Is "Less is More" working for Clear Channel- and what the heck is it anyway?

[Rickylee]

I've been hearing about some corporate plan to raise revenue that CC has been using this past year called "Less is More." Something about a strategy of selling :30's in some package, supposedly giving a rate that delivers more bang for the buck for the advertiser. I've heard it explained before but my head hurt like it did that time I tried to play some numbers game in New Orleans. It made sense while the guy was talking but I got confused somewhere between then and when I lost my money...yeah-less was more alright.
Anybody got the concept they're pitching?
Confused in Rankin

 

[ticoSD]

> I've been hearing about some corporate plan to raise revenue
> that CC has been using this past year called "Less is More."
> Something about a strategy of selling :30's in some package,
> supposedly giving a rate that delivers more bang for the
> buck for the advertiser. I've heard it explained before but
> my head hurt like it did that time I tried to play some
> numbers game in New Orleans. It made sense while the guy was
> talking but I got confused somewhere between then and when I
> lost my money...yeah-less was more alright.
> Anybody got the concept they're pitching?
> Confused in Rankin

Dear Confused: "Less Is More" is a campaign by Clear Channel that is designed to play fewer commercials per commercial break. The goal of this is to increased TSL (time spent listening). Studies show that it is working as far as people tuning in longer. But with fewer commercials, it has to be made up somehow and that somehow is through an increase in ad rates. I don't know about the intracacies of ad rates, so I won't even attempt to guess how much more CC stations here or elsewhere are charging than what they did before.
<P ID="signature">______________
"...and the countdown continues until the neanderthals that govern college football do something about their pathetic postseason."--Tim Brando, Sporting News Radio</P>

 

[zzzz1973]

> > I've been hearing about some corporate plan to raise
> revenue
> > that CC has been using this past year called "Less is
> More."
> > Something about a strategy of selling :30's in some
> package,
> > supposedly giving a rate that delivers more bang for the
> > buck for the advertiser. I've heard it explained before
> but
> > my head hurt like it did that time I tried to play some
> > numbers game in New Orleans. It made sense while the guy
> was
> > talking but I got confused somewhere between then and when
> I
> > lost my money...yeah-less was more alright.
> > Anybody got the concept they're pitching?
> > Confused in Rankin
>
> Dear Confused: "Less Is More" is a campaign by Clear Channel
> that is designed to play fewer commercials per commercial
> break. The goal of this is to increased TSL (time spent
> listening). Studies show that it is working as far as people
> tuning in longer. But with fewer commercials, it has to be
> made up somehow and that somehow is through an increase in
> ad rates. I don't know about the intracacies of ad rates, so
> I won't even attempt to guess how much more CC stations here
> or elsewhere are charging than what they did before.


> The local CC stations have been dropping rates like hot potatoes(you may say "potah-to"). Example: when Miss-103 came on the air in 1981, rates were in the $30.00 range. Now,over two decades later, there are "packages" on the street where you can buy the same product for about the same price! Of course, the audience share in it's heyday was around a 20 and now it hovers around a 7 share,so guess ya get what ya pay for. Ratings are not up overall for the local CC stations, so "less is more" might sound good at corporate office,but here on the streets, I hear the salesreps are having a tough time.