ARKANSAS a OKLAHOMA

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/l UnntCnNS spend nearly three Flhours each day listening to the radio, according to the RadioAdvertising Bureau.

The following contains some helpful ideas the association has picked up over the years from dealers who have used radio successfully to reach potential customers.

Determine your target audience. Radio is a selective medium. People selfselect which radio station they want to listen to. Therefore, the first thing you need to do in order to effectively use radio is determine who your customers are.

Find out which radio stations your targeted audiencp listens to. Radio stations design their programming to appeal to very narrow segments. One way to find out which segment a station appeals to is to get to one ofthe rating services. However, you will probably end up with more information than you need or want. A more effective way to get this information locally is to call the radio stations you think make sense, and ask them to identify their listening audience.

Consider the station's role in the community. Sometimes a business decision to advertise on a particular station comes down to more than numbers. There are several markets around the Arkansas and Oklahoma area where there are stations that have a particular role in the community. They have been there for a long time, their call letters reflect where they are located, possibly they cover the local sporting teams. These are all things to consider.

Although some people look at media buying as a sciencrc, it's still an art. Most business people have a strong sense of what it takes to succeed in their own business. Look at advertising from all media - radio, television, newspaperand then make common sense decisions that are right for you.

You can't repeat your radio message too may times. Studies show that people aren't even conscious of a message until they hear it at least three or four times. Being conscious of a message is a far cry from acting on it. You can never say the information about your business too many times.

In selecting a radio station, keep in mind people's listening habits. People who listen to easy music stations tend to listen longer than people who listen to rock and roll. So if you're scheduling an ad campaign, you citn use less commercials on a beautiful music station than on a rock and roll station.

Understand how cummericals are sold. Although every radio station is different, most sell 30 and 60 second spots. Additionally, in some cases a station may sell either a separate l0 second announcement or a 10 second tag.

As a general rule, 30 second spots tend to cost 800/o ofwhat 60 second ones do. When stations construct their programming they allow for a certain number of interruptions an hour.

You don't have to become a media expert overnight. You have free consultants at the radio stations, so use them, It doesn't cost you a thing. They can help you write copy, produce commercials and come up with a schedule. Unless you want something really special, the conception and production of the commercial are generally included as a service.

In a world of constant change, it's nice to know there's a company you can depend upon to be the same dav in and day out. Dean Lumber Company has been doing it right for fifty years, and company founder john Ed Dean is still actively involved in all facets of the operation. If you are in business for the long haul, then you probably should call Dean Lumber Company.