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CSRA Consumers Stick With Augusta Radio Despite Pandemic

Mar 31, 2021 4:09:24 PM / by Larry Julius

In 1930, when WRDW-AM became the first radio station in the Central Savannah River Area, many considered the medium a fad.  Even a 1937 hit song written by George Gershwin, Our Love Is Here To Stay, considered radio to be a "passing fancy and in time may go".

Augusta radio, however, has survived the advent of talking-movies, television, eight tracks, and cassettes in stereo.  More recently, radio has withstood a tsunami of digital options including, YouTube, SiriusXM, Pandora, and Spotify.

As the Coronavirus pandemic rolls over into a second year, Augusta radio has hung tough and not ceded its ground despite listener's shifting lifestyles.  This is crucial news for local small business owners who depend on local stations to market their goods and services.

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Advertise In CSRA: Shoppers' Needs Are Changing...Again!

Sep 29, 2020 8:45:04 AM / by Larry Julius

There are over 447,000 adult consumers in the Augusta area. Collectively, in a typical year, these shoppers would generate $9.3 billion in retail sales. This money would be spent on cars, shoes, fast-food, entertainment, groceries, mattresses, adult beverages, haircuts, makeup, and an over-abundance of other of goods and services. Their money was being spent on both the essential and the frivolous. 

The way Central Savannah River Area consumers spend money changed radically in March as COVID-19 began to spread. Six months into the pandemic, shopping strategies are about to change again.

It started with panic buying. Consumers began ignoring prices and were paying what was ever necessary to ensure the safety, health, and comfort of their families.  According to Nielsen, this sudden spike in demand caused widespread price increases. To put it in perspective, retail prices shot-up in 64% of all product categories stocked in grocery stores.

Almost immediately, advertising messages from local retailers shifted from promises of low prices and convenience to product availability and shopper safety.

Based on new research from Nielsen, consumers' shopping strategies are beginning to shift again. This will require CSRA small business owners and retailers to also change their advertising strategies, too.

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Topics CSRA small business owner, augusta small business owner, return on investment, roi, retail, small business owner, small business, retail sales, retailer, retail stores, coronavirus, corona, covid 19, small business marekting, recovery, small business advertising, pandemic

How Has Working From Home Affected Advertising on Augusta Radio

Aug 24, 2020 6:45:00 AM / by Larry Julius

Before COVID-19, most listening to Augusta radio happened outside the home. CSRA consumers were tuning-in to their favorite stations from the car on the way to their job. Then, they tuned-in when they arrived at work. They listened again during the commute back home.

Nielsen recently surveyed consumers who worked from home before and during the novel coronavirus outbreak. The results show, as of June, 66% of respondents now work from home full-time as a consequence of the pandemic.

As consumers are compelled to work from their houses and curtail their commutes, the share of at-home listening to Augusta radio has grown by 18%, according to Nielsen.

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Advertising In Augusta: Radio Listening Holds Its Own During Pandemic

Aug 10, 2020 8:37:26 AM / by Larry Julius

During the spring, 344,400 adult radio-listeners tuned in to their favorite radio stations each week, according to Nielsen. This is 10% more than during the fall, despite the pandemic. 

Some advertising experts had predicted that as consumers spent more time at home because of COVID-19 concerns, the hours devoted to radio listening would decrease. That, however, was not the case.

In the Spring of 2019, according to Nielsen, 38.4% of radio listening occurred at home. During July of this year, in-home listening jumped to 45.4%. Despite the reduction in out-of-home activities, though, CSRA consumers still spent the almost the same amount of time listening to Augusta radio.

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Topics best way to advertise, CSRA small business owner, augusta small business owner, best way to advertise in augusta, Pandora, Spotify, best way to advertise in csra, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, coronavirus, corona, covid 19, small business marekting, advertise on radio, small business advertising, pandemic, sirius/xm, podcasts

Augusta Radio Listeners Will Power The Post-Pandemic Recovery

Jun 10, 2020 3:20:36 PM / by Larry Julius

At the dawn of 2020, Central Savannah River Area small business owners were expecting the area's retail economy to expand by 4.1%. This optimism was stoked by the National Retail Federation's chief economist who said, "Consumers remain upbeat and have the confidence to spend, and the steady wage growth that has come with the strong job market is fueling their spending. The state of the consumer is very healthy."

