Interest in commercial radio in general and in Radio Luxembourg in particular, as an advertising medium has been increasing steadily over the past few years. This is because Luxembourg enables an advertiser to reach effectively the ‘youth’ market, with its vast potential, at the most economical cost per thousand. In this field no other media, either television, press or magazine can offer the ‘key’ which will unlock effectively this £1,250,000 market at such low cost. Fifteen minute sponsored programmes, listened to by audiences in excess of 2,000,000 per programme per week can be bought for as little as £3,500 per year. Spot campaigns can be undertaken just as effectively for the same amount. Luxembourg’s ‘sponsored’ programmes feature, reflect and satisfy the nation’s appetite for the best in popular music and top names and personalities in disc jockeys — an advertiser and his product can only benefit by association with such a combination of top entertainment and personality. Radio Luxembourg’s own productions feature ‘live’ broadcasts of entertainers in the public eye at the time of broadcast and cater for the advertiser who wishes to project an image which is ‘exclusive’ to his particular product. These productions can be undertaken for as little as £200 per week. The success of Radio Luxembourg as an advertising medium is reflected in the record sales figures illustrated in this brochure and in the varied products which are featured on Radio Luxembourg every evening of the year — it is in fact, in 1965, a medium which for originality of approach and treatment plus effectiveness — cannot possibly be ignored by either advertiser or advertising agency.
RATES
The constant upward spiral of rates in most media presents many problems to both agencies and clients and for this reason every effort will be made to ensure that if there are no unforeseen and exceptional circumstances, the rates published in this brochure will not be raised during 1965 or 1966. Indeed, we hope that we may be able to maintain our current rates for a long time to come. There has, in fact, been only one general increase in rates during the past fifteen years. This means you can plan ahead with safety.
COMPETITION
With the English transmissions of Radio Luxembourg being spread over a period of eight hours each evening, it is our firm policy to ensure that sponsors receive what is almost a solus position, no matter what time of the evening they may choose to be on the air. Every effort is made to ensure that competitors advertising similar products are kept at least one hour apart. We believe this to be a most important selling point in Radio Luxembourg’s favour, for undoubtedly competitors do at times appear almost side by side in practically every other advertising medium.
PRIME PROSPECTS
a. The Teenage Market (16-24’s)
£1,250 million a year is the amount estimated to be spent by teenagers on consumer goods, and more than ever this up and coming section of the community is attracting a great deal of attention from manufacturers. They constitute a lively, lucrative market which one cannot afford to ignore. At any given time during Radio Luxembourg peak evening transmissions approximately half a million teenagers are tuned in. The average nightly audience in this age group is 3,335,000. (Source: I.P.A. Survey 1963-64).
b. Housewives
Women represent 80 per cent of the world’s buyers, and the ‘shopping class’ housewives who listen to Radio Luxembourg regularly average 2,911,000 nightly (I.P.A. Survey 1963-64). They are able to listen whilst busying themselves with the multitude of household chores that are necessary throughout the evening. Your advertising message reaches them unobtrusively and without irritation, because it is possible to build it into the programme with no break in continuity.
THE YEARS AHEAD
The British public in 1965 is more radio conscious than it has been for many years. After suffering declining audiences for the past ten years the B.B.C. has at long last made a start on the journey back. Radio Luxembourg has provided an exciting alternative to B.B.C. programmes and has firmly established itself as the No. 1 Pop Music Station in Europe. The years ahead provide an enormous challenge to those responsible for providing sound radio services. The word ‘service’ is all important, for sound radio has a unique opportunity to win back from television an enormous number of ‘luke warm’ viewers. A lot of these are in the 24-35 age group. They still have a great love for popular music and this can normally be satisfied more effectively by sound radio than by television. But we must give a first class public service. Up to the minute news flashes with weather forecasts, time signal and road conditions must become a natural part of radio programming. Popular music is no longer a ‘dirty word’ with the national press, and nearly all our major newspapers publish record charts and hardly a day passes without one major pop star making the headlines.
HOW TO BUY
This is an interesting match with both sides holding good winning chances. Spots can be of 7, 15, 30, 45 or 60 seconds duration and can be booked only a matter of hours before transmission. Spots can often be placed between high rating programmes and in extremely popular and successful shows. They can either be read by the station announcer or can be specially recorded. Frequently television jingles can be well adapted for radio but although the jingle is still popular, most agencies and clients still favour the ‘hard sell ’ type of spot. By purchasing airtime, clients can have a tailor-made programme with the artist of their choice and benefit from the normal opening and closing credits as well as the main commercial. Under certain circumstances and with the permission of our production department it is permissible to break up the commercial, if by so doing the programme as a whole benefits. A series normally means thirteen programmes and by purchasing airtime as opposed to spots, clients can ensure continuity and also build an image for the product in question.