What is a Radio Day and Audio News Release (ANR) service?
Simply put, a Radio Day® is a PR activity that gets your brand on-air to deliver your key messages to audiences across Australia.
If you have ever listened to the news or talkback radio, then you've likely heard one of our clients being interviewed by broadcasters as part of a Radio Day. MediaCast Radio Days include several components to ensure the best value can be achieved:
ANR – Audio News Release
ANRs are short recordings we record, produce and distribute to newsrooms, hosts and producers across Australia. Radio stations commonly use Audio News Releases as either a small “audio bite” or “audio grab” to run in news bulletins on the hour and half-hour.
Broadcasters also use these recordings to play as an entire interview, in this scenario, hosts use the pre-recorded intro and outro to air as if your spokesperson was in the studio chatting to them live on air.
Radio Audio News Releases are a very efficient use of your spokesperson's time, with just a 30-minute phone interview being able to reach multiple stations and news networks in different regions, reaching engaged audiences across Australia.
That being said, more hosts are choosing to record and air their own radio interviews, to get unique and specific content relevant to their audiences. This is where our specialised Radio Day service comes in.
Radio Day®
Our Radio Day service provides a much higher ROI as interviews recorded with the hosts directly are more engaging and relevant to the target audience. Live interviews allow you more time to engage with your audience and greater control over the end message.
Radio listeners are loyal, they tune into their trusted and favourite hosts every day, this allows brands a credible method of communicating key messaging to an engaged audience.
Using our extensive relationships with radio broadcasters, MediaCast works on securing a series of interviews over several days to align with the campaign launch date and the availability of your spokesperson. We also provide the materials and briefings to ensure your spokesperson is prepared before they go on air.
Why aren’t press releases suitable for radio?
A traditional press release generally centres around quotes from a spokesperson, which are not useful in an interview format... and it's likely to just be deleted.
MediaCast has the expertise and know-how to tailor your key messages to work in the broadcast environment. We can tailor your messages to work best for radio as we understand what appeals to, or catches the eye of radio hosts.
All content we provide to radio is specifically designed and prepared to make it easy for broadcast.
Can you guarantee coverage on radio?
There will come a day when there is a natural disaster, a celebrity passes away or life is discovered on Mars. So, while we can’t give an absolute guarantee of coverage, over the hundreds of radio campaigns we have delivered, we have achieved radio coverage for every Radio Day we have delivered - even during crisis situations like bush fires and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
Given our industry expertise, contacts, radio know-how and time-proven processes, we are confident that we make your voice heard above the competition and ensure your story reaches the right audiences.
What are the steps in a Radio Day and Audio News Release?
We keep everything simple, including our Radio Day campaigns. As part of this service, we:
- Build an understanding of your story and the audience you want to reach
- Develop broadcast specific collateral to support the campaign
- Pre-record an Audio News Release broken down into 5-6 news grabs with your spokesperson
- Pitch your story to our extensive contacts across ABC and commercial radio
- Work with your spokesperson to schedule interviews within their availability
- Provide a detailed coverage report and a selection of clips for you to listen to
MediaCast has a range of technology to make the Radio Day process as seamless as possible. We have developed web-based tools to support you and your spokesperson every step of the way:
- A pre-campaign survey to understand the audience you want to reach
- An online, real-time schedule of confirmed interviews with features to help you manage your interviews
- A client portal that provides you with access to the campaign collateral, clippings and report
- A full web report and excel export detailing the campaign outcomes
How much lead-time is required for an Audio News Release?
We have delivered successful campaigns in very little time. However, ideally we suggest allowing a week for us to prepare and pitch for your campaign. A week will give us the opportunity to develop the creative concepts, media collateral and importantly, it gives us the time to pitch your story to our radio contacts.
We suggest contacting us as early as possible to start the planning process.
How much time do I need to set aside for a Radio Day and ANR?
For Radio Day activities, which include interviews direct with hosts, we suggest allocating four or more hours over a couple of days. We also recommend allocating time to cover the valuable breakfast and morning shows. Basically, the more time we have available with your spokesperson, the more interviews we can lock in for you.
The time needed for recording an ANR is usually around 30 minutes
Can we use more than one spokesperson?
Yes. In our standard Radio Day we are more than happy to pitch in two spokespeople for live interviews.
Having two spokespeople carries the added benefit of having more availability for interviews and as some shows only record on certain days or times, sharing across several spokespeople can make this an easier process. We recommend have an independent voice in addition to a brand spokesperson, for additional expertise and credibility.
There are some other obvious benefits to having a spokesperson on radio:
- Your spokesperson knows your key message, they know about events, dates, statistics
- Your spokesperson can bridge an interview back to your key message
- Your spokesperson fits your brand or organisation and its values
Do you provide media training?
We understand that interviews can be daunting for some people. As part of our campaign process we provide a series of interview tips and a briefing call on what to expect.
In addition, recording an ANR gives you a great opportunity to practise and get your message right. Our team will help guide you through the ANR interview, which helps prepare you for being live on air.
We can also provide more formal hour-long media training sessions. These sessions are conducted over the phone or Skype and are tailored to specific campaign messaging to help you prepare for the Radio Day.
How is MediaCast different from other ANR and Radio Audio Release services?
Very different! Here are just a few key points on what makes our service unique:
- Our great team of PR talent
- Our decades of experience in broadcast PR
- 100% Australian owned and operated
- Our technology specifically designed to make every Radio Day run smoothly
- Our extensive relationships across ABC and commercial radio
- We care!
How can I monitor the impact and cut through of my release to radio?
You can see examples of our reporting on our campaign tools and reports page. If you have specific requirements, please let us know and we can discuss what we can provide in a tailored solution.
Does MediaCast produce Community Service Announcements?
MediaCast does not produce Community Service Announcements (CSAs). However, the content we produce can also be used on your own website and repurposed for many other reasons.
Check our Radio Day page for more information on audio for media releases. If this is of interest, please get in touch with us on 07 3160 3370 or email us at [email protected]
Radio Day is a registered trademark.