THINKING OUT LOUD

The Twitter/Facebook Effect on Radio

2010-05-19T18:02:00.002-04:00

For the first time in my life, I do not have a "newspaper" delivered to my home. In the past, I always had at least ONE subscription, sometimes TWO, one time--THREE different daily publications. I love to sponge up and soak in the data and content...even if I just surfed the paper for full stories, pertinent ads, informative headlines, etc. I guess I've joined the folks who have already bailed on it. I just don't need it any longer.

Facebook and Twitter break the headlines to me by the minute. If you "friend" the right "friends", and include news/sports/weather/business/industry/entertainment sources that you find credible...add in a few well-informed, plugged in buddies, mix in some TV and Newspaper sources you trust---and all of a sudden the news comes to you second by second---not day-to-day. If I need deeper detail of a particular story, I'll check the local newspaper websites or even the Television websites for further depth or insight.

Funny thing is...(and it hit me the other day) I don't have but one or two RADIO stations on my list. I "friended" a few---but quickly de-friended them when I realized that RADIO (generally) still doesn't quite grasp how to use social networking to its benefit. After watching plugs and promos rolling past my eyes, I realized that this wasn't the "relationship" I was searching for. All radio did was take the promos off air--and jam 'em onto their web-based resources. (I'm sure that this had something to do with what was being promised to advertisers in exchange for getting on the buy....)

I guess I just wasn't all that interested (personally) about the things I care about professionally. It doesn't matter to me that Jimmy Jock is going to be at the Big Saloon/Dance Club tonight for Cowgirl Night...and half-price brewskis. I wasn't all that interested that I can stop by and test drive the 2010 Gas Saver Green Car from 11-2 at the station live remote/appearance on Saturday, etc. Seems like radio has nothing to say. You're telling me that there isn't ONE thing you can post on Facebook or Twitter that has real "benefit" to me as your "friend" and customer/listener?

What can you post that creates benefit? What can you say that creates interest? What can you share that's informative? What can you do that creates TUNE-IN?

Brand Building vs. Branding

2010-05-18T15:41:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted a public BLOG entry. (I've limited my content to clients for the past couple of years, but I just had to share some thoughts...)

I had to laugh. When I saw the news about McDonalds adding Oatmeal to the menu...I thought: Either they're brilliant or morons when it comes to enhancing their brand. I'm just not sure if oatmeal builds my McDonalds experience.

See full article from WalletPop: http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/05/13/mcdonalds-adds-oatmeal-to-the-menu-as-breakfast-wars-heat-up/?icid=sphere_copyright

I don't know about you, but when I think of McDonalds, I think hamburgers--not chicken, not burritos, not even breakfast--let alone Oatmeal. (Though I DO love an occasional Egg McMuffin every now and then) When I think Pizza Hut, I don't think "Pasta". When I think M&Ms, I don't think "coconut". It seems as if everyone is trying to extend their brand to be and represent more than it already stands for. Problem is--brand extension rarely works as it was intended.

Sure, most music stations are playing more music in 2010 than they were in say--2005. The introduction of PPM has dramatically impacted broadcast brands all over the country in the scramble to create PPM-friendly on-air products. There are many questions regarding the long-term impact of programming changes implemented over the past couple of years (PPM influenced) and these existing station brands. Have they been enhanced or diminished? Only time will tell.

Remember, the "brand" is not just all the elements that make up the product or service, it's how it makes you feel. It's a subconscious response to the brand. Trying to explain the essentials of "branding" to someone is like trying to explain the concept of "love".

It's hard to capture its true essence in one simple statement. If you were to try, you might say that your brand is the sum of all details related to your product...it's everything. It's that complete collection of all impressions that creates an overall vibe, perception, or feeling. It's the overall experience and how you feel about it---that categorizes it and tags it as something unique and valuable to you somewhere deep in your mind.

Branding is sort of like your own internal personal reminder service. You've dog-eared the page, you've left a sticky note on your psyche, and you attach a subliminal marking on that product (or service) because you consider it important enough to remember. Mentally imprinting that information and categorizing that product will make it easier for you to remember it later.

It's a tough concept to grasp. People are still confusing your product "name", "slogan", or "location" as THE BRAND. That's not your brand. It's just your name, slogan, and location. (Dial position) It's a small part of the brand...but then again EVERYTHING you do is part of the brand. (Right or wrong)

Brand development has been critical all along. It doesn't matter if you're Campbell’s Soup, Google, Apple, BMW, Starbucks, or Wxxx/Kxxx/Cxxx. The goal has been to grow your product into a respected, ubiquitous, highly successful brand. Now, thanks to the introduction of Arbitron's PPM, many believe that we have somewhat "better" and more "accurate", actionable real-time listening measurement---and the ability to witness moment to moment radio consumer behavior. The introduction of granular data is distracting many smart broadcasters from concentrating on "big picture" brand development and focusing in on moment-by-moment minutia that has minimal impact on their overall listener perception and brand definition.

In a recent exchange with researcher-strategist Jon Coleman of ColemanInsights.com, he described the challenge of broadcasters fully grasping the concept of brand-building in a PPM world---even further:

"Unfortunately, radio is often run by people who can only think in black and white. That means song scores high = good. Low=bad. (Usually true). DJ talk drives away a few listeners = bad. No DJ’s = good. They miss that all the stuff builds an affiliation.

After looking at PPM what I have noticed is that regardless of the station, about 10% are 'music-only' listeners. They will hit the button at the first chance every time. They are the ones who make any content look bad. These listeners can't discriminate between good and bad. And, since in any minute only a small percentage of a station’s “minute audience” can possibly tune in, you cannot make up for the 10% loss in next two minutes. So, PPM deceives us unless we understand this brand concept."

