Saga runs radio commercials for weekly Sunday brunch
Ads aired around lunchtime to whet appetities; station allowed to use 'artistic freedom' in ads
Betsy Woodruff
Issue date: 4/16/09 Section: News
For the last four years, Saga, Inc. has advertised its Sunday Brunch on WCSR, Hillsdale's local radio station. The advertisements boast of a performance by the "college pianist" and highlight Saga's Belgian waffles and omelet bars.
Saga General Manager Kevin Kirwan said the commercials usually run twice a day on Friday and Saturday. Saga usually purchases more commercial slots to advertise for the first Sunday after Christmas Break and the first Sunday in the fall after school starts.
"We feel that it's the best venue for us to advertise to the public," Kirwan said. "More people listen to the radio than read the paper."
Though neither Kirwan nor Cindy Young, WCSR's local sales manager, would say how much money Saga spends on the commercials, Young told the Collegian that 60-second slots, like the ones Saga purchases, usually cost from $13.75 to $21, depending on how many slots advertisers purchase and for what time of day they buy them.
That means that if Saga purchases four slots per week for 32 weeks, it will spend between $440 and $672 on radio advertising each year.
The ads say what time Saga serves brunch and describe the food available. Kirwan says they try to air the ads around lunchtime, when radio listeners are already thinking about food.
Kirwan gives the radio station artistic freedom when describing the food.
"We serve waffles," he said. "They might say 'mouthwatering waffles.' We say 'carved roast beef.' They might say, 'juicy carved roast beef.' They add some adjectives to it. As long as they're getting across the facts I want to our customers and with good taste, I have no problem with giving them some artistic liberty."
Though Kirwan could not quantify how much difference the ads make on Saga's revenue, he pointed out that having more customers from the community eat at Saga benefits students.
"Having that added revenue enables us to add more items," he said. "You see the carved meats on Sunday; do you see those on Saturday? So the students actually benefit."
The number of community members who eat in Saga on Sundays varies from as few as 35 people to as many as 80, Kirwan said.
Saga General Manager Kevin Kirwan said the commercials usually run twice a day on Friday and Saturday. Saga usually purchases more commercial slots to advertise for the first Sunday after Christmas Break and the first Sunday in the fall after school starts.
"We feel that it's the best venue for us to advertise to the public," Kirwan said. "More people listen to the radio than read the paper."
Though neither Kirwan nor Cindy Young, WCSR's local sales manager, would say how much money Saga spends on the commercials, Young told the Collegian that 60-second slots, like the ones Saga purchases, usually cost from $13.75 to $21, depending on how many slots advertisers purchase and for what time of day they buy them.
That means that if Saga purchases four slots per week for 32 weeks, it will spend between $440 and $672 on radio advertising each year.
The ads say what time Saga serves brunch and describe the food available. Kirwan says they try to air the ads around lunchtime, when radio listeners are already thinking about food.
Kirwan gives the radio station artistic freedom when describing the food.
"We serve waffles," he said. "They might say 'mouthwatering waffles.' We say 'carved roast beef.' They might say, 'juicy carved roast beef.' They add some adjectives to it. As long as they're getting across the facts I want to our customers and with good taste, I have no problem with giving them some artistic liberty."
Though Kirwan could not quantify how much difference the ads make on Saga's revenue, he pointed out that having more customers from the community eat at Saga benefits students.
"Having that added revenue enables us to add more items," he said. "You see the carved meats on Sunday; do you see those on Saturday? So the students actually benefit."
The number of community members who eat in Saga on Sundays varies from as few as 35 people to as many as 80, Kirwan said.
Be the first to comment on this story