Life Preserver

It's no secret that radio is still well behind print competitors in local ad spending; newspapers and Yellow Pages combine for about a quarter of all local ad dollars. But those mediums are sinking fast under the pressure of digital competition. Where will their advertisers go?

Gordon Borrell of Borrell Associates has a pretty good idea. And he thinks there's a lot of room for radio to move in on print -- if radio understands where its opportunity really lies.

"Local advertising is undergoing a fascinating evolution," Borrell says. "Less money is being spent on classical-type advertising and more on dynamic marketing and promotions. The marketplace cacophony is so loud that it’s gotten harder and harder to sell spots -- or any other type of advertising, for that matter. What’s emerging is a powerful opportunity for radio to capitalize on what their beleaguered print competitors have discovered. Handled the right way, the Internet becomes not a way to make a few piddly extra bucks, but rather a significant revenue magnifier."

Are you prepared to take real advantage of the digital future?

Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates, is a leading media analyst, top-ranked worldwide and frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Ad Age, and other publications. He's a popular and incisive speaker widely sought after for conferences and events, and you won't want to miss what he has to say, at Radio Ink's Forecast 2011.