By February, however, the country entered into a COVID-19 induced recession. Then, to slow the spread of the pandemic, in early April, the Governors of Georgia and South Carolina shut down all but the most essential businesses in their states. This brought the CSRA's $8.6 billion retail economy to a standstill.

As stores, restaurants, and offices in the Augusta area begin to re-open, consumers' appetite for spending is returning. According to Nielsen, loyal radio listeners are very likely to be first in line at the cash registers.

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Topics best way to advertise, retail, consumer spending, small business owner, small business, automotive, retail sales, retailer, retail stores, coronavirus, corona, covid 19, reopen, advertise on radio, recovery

Who'll Be Buying When CSRA Small Businesses Reopen?

May 19, 2020 7:16:00 AM / by Larry Julius

To slow the spread of COVID-19, the Governors of Georgia and South Carolina shut down all but the most essential businesses in their states in early April. This public safety measure inflicted a severe disruption to the Central Savannah River Area's $8.6 billion retail economy.

As local small business owners begin to reopen, each must concentrate on supercharging their cash flows to compensate for nearly 50 days of consumer abstinence. Turning the lights back on and hanging out a welcome sign might not be enough, though, to bring even the most loyal customers back.

Some customers may not return because of personal safety concerns. Other customers may have discovered alternative sources to purchase goods and services.

But, there is one thing every Augusta area small business owner can be assured of. Consumers will not return if they aren't aware that a business has reopened.

Advertising is a potent tactic for any CSRA small business that needs to reintroduce itself to local consumers.

“Think you have a great product?” asks the U.S. Small Business Administration. “Unfortunately, no one’s going to know about it unless you advertise.”

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Topics best way to advertise, store traffic, retail, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, retail sales, retailer, retail stores, coronavirus, corona, covid 19, crisis marketing, reopen

Should Your CSRA Small Business Continue To Advertise?

May 16, 2020 7:27:18 AM / by Larry Julius

COVID-19 has had a profound effect on cash register receipts in the Central Savannah River Area. Every day small business owners from Martinez to Evans are being challenged by the pandemic induced recession.

Just yesterday, for instance, the US Commerce Department announced that April retail sales were down by 20% vs. the same month last year. This is sure to take a massive bite out of the $8.6 billion in annual consumer spending Augusta area businesses had been expecting in 2020.

“April was the cruelest month,” Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, told the Wall Street Journal. "Retail spending likely bottomed out in the first week of May with spending picking up due to Mother’s Day and gradual state reopenings.

“It’s going to be less worse with each month,” said Mr. Johnson, “as people slowly come out of the foxhole and enter the mainstream of American consumerism.”

The ability of a CSRA small business to survive past the lockdowns will depend on the steps it takes now.

WARC, a company that collaborates with more than 50 respected marketing organizations, including the Advertising Research Foundation and the Association of National Advertisers, has identified ten tactics that businesses should implement immediately. The #2 step on this list: Keep advertising if you can.

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Topics best way to advertise, recession, small business owner, small business, coronavirus, corona, covid 19, crisis marketing

Reclaim 'Top Of Mind' When Your CSRA Small Business Re-Opens

May 1, 2020 3:47:58 PM / by Larry Julius

Business was booming in the Central Savannah River Area. Then, it was not.

Before the chaos brought on by Coronavirus, it had been predicted, based on estimates from the National Retail Federation, CSRA consumers would spend 4.1% more in 2020 than they did in 2019. During the first week of April, however, when the Governors of  Georgia and South Carolina shut down their states, the expectations of growth for many small business owners were replaced with fights for survival.

As the states prepares to reopen, CSRA small businesses will learn that turning the lights back on and hanging out the welcome sign might not be enough to bring even the most loyal customers back.

