Shortly after Headhunter.net went public ithe online job site tested radio advertising, and job searches increased by 19%. Then billboards were layered into the media mix, and searches went up 26%. Says Judy Hackett, senior vice president, marketing: "This seemed to be a good model."

In the first quarter of the year, Headhunter used a combination of radio and outdoor in its 14 original markets, which included New York, and job searches doubled -- from an average of 650,000 a week to 1.2 million. And, adds Hackett, "After the first three-week flight ended, we were still able to maintain a weekly average of 900,000."

Hackett says radio, "is absolutely perfect for attracting job seekers on the way to and from work. We capture them in their cars when they're thinking about their jobs." The radio creative, Hackett explains, attempts to key in on certain issues such as more quality family time or an escape from a terrible commute.

"Radio," she points out, "is a wonderful way to draw emotion. We've chosen radio over TV because of its ability to target the times we want and its ability to generate emotion. We hit people in a trapped environment when it counts, and we say, 'Everyone's got a reason to look for a better job. What's yours?'"

"Radio is a wonderful way  to draw emotion."

Most job searching, Hackett says, is done on Monday and Tuesday and then drops off as the week gets closer to the weekend. And a lot of searching, she adds, is done between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Because of this, Headhunter supplements its drivetime radio with midday. "We're about 70-30 drivetime-midday," she says, "and we advertise mainly on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays." The Headhunter target audience is adults, 25-54, who are already working, described as "passive job seekers."

According to the New York Radio Market X-Ray, Headhunter.net was the llth largest Internet/E-Commerce radio advertiser in the market for the first six months of the year. Hackett estimates the Norcross, Ga.-based company airs on at least 15 New York area radio stations.