Are you a sky diving algebra teacher A Sudoku-playing barista NPR has a new ad campaign aimed at you.
The pilot campaign, in four cities, is intended to bring new listeners to local public radio stations, and in turn NPR’s national programs, by matching a show to even the quirkiest interests.
The three-month campaign, financed with a $750,000 grant from the Ford Foundation and developed by Baltimore agency Planit, includes billboards, as well as television spots, social media outreach and rail, print and digital ads aimed at adults 25 to 54, with at least some college education. Ads point to a Web site, interestingradio.com, where visitors can take a poll, discover shows and click through to a live stream from a local station.
The ads will run in the Dallas/Fort Worth, San Diego, Indianapolis and Orlando, Fla., markets, chosen because they offer geographic diversity, as well as stations that are strong and growing, said Emma Carrasco, who joined NPR two months ago as chief marketing officer, a new position.
The campaign comes as listenership for “Morning Edition†and “All Things Considered†â€" NPR’s two top programs and the radio news programs that reach the most people nationwide each week â€" declined from spring 2011 to spring 2012, the last period for which national ratings are available.
Year-to-year, the cumulative weekday audience for “Morning Edition†declined 5 percent to 12.3 million listeners a week, from 13 million, NPR officials said, citing Arbitron ratings figures, while “All Things Considered†was off 4 per! cent, to 11.8 million weekly listeners, compared with 12.3 million in spring 2011.
Preliminary fall 2012 estimates showed year-to-year audience increases for those two shows, NPR said, but the figures were for major markets only.
Local public radio stations have undertaken similar efforts in recent years. WQXR’s modest 2011 “Obeythoven†campaign used TV spots to get audiences thinking about New York City classical music radio in a new way. Chicago’s WBEZ this month began a cheeky campaign called “2032 Membership Drive†encouraging audiences to procreate and raise a new generation of listeners.
If NPR’s new ads are deemed successful, NPR will seek additional funds to expand them to more markets, Ms. Carrasco said.
