Merrick Watts told participants at today’s Mumbrella 360 Conference that live reads ads can “combine passion with integrity” if delivered well.

Responding to a question from moderator Paul Murray, WS breakfast presenter Amanda Keller said being a personality on radio is “not just about being a presenter, you have to be a friend…
 
“The greatest compliment I can get is when someone says ‘I know you.’ I love that… The intimacy of that small space allows you to be completely honest and unmasked, and listeners really warm to that…
 
“If I voice an opinion it has to be something I really believe in because I’m not a character on radio, I’m me.”

A panel of high profile radio presenters discussed the links between radio and advertising, particularly live reads and special promotions.

Radio is a “trust medium” where your listeners are more closely aligned with the station and its presenters than most other media. “When you see an ad on a billboard, you don’t trust a billboard, but you do trust the voice of the presenter when you hear them read an ad,”  said Merrick.

Social media has made the connection with listeners much stronger than it ever was in the past. “When I do a promotion for a client I want to use the radio and social media to make the phone ring for the client,” said Fitzy. “We have a level of respect that comes with the investment the client has made in us.”

The panel discussed the success of combining YouTube videos with radio, a tactic that has been successful for Fitzy and Wippa, and their advertisers, and also talked about the high level of engagement through social media achieved by SCA networks. Both provide additional benefits to advertisers.