Some customers will not return because of personal safety concerns. Other customers may have discovered alternative sources to purchase goods and services.

More likely, though, customers will not come back because a business has lost a valued parcel of real estate: the position at the top of a customer's mind. This is the place where purchase decisions are made.

There is a way to regain top-of-mind status. First, though, it's important to understand why a business can be forgotten so quickly. 

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Topics best way to advertise, radio advertising, small business owner, top of mind awareness, small business, frequency, coronavirus, corona, covid 19, recall

Who Do CSRA Consumers Trust During A Crisis?

Apr 27, 2020 2:25:01 PM / by Larry Julius

For Central Savannah River Area small business owners, marketing and advertising are crucial to surviving any crisis, including Coronavirus. The business literature has an abundance of case studies from depressions, recessions, natural disasters, and, yes, pandemics that affirm this existential conclusion.

Advertising, however, may seem extravagant right now to Georgia and South Carolina businesses that are struggling to make rent, purchase inventory, and meet payroll. Henry Ford, though, is often quoted as saying, "Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping a clock to save time."

Therefore, as business owners from Edgehill to Aiken (and every point in between) are cinching their belts tighter-than-ever to stay alive, the dollars invested in advertising must be spent in the most effective manner possible.

During periods of uncertainty, advertising works the hardest when placed in within media that consumers trust.  During the time of COVID-19, advertising on Augusta radio has earned that trust among local consumers.

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Topics best way to advertise, recession, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, reach, coronavirus, corona, covid 19, crisis marketing, recall, trust, context

Web Traffic Is Soaring For CSRA Small Business Owners

Apr 24, 2020 11:32:56 AM / by Larry Julius

Since the onset of the Coronavirus crisis, consumers are not flocking into the showrooms, storefronts, offices, or dining rooms of Central Savannah River Area small business owners. It turns out, though, social distancing has not proven to be an impediment to shopping.

CSRA consumers are still spending money despite the chaos imposed by the pandemic, according to Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell & Associates. His company specializes in the collection of marketing data from business owners across the country.

"During depressions, recessions, floods, hurricane, earthquakes, fires, and, now, pandemics, commerce goes on," Mr. Borell told members of Augusta's small business community during a recent teleconference.

To prove his point, he shared research from IBISworld  which, indicates spending continues despite a plunge in consumer confidence.

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Topics consumer spending, online advertising, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, coronavirus, corona, covid 19, web traffic, e-commerce, attribution, website visitors

Advertising On Augusta Radio Remains Best Option During Corona Crisis

Apr 16, 2020 6:39:17 AM / by Larry Julius

The chaos created in The Central Savannah River Area by the onset of Coronavirus has been a disruptive force among consumers. 

Work routines, buying habits, family life, and media consumption have all been palpably affected. These are all factors that need to be considered by small business owners who continue to advertise their goods and services during the crisis.

Before the current chaos, advertising on Augusta radio, by any metric, was the best way a local small business could advertise.

For instance, pre-Coronavirus, 412,000 adult consumers tuned-in to an Augusta radio station every week. This is significantly more than watched local TV, read a newspaper, accessed social media, or streamed audio from sites like Pandora and Spotify.

New research released from Nielsen indicates that amidst the current crisis, listening to local radio remains little changed. This is great news for those CSRA small business owners who are depending on advertising for their long-term survival.

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Topics newspaper advertising, social media advertising, online advertising, radio advertising, small business owner, television advertising, small business, digital advertising, streaming audio, coronavirus, corona, covid 19, crisis marketing, small business marekting

CSRA Small Business Advice: Marketing During the Corona Crisis

Apr 8, 2020 7:22:39 AM / by Larry Julius

In 'normal' times, Central Savannah River Area consumers would be expected to rack up $8.6 billion in annual retail sales. Of course, since the onset of the Coronavirus crisis, nothing has been normal.

But as Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates, explained to members of the Augusta area small business community via teleconference, consumers are still spending. This, it turns out, is normal.

