RADIO INDUSTRY BEGINS CREATIVE WORKSHOPS FOR AGENCIES

A series of free, radio creative workshops for advertising agencies begin today in Sydney, run by international creative expert and creator of the award-winning radio brand campaign, Ralph van Dijk of Eardrum Australia.

The one-day workshops are part of a strategy by Commercial Radio Australia to help improve the education and training for creatives in advertising agencies and ultimately deliver better radio ads.

Chief executive officer, Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner said the radio industry must be proactive to help upskill and improve the talent working in radio advertising and the workshops, planned for throughout the year nationally, would assist with this strategy.

“We want Australian radio ads to be amongst the best in the world – and while some agencies are doing excellent work it is up to the industry to work further with agencies to help foster talent, ideas and world class standards,” Ms Warner said.

Ms Warner said Commercial Radio Australia had contracted Mr van Dijk, who moved to Australia from the UK earlier this year, as a Creative Director with a general brief to promote radio as an advertising medium.

“Mr van Dijk will also help grow the industry’s Creative Advisory Planning Service which is aimed at helping advertisers and agencies use radio more effectively. This service provides creative advice to advertisers and agencies on how to better use radio - both from a planning and creative perspective - and can include existing users of radio or non-users.”

Mr van Dijk will also continue to work on the industry’s brand campaign, which was developed by Eardrum Australia in 2003, and was short listed last year in the radio category at the prestigious Clio 2005 Awards in the USA.

The workshop held today in Sydney has representatives from agencies Saatchi & Saatchi, Singleton O&M, Publicis Mojo, Clemenger DDB and Euro RSCG. The agencies were selected because they work with clients that use radio or have potential to use radio.

“I have been running these workshops for the UK and Europe’s leading agencies and they never fail to inspire a greater level of enthusiasm for the medium. It’s about opening their eyes (and ears) to the potential of radio, and challenging the conventional ways of writing, casting and directing a radio ad,” said Mr van Dijk.

The workshops combine a combination of theory and hands-on studio work and seek to inspire and challenge the traditional way of approaching a radio brief.

The latest full-year figures compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the five major capital city markets show Australia’s metropolitan commercial radio stations attracted advertising revenue of $591 million in calendar year 2005 - a 6.2 per cent increase over 2004.

Ms Warner said the radio industry must continue to work on growing its share of the advertising pie and making better ads was an important part of this process.