, Arase is received by RAB approximately six weeks following the reporting
period. Advertisers in the following categories INCREASED spending in January 2009 in comparison to
their December 2008 expenditures.
%
Advertiser Category - 01/09 vs. 12/08 RAB Observations:
Increase
Television/Networks/Cable Providers +81% In-home entertainment; Super Bowl lead-in
Hotel/Motel/Resort/Tours +70% Warm weather getaways, ski trips
Personal Fitness and Weight Centers +53% New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, get fit
Education +50% Retraining for employment opportunities
Phone Entertainment +47% Miscellaneous advertising (#900 numbers)
Drug Stores/Pharmaceuticals +29% Cold and flue season; weight loss aids
Home Furnishings/Floor Coverings +25% Post-holiday sales and clearances
Sporting Events/Expos/Shows +22% Auto shows, boat shows, rodeos
Professional Services +20% Miscellaneous advertising
Security Services +15% Protect against crime in economy
Source: Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co. X-Ray Markets Composite (Monthly)
(The 35 market X-Ray pool may not be indicative of industry results as a whole)
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RAB Advertising & Prospecting Activity Indicator Report
MILLER, KAPLAN, ARASE & CO., LLP - AD SPENDING BY CATEGORY – ONE YEAR AGO DATA
Data from Miller, Kaplan, Arase showed these categories with increased spending from March 2008 to
April, 2008. ADVERTISERS IN THESE CATEGORIES SHOULD BE ACTIVE AGAIN THIS YEAR.
Advertiser Category – March-April
% Increase RAB Observations:
‘08
Lawn & Garden +99% Spring planting, maintenance due
Beverages +48% Soft drinks, beer promote continually
Postal and Delivery Services +44% Postal rate increase; promo overnight services
Home Improvement +41% Repair and refresh current home
Transportation +38% Spring break; fare sales
Personal Care Products +38% New looks for spring
Health Care +37% Corrective eye surgery options foremost
Television/Networks/Cable Providers +31% Promote cable provider options; special programs
Drug Stores/Pharmaceuticals +29% End of cold and flu season; allergy season kicks in
Jewelers/Clocks/Pawn Shops +27% Cash for unwanted items
Source: Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co. X-Ray Markets Composite (Monthly)
(The 35 market X-Ray pool may not be indicative of industry results as a whole)
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PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
The promotional events as listed in Chase’s Calendar of events can be use to attract promotional or
non-spot dollars, monies that are not traditionally allocated to a broadcast schedule on your station.
APRIL MAY
• Car Care Months (April, October) • Cinco de Mayo (5/1)
• Home Improvement Time (4/1-9/30) • Mother’s Day (5/10)
• National. African-American Women’s • Get Caught Reading Month
Fitness Month • Healthy Vision Month
• National Decorating Month • National Barbecue Month
• Income Tax Pay Day (4/15) • National Bike Month
• Administrative Professionals Day • Memorial Day (5/25)
(4/22)
Source: Chase’s Calendar of Events, 2009 (Monthly)
RAB Observations on Promo Opportunities: Stations can build promos, events for advertisers around wellness
(vision, fitness); products and services for the home (home improvement, decorating) and car care; accountants,
financial, and tax services; bookstores and literacy programs; bicycles and barbecue gear (and foods to barbecue,
too). Also on the slate: Celebration of Administrative Professionals, Moms, Cinco de Mayo, and Memorial Day all
offer a wide range of promotional opportunities and retail/service tie-ins for these months.
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