Google Radio Ads Experiencing Early Troubles

An anonymous reader writes "Google's tech-heavy solution to advertising has worked wonders on the internet, and made it a friend to bloggers everywhere. The low-tech nature of traditional radio, though, has caused some conflicts with Google's radio ad service. The impersonal nature of online ads are very different than the one-on-one personalized service that radio advertising normally uses. While Google ads are running on some 700 radio stations, that's a very small part of the market. They are committed to improving, but onlookers think it will take a change in pitch. 'Whether Google can succeed in radio "is questionable, because you do need relationships with radio stations to give you something of value. If you don't have radio-focused personnel...you'll get the low-hanging fruit but may not be able to grow the market," said Maribeth Papuga, senior vice president and director of radio buying for Media Vest, a part of ad firm Publicis Groupe. "Their challenge is going to be having a broad enough list of markets and stations to make it a viable enough player on a national scale."'"

Google may be Big Brother

Considering the fact that Google invaded North Carolina for a data center employing ~200 folks and gets to escape property taxes and other state taxes for up to thirty years...they seem to be on a pretty sound business model. I can't imagine their radio business will fail considering the effectiveness of their other efforts. All it takes is money and they have plenty of that.

"In January, Google announced it would build the computer center and bring up to 210 jobs in four years to Lenoir, a community 70 miles northwest of Charlotte hurting from the collapse of its furniture industry. In exchange, Caldwell and state officials approved incentives that could be worth more than $260 million over 30 years."

This from the Charlotte Observer...don't know if you may need to register... http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/16 711064.htm [charlotte.com] .

Incredible, 200 jobs gets them incentives worth $260 million over 30 years? Hell, they even got the elected county officials out there to help buy up the properties for their data center. The whole thing stinks on way too many levels. I guess I can rule out getting a job with them. :)

i think...

The impersonal nature of online ads are very different than the one-on-one personalized service that radio advertising normally uses.

Don't you have that backwards?

Re:i think...

"The impersonal nature of online ads are very different than the one-on-one personalized service that radio advertising normally uses."

Don't you have that backwards?

IANAP, but I don't think so.

With online ads, you see static text that says something. You read it silently and interpret it's logical meaning. 5 seconds and you're done.

With radio ads, you are listening to a person's voice for 30 seconds to a minute. You hear the inflections and emotional state of the voice. Years of conversing with people have taught you to pick up subtle hints of honesty, deceit, confidence, etc. In addition to hearing what is verbally said and deducing it's practical meaning, you are consciously and subconsciously analyzing the voice and it's message.

Yeah, that might be over the top a bit, but I think it has merit. Online vs radio ads are like 1-D compared to 2-D. Going from radio to television is like going to 3-D. Now you not only have voice, but images as well. Think about how things changed with the Nixon/Kennedy debates that were televised for the first time after being on the radio for years.

Probable solution

If you don't have radio-focused personnel...you'll get the low-hanging fruit but may not be able to grow the market

So, given what we know about Google, they will just buy/hire some radio-focused personnel. Its not as if they don't have the resources!

in related news

microsoft gets in the sewing machine business

youtube gets in the pinball machine business

myspace gets in the newspaper business

seriously, what genius at google thought radio adverts were a perfect fit for that company?

Can we blame

this Mark Cuban guy?

play the game

"because you do need relationships with radio stations to give you something of value. If you don't have radio-focused personnel...you'll get the low-hanging fruit"

Why don't they just say Google needs to play the payola game. That's how radio has always worked.

Er...

...The impersonal nature of online ads are very different than the one-on-one personalized service that radio advertising normally uses....

Isn't that completely the wrong way round? The whole point of Google's online ads are that they're personalised on a per-user basis, while radio ads have to use the "shotgun effect". :-/

Someone has to say it...

Radio is a dead medium. When was the last time you listened to the radio in your car, other than to be a host for your iPod? And when you did, did you leave the fscking commercials on? I think not. Let's review the list of places to listen to audio based entertainment in order of popularity and/or relevance:

1) MP3s and other compressed digital audio, iPod
2) Satellite Radio/Cable digital audio channels. and with no commercials!
3) low-power, local FM radio broadcast for iPod to connect to ancient stereo
4) CDs. hey they still sell them, don't they?
5) Magnetic tape. DAT/Cassette
6) Paper tape
7) Vinyl Albums
8) Sounds from the ass of a dead bear when it's carcass begins to out-gas from excessive bloating
9) Commercial Broadcast Radio

radio

I run a few radio stations using the "google" automation system. Here's how it worked out... Scott Studios was purchased by dMarc broadcasting a few years back, which was an Up-and-coming conglomerate. They had quite the national ad base. Then google purchased dMarc, and thus the RevenueSuite system was born. Stations pay for the computers by playing ads from google on the air. After the computers are paid off (about 24 months later) the station can opt to keep in the RevenueSuite system and just get cash for unsold commercial inventory. It's rather cool actually, and may keep terrestrial radio alive, for a few more years anyways.

Re:who gives a shit about radio anyway

There must be three or four dozen radio stations in town, but they all are worthless. Radio wave broadcasting is a dead industry.

Agreed, the radio industry is dead, the music industry is dying, but one of the most beloved and influential radio stations in Seattle is KNHC, or "C89.5", a non-profit high school 24/7 voc ed program with listeners worldwide. And some people (/me clears throat) have to use classic radio at work because their workplace rules prohibit streaming audio.