Interep’s ‘Power of Urban Radio’ Makes Powerful Impact.

Over 300 advertisers, media decision-makers and ethnic marketers attended the event, which focused on the African-American marketplace and Urban Radio’s powerful role in marketing to the Urban community. This symposium was part of Interep’s on-going series of “Power” events showcasing radio’s ability to reach multi-cultural consumers. The event was part of February’s Black History Month.

The symposium featured a mix of speakers, panel discussions, and performances by Urban musical artists. Bill Campbell, former mayor of Atlanta, offered the welcome address. Hosts for the event were WVEE’s Frank Ski, V-103, and WHTA’s Ryan Cameron.

Keynote speaker for the morning was Bill Lamar, Executive Vice President for McDonald’s Corporation. Mr. Lamar oversees all aspects of national marketing for McDonald’s 13,000 U.S. restaurants. He stated that not only is the African-American market critical to McDonald’s success, but also is “important to everyone who does business in America.”

Flashing the words “Black people are not dark-skinned white people…” on screen, Lamar emphasized that today’s black consumers have distinct lifestyle, language and fashion preferences, and seek out brands that reflect their heritage. For this reason, he stated that Urban Radio is vital to reaching these consumers, as “the African-American community continues to seek out media that positively reflects who we are.” He added that Urban Radio is vital to the lifestyle of African-Americans, who rely on radio for entertainment and information. Calling radio both effective and efficient, he said Urban Radio provides the level of frequency required to drive visits to McDonald’s, as well as the ability to create the all-important “drool factor,” through the use of suggestive creative.

The event closed with a roundtable discussion with CEOs/COOs from five of the nation’s leading Urban broadcasting companies. George Pine/Interep moderated this panel, which included Lew Dickey, Jr./ CEO of Cumulus Radio, Mary Catherine Sneed/ COO of Radio One, Jeff Smulyan/ Chairman of Emmis Communications, Charles Warfield/ COO of ICBC Communications, and Steve Hegwood/ CEO of On Top Communications.

A webcast of the Power of Urban Radio symposium will be available at:

http://www.powerofurbanradio.com

R&B artists Black Coffey, Nia and Jagged Edge provided the day’s musical entertainment.

Highlights from additional Power of Urban Radio panels:

— Ken Smikle, President of Target Market News hosted a panel of Urban research experts. The researchers suggested that the U.S. black community is comprised of many different cultural sub-sets, and that marketers and sellers alike will discover new selling opportunities by drilling down into the differences between black consumers in various markets. Other
findings supported the on-going research that African-Americans continue to show gains in home ownership, spending power and share of category expenditures.

— Walt “Baby” Love/ National Radio Personality/ Excelsior Radio Networks moderated a panel on market segmentation within the Urban Radio format. Panelists included Jerry “Smokin’ B,”/ WHTA (Hot 107.9),Tony Brown/ WVEE (V-103), and Connie Flint/
WPZE (Praise 97.5). Themes included the strong listener loyalty generated by Urban Radio’s targeted appeal.

— Debbie Durben/Interep led a panel discussion on Urban Radio success stories with five top national marketers. Participants included representatives from Blimpees, American Family Insurance, Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Company, and Gateway. Tanya Diggs/ Gateway said that African-Americans offer a very important segment for the computer category, since market
growth potential is much greater than in the general market.

Leisa Byars/Ford Motor Company reiterated these sentiments regarding the auto category. Reoccurring accolades included
Urban Radio’s strong relationship with its listeners, and the fact that Urban Radio “gets it” in terms of connecting with
the listeners’ lifestyle.

— Dr. Al Anderson spoke with advertising agency representatives who successfully used Urban Radio for their clients. Panelists agreed that Urban Radio is now considered a must on most African-American media plans, and the goal has become using the medium to its full potential. The diversity among Urban formats, programming and personalities now offer a more
complete range of options to reach the full spectrum of African-American consumers.