The Greek philosopher Plato was born 2458 years before there was a radio station in Fayetteville.  There's no doubt, though, he could have written some great commercials.

Plato once said, "Those who tell stories rule society." This quote sounds very familiar to rule #7 for creating a memorable commercial for Fayetteville radio:

Rule #7: Tell a story… listeners are hardwired to emotionally respond to features and benefits when presented in story-form rather than as a list. The advertiser should be the hero of the story.

From now until February 14th, Fayetteville consumers will be spending $26,000,000 on Valentine's Day related gifts and entertainment. That's because 67% of Valentine Day shoppers wait until now to buy.

To grab a share of this gigantic pool of heart shape cash that is about to be spent, Fayetteville small business owners must act quickly.

There is no better way to invite Valentine's shoppers into stores, restaurants, and spas than by advertising on Fayetteville radio.  Here's why.

Next week, 288,946 consumers will tune into a local Fayetteville radio station.  This is significantly more people than will watch a local TV station, read a local newspaper, or plug-in to a streaming audio service like Pandora or Spotify.

There are many ways for North Carolina small business owners to advertise. Options include local newspapers, local magazines, local television, and online. But to achieve the “3-Rs” of advertising success, Reach, Recall, and Return, no other medium delivers results as effectively and efficiently as advertising on Fayetteville radio.

There are 28 radio stations that service the Fayetteville area. Each provides a unique blend of music, information, and entertainment.  Some stations focus on politics or sports. Some play country music. Some play the hits. Some play classic rock. Some are on the AM dial. Some are on FM.

Most Fayetteville small business owners, though, could not afford to advertise on all stations. So, how can they decide which are the right ones?  It will be determined by marketing objective.

Carolyn Barbour who, along with her husband Tommy, own Budget Rooter, a successful plumbing company. They have been advertising on Fayetteville radio consistently for the past 11 years.

At a recent pluming convention, an industry consultant suggested to the Barbours that radio advertising might not be the most effective way to advertise. “No, no, no,” Ms. Barbour told him. “For us, radio is tried and true.  When people in Fayetteville have an urgent plumbing problem, because of our radio advertising, we are the only name they know.” 

A recent study conducted by MARU/Vision Critical, an international consumer research company, proves Ms. Barbour's point that advertising on Fayetteville radio generates sales.

Cape Fear Flooring has been advertising for 18 years on Fayetteville radio.  Aime Crouter, the company's co-owner, says, "since we started advertising on the radio we've never stopped. Radio has provided an excellent return-on-investment for us."

Ten years ago, Ms. Crouter asked a local recording studio in Fayetteville to produce a jingle for the company. “Although we have freshened up the music in it a few times over the years,” she says, “the message has remained the same. The words ‘together we make it home’ are always how the jingle ends.”

“The car I drive has a Cape Fear Flooring logo on it.” says Ms. Crouter. “When people see me in it, they always sing our jingle…word for word. Clearly, our radio commercials are working like they are supposed to.”

Fayetteville small business owners have more advertising options than ever. Choices include television, cable, billboards, online, and newspapers. But according to Deloitte, the world's largest business consulting firm, radio "should be a big part of the mix for those buying advertising."

Some small business owners, might dismiss Deloitte's advice. They might wonder, "Does anyone listen to the radio anymore?"

"But," says Deloitte, "radio has commonly been underestimated. Radio is the voice whispering in our ear, in the background of dinner, in an office, or while driving the car. It is not pushy or prominent … but it is there."

In 1939, WFNC became Fayetteville’s first radio station. Ever since then, North Carolina small businesses in the Sandhills have depended on radio advertising to market their goods and services.

“Although the media landscape has changed, no matter how you look at it,” says James Grafstrom, General Manager of the Crown Complex in Fayetteville, “radio is still in the forefront. People are in their cars every day whether they going to work or coming home. During that time, they are listening to Fayetteville radio. They might be listening to a rock station; a pop station; a rap station; a talk station; or a county station. But the bottom line is they are listening.”

