Interep: Consumer Lifestyle Radio Networks.

Interep announced the launch of its Consumer Lifestyle Networks, customized radio networks aimed at the consumers most likely to buy an advertiser’s products or services.

Interep, the nation’s largest independent radio sales and marketing company, designed these networks to make radio a simpler, more effective tool for advertisers to reach their target audiences.

According to Interep, the new offering will more closely align radio marketing strategies with the objectives of advertisers interested in reaching specific consumer segments.

“By speaking with the heads of media buying agencies across the country, we saw the need for radio to re-align its selling strategies to better match advertisers’ marketing needs,” said Marc Guild, President of Interep’s Marketing Division. “Through careful media research we have developed a way to save agencies time and money by locating and packaging their heaviest consumers into easy-to-buy networks. These savings will encourage more national advertisers to enter radio, creating new revenue streams for all of our client stations.”

Interep will offer advertisers and agencies seven Networks focusing on the most frequently requested advertising targets, including Affluent consumers, Family Shoppers, African-Americans, U.S. Hispanics, Men, Women and Young Adults. Interep’s research shows that each targeted consumer segment consists of active radio listeners.

“Our seven basic Consumer Lifestyle Networks serve as a helpful starting point, especially for advertisers unfamiliar with radio”, said Interep Chairman/CEO Ralph Guild. “Working with the advertiser, we then further hone the process by using qualitative audience data to customize the Network to the advertiser’s specific product, service or brand. The customized Network includes exactly those radio stations best suited to sell an advertiser’s products or services – and only those stations.”

To introduce the Networks, Interep has targeted the top 100 national advertisers, accounting for roughly 40% of all national advertising, as well as other potentially interested low-to-moderate radio advertisers. In addition, Interep representatives will introduce the Networks to upper-level decision-makers at all major advertising agencies in the key U.S. buying hubs.

The Network offering builds on last year’s Radio 20:20 initiative as part of an on-going effort to direct new advertisers into the medium. Interep is aggressively seeking to increase the allocation of radio dollars by low- to mid-range radio advertisers. Each additional 1/10th of a share point of total ad dollars ($234 billion in 2001) re-directed into radio would bring $234 million additional dollars to the medium.

“Agency structures have changed dramatically over the past several years, and as a result, media departments are faced with a new set of challenges.” said Marc Guild. “Our Consumer Lifestyle Networks are clearly structured with these challenges in mind. These radio modules can stand alone, or easily fit into cross-media multi-platform buys, depending on the needs of the agency. As a result, we expect the Networks to open up the new revenue opportunities that our client stations are looking for in today’s environment.”