 At a time when many egta members are rethinking their sales house structure, this week’s egtabite highlights one of the most significant changes on the European radio market – the creation of a new sales house called One Media Sales. In a move that created the largest commercial radio sales house in the Netherlands, Radio 538, SLAM!FM, Radio 10 and 100% NL came together under a new sales entity in September 2013. These radio brands, together with the independent stations Sublime FM and Efteling Radio, reach 6 million listeners every week, giving them a 25% market share in the 20-49 demographic. The variety of stations and exceptionally high reach allow advertisers to allocate radio budget in a smart way and to and make use of a number of different media plans.
 egta asked Roel Willemsen, Commercial Director of One Media Sales, about the strategy behind the launch of the sales house and the way the organisation positions radio on the market.
egta: The independent/autonomous radio sales house is a new phenomenon in the Netherlands: why did you decide to create this structure to represent the radio stations of 538 Group and 100% NL?
RW: We have always put pioneering in radio extremely high up on our priorities list. By combining the sales of these powerful stations, we are the largest commercial radio sales organisation in the Netherlands. This way, we can offer advertisers a range of solutions for their marketing needs, whatever the target group.
egta: Do you believe that the radio market in the Netherlands has a potential to grow market share, and how do you seek to achieve that?
RW: Radio definitely has room for growth in the Netherlands. We are not only looking to build up relations with our current advertisers, but also constantly looking to expand the current market through various projects that encourage new radio advertisers.
egta: In brief terms, how does One Media Sales position the medium of radio towards advertisers and media agencies? What are your key messages?
RW: Radio is stronger than ever. It can be listened to anywhere, any time, on any device. Radio listeners have an intimate bond with their (average of) 3 stations of choice, whereas other medium types have tens (or hundreds) to chose from. Radio is very flexible, therefore it can be used for targeted sales campaigns or long term brand building. Radio is essential on your media mix, especially when you look at the relatively low costs when compared to other medium types.
egta: When developing the staffing structure of One Media Sales, did you perceive a need to develop new areas of competency?
RW: We believe that long term relationships are built on knowledge and passion. Our team combines passion for radio with over 135 years of radio experience. Nevertheless we are always looking to develop competency in all areas. Training, inviting guest speakers to share their experiences and asking our own employees to share their successes and disappointments for all to learn from – all contribute to this.
egta: And how does the sales house structure differ from the former commercial teams of its shareholder broadcasters?
RW: We have full focus on ad sales, since Branded Content is being sold by the radio stations itself. One Media Sales does not only represent the four stations of its shareholders, but also opens her doors to other radio stations. Sublime FM and Efteling Radio are the first radio stations who joined One Media Sales for their ad sales. All stations have their own identity, reach, target group and signature. This gives our team the possibility to always fulfil the need of the advertiser. The question we always seek to address is through which combination of radio stations can we communicate the message most effectively?
Why does this matter to egta members?
The creation of a new sales organisation is relatively rare, but in times of dynamic change in the advertising ecosystem it is always helpful to consider how to position and sell radio most effectively. The recent egta Radio Strategic positioning Day clearly identified the positioning of radio as a key direction for the industry for the industry to work along, and egta activities throughout the coming year will be designed to exchange knowledge and best practice from many markets. |