“I have no doubt if we stopped advertising on Fayetteville radio,” adds Gary Brown, General Sales Manager of Powers Swain Chevrolet, “our sales would drop off.”

There are 5 measurable reasons why advertising on Fayetteville radio is so remarkably effective for local small business owners.

Warren Buffett is worth $84-billion dollars. Forbes magazine calls him "one of the most successful investors of all time."

In 1996, Mr. Buffett invested in GEICO and folded into the stable of 60 companies he owns. Today, it is the second biggest auto insurance company in America.

If you were one of the 288,946 consumers who tuned-in to a Fayetteville radio station last week, you most likely heard a GEICO commercial. That's because nobody invested more in radio advertising last week than GEICO.

Why would the third richest man in America invest so heavily in radio advertising?

Results of new survey* show, in fact, radio is the most trusted medium in America. Decidedly, so. Here is what the survey found:

The Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation has been advertising on Fayetteville radio non-stop for 16 years.

“Everything we do on the radio has the sole purpose of cementing our place as a good corporate citizen in the communities we serve,” says Walter White, the company’s Vice President of Corporate Communications. “No other local medium allows us the opportunity to communicate with all of our members so effectively and affordably.”

Cape Fear Flooring in Fayetteville started out as a carpet cleaning company 19 years ago operating out of a tiny house. This year, the company moved into a brand new, 6000 square foot showroom and warehouse along with their 28 employees.

“We began advertising on Fayetteville radio in 2000, a year after we opened,” remembers co-owner, Amie Crouter. “We had just expanded into water mitigation a few months earlier. I had just set up an account with Mohawk, one of the largest manufacturers of floor coverings in the world. And, we had just sold our first flooring job even before we had hired an installer.”

After 18 years, Cape Fear Flooring still advertises on Fayetteville radio. “Radio advertising has really driven our growth from the beginning,” says Ms. Crouter. “We have always asked new customers how they found out about us. Overwhelmingly, we are told they heard our radio commercials.”

The 10 most memorable brands in America have something in common. They all advertise on Fayetteville radio.

According to the YouGov Brand Index, the brands whose commercials generate the highest awareness are Geico, McDonalds, Verizon, AT&T, Walmart, Subway, Direct TV, T-Mobile, Progressive, and Walgreen’s.

If you were one of the 288,496 people who tuned into a Fayetteville radio station last week, then chances are you heard the ads for these companies. All 10 are among the biggest users of radio advertising.

A Fayetteville small business owner was considering cancelling his advertising schedules on local radio stations. “Nobody listens to the radio anymore,” he shared with me. Henry Gordon Selfridge probably rolled over in his grave when I told the customer, respectfully, “You are wrong.”

Mr. Selfridge, a London department owner store, had coined the phrase “the customer is always right” back in 1909. This was 30 years prior to the first Fayetteville radio station, WFNC, going on the air. This was 25 years before Daniel Starch and his rival George Gallup invented the science of market research.

So, in 2018, with terabytes of market research just a mouse-click away, we know anyone who says that ‘nobody listens to local radio’ is wrong. In fact, we know, for sure, that 92% of all consumers, which is almost everybody in Fayetteville, still listens to traditional AM/FM radio.

Allison Rogers landed the job of Marketing Manager two years ago at Fayetteville Regional Airport. The airport, built in 1949, was originally known as Grannis Field. Today, most people refer to it by its three-letter designation, FAY.

As, part of her job, Ms. Rogers is responsible for convincing her target consumers that FAY offers competitive ticket prices and is more convenient than using one of North Carolina’s larger airports. Her target flyers include area residents planning vacation travel; Fayetteville small business owners traveling for their jobs; and members of the Ft. Bragg community traveling for non-military reasons.

Advertising on Fayetteville radio plays a major role in the marketing efforts to attract these target travelers to the concourses of FAY. “Of all the media we use, advertising on Fayetteville radio provides us with the affordable reach and frequency we need for our marketing to be effective,” says Ms. Rogers.