Mr. Borrell shared research from Ibis that demonstrates during every type of crisis, including depressions, recessions, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, and, now, pandemics, consumers still spend.

The business literature contains an abundance of examples of how continuing to market and advertise during an economic crisis can help a company survive and emerge from the episode even stronger than before.

CSRA small business owners who do continue to advertise and market, however, should consider modifying their pre-crisis strategy.

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Topics best way to advertise, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, coronavirus, corona, covid 19, crisis marketing, crisis management, small business marekting, borrell associates

Crisis Marketing: What CSRA Small Business Owners Should Know

Apr 1, 2020 7:10:00 AM / by Larry Julius

Last week, Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates, shared insights with Central Savannah River Area small business owners on the value of marketing to consumers during a crisis. A video replay of the teleconference is available by clicking here.

Mr. Borrell is the CEO of Borrell Associates. His company is one of the most trusted sources of trends and forecasts for local media today.

According to Mr. Borrell, despite social distancing and economic jitters induced by the Coronavirus chaos, consumers are still spending money.

He points to research from Ibis that consumer consumption continues in almost every crisis, including depressions, recessions, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, and, now, pandemic.

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Topics best way to advertise, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, coronavirus, corona, covid 19, crisis marketing, small business marekting, borrell associates

Augusta Radio: Who's Listening During The Coronavirus Crisis

Mar 27, 2020 4:13:08 PM / by Larry Julius

In a typical week, 412,000 adult consumers tune-in to Augusta radio stations.  But, since the onset of the Coronavirus, the weeks have not been typical.

Before social-distancing and work-from-home orders, 221,000 Central Savannah Area consumers would drive to-and-from work each day. More than 94% of these commuters could be reached by radio.  

CSRA small business owners who depend on radio advertising to market their goods and services, therefore, might be concerned that the disruption in commuting patterns could depress the amount of time consumers spend with local radio.

According to market research, however, radio listening remains an important part of the daily life of consumers. Even amid the current chaos.

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Topics best way to advertise, augusta small business owner, retail, radio advertising, small business owner, small business, coronavirus, corona, covid 19, crisis marketing, crisis management

Coronavirus: Advertising In The CSRA For Small Business Survival

Mar 25, 2020 8:41:01 AM / by Larry Julius

Central Savannah River Area small business owners are fighting the coronavirus battles on multiple fronts.  Their first objective is to keep their families and employees safe. Then, of course, there are the concerns of keeping their businesses healthy enough to survive current disruptions.

The business literature has an abundance of case studies showing how survival is often connected to a thoughtful communications and marketing strategy during challenging times.  

Business owners need to let CSRA consumers know if they are still open. If their hours have changed. Or if they are providing alternative shopping methods (e.g., delivery, curbside pick-up).

Most importantly, it is imperative consumers know that a business will still be there for them when the crisis is over.

For those owners who are depending on communication to preserve their business, the best option may be to advertise on Augusta radio.

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Topics best way to advertise, newspaper advertising, restaurant advertising, retail, social media advertising, facebook advertising, radio advertising, small business owner, television advertising, small business, streaming audio, retailer, retail stores, coronavirus, corona, covid 19

Keeping Your CSRA Small Business Healthy During The Coronavirus Crisis

Mar 16, 2020 1:27:25 PM / by Larry Julius & Bob McCurdy

The top concern of every Central Savannah River Area small business owner is the health and safety of their families and employees.  Local information and breaking news regarding the Coronavirus is available by clicking here.

Of course, a secondary concern is tending to the health of their business amid an overabundance of social and financial disruptions. 

There is one prescription that helped many CSRA businesses survive the Great Depression of 1929, the economic crash of 2009, and every recession in between.  The Rx for keeping a business healthy during chaotic times is to continue advertising.

The best example of how advertising cand fend off tough times was shared by The New Yorker magazine financial columnist James Surowiecki.

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Topics best way to advertise, restaurant advertising, retail, recession, small business owner, small business, retailer, retail stores, coronavirus, corona, covid 19

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