Branding is the ENTIRE experience. It's not the moment. So, if you're programming simply for the moment, you may find yourself reacting (or over-reacting) to the granular minute-to-minute data. If you're looking to build a powerful brand with legs, you may choose to take a step back and attempt to create a listening experience that plays into your overall brand concept.

Remember, it's not just what you DO, it's how the person on the receiving end FEELS ABOUT WHAT YOU DO. That's what creates branding. It's like applying a cattle-brand on your brain. It leaves a near permanent mark. A bonafide "brand" is a collection of perceptions in the mind of the consumer. The "brand" is what you tell your friends about afterwards.

Think about it. When you have a great (or bad) experience with a product (your station, your website, an interaction with someone from your station, etc.), What do you tell your friends about? Do you echo the messaging from their advertising? Do you say, "You should listen to them-they're the place for today's country and your all-time favorites"?..."Hey, try them, because they had the coolest graphics on their website"?..."Check them out-they're the home of Johnson & Johnson in the morning and 10 in a row every hour all day"?

Of course not: you tell your friends what was important to you - the details about your particular experience. THAT'S the brand. Nothing more, and nothing less---than the sum total of all the customer experiences served up by the station.

Unfortunately, country radio has an innate, built-in challenge. There are many people who are just plain anti-country...with no legitimate reason behind it--other than its historical backwoods, backwards, redneck image parodied in the contemporary, too-cool-for-the-room, hip media. Country will never truly be cool-because it’s an adult-targeted format. Some people just don't want to be associated with such an un-cool musical choice-regardless of the quality and lyrical depth of music and entertainment.

While the customer experience is central to the brand, you should always look at the "prospect experience" too; which is what the person who might never use the product or service for any number of reasons--experiences. Some examples: Pampers TV ads seen by nursing home residents or college students, someone using an IPOD witnessed by an 8-year old, the same kid seeing a Jet Blue airplane on a runway, etc. These prospects, distant influencers, or whatever you call them---help build your trial rate, and even build the category, both of which are critical to your brand's success.

If your country station looks, sounds, and feels like that backwoods, backwards, redneck stereotype in the prospect's mind---that's what you are--that's the brand...that's the experience they take away...that's how you're classified in their mind. What do you think your chances of additional trial will be if that's their actual impression after initial exposure?

A radio brand is not your name, slogan, location –or- just a mix of music interspersed with voices, taglines, and commercials. It’s how your station sounds. It’s how your station looks when a listener or advertiser stops by. It’s how a listener is treated when they call the studio. It’s the experience with the receptionist. It’s your website. It’s your station vehicles. It’s your letterhead. It’s your streaming experience. It’s your station’s overall attitude. It’s your perceived role in the community. It’s your unwavering commitment to family-values. It’s your perceived relationship with the country artists. It’s your imaging, jingles, music beds. It’s the way your talent sounds, looks, acts, what he or she represents, how they make you feel. It’s your outside marketing. It’s your inside the station vibe. It’s your message, what it says, how it’s delivered AND how it’s received. It’s the person that arrives early to set up the remote equipment and hang the banners. It’s the way you do business with your vendors, partners, and advertisers. It's the quality of your signal, the processing, the way it sounds coming out of the speakers. It’s the chotchkees. It’s the promotions and giveaways. It’s the promos. It’s the live spot endorsements. It’s the targeting of commercial content and presentation. It’s your morning show, midday show, afternoon drive, nights, overnights, and weekends. It’s your information elements. It’s the entertainment elements. It’s the music. It’s everything that’s non-music. It’s what the talent says, how they say it, when they say it, where they say it, and the relevance of what they say. It's everything.

It's everything associated with your station that creates what I like to call: "The Take-away"...the WHOLE experience.

THAT’S branding. That's where you begin...

Have you added oatmeal to your station's menu?

RADIO! Recession Producing Permanent “Game Changing” Behavior

2009-07-03T10:36:00.002-04:00

It's Independence Day weekend. The sounds of "Yabba Dabba Dooo" can be heard across the country as over-worked, over-stressed employees rush to get a day off. That means a lot of folks will skip checking their e-mails and ignore some of the trades as they try and sneak in a little "family time" or grab an extra bit of relax or re-charge time. In case you missed this piece from Jim Carnegie at RBR.com on Friday, I'm re-posting because I believe it's worth the read as you continue your planning for the remainder of 2009 and early 2010:

Mediabrands, the media management unit of Interpublic Group, unveiled global research that gives depth to worldwide consumer sentiment and behavior during the current economic situation. Through Mediabrands’ consumer online panels across the world, comprising of 75,000 individuals, the research and analytics teams taps into data including media usage and attitudes across all consumer touch points, demographics, motivations and category purchasing at the individual level. Mediabrands utilized their panels to identify and engage 100 consumers who are at the sharp end of the current economic situation across three countries: US, China and Australia.

Mediabrands research teams across the globe conducted in-depth, detailed, open and frank discussion forums of 90 minutes with each individual group giving every respondent the opportunity to state how the current economic crisis has impacted them and their families and what the consequences will be going forward. In each country Mediabrands teams spoke to two distinct groups of consumers: mid market family and mid market pre-family. Both consumer groups live within the major cities of their respective country.

• The mid-market 'Family': Men/Women with kids in the home (at least one child aged 5+)
• The mid-market 'Pre-family': Single and Couples no kids (up to 45 years old).

Key Themes: The research delivered insights across five key areas as follows:
1. The recession is driving significant anxiety amongst consumers
2. Consumers have moved from a ‘want based’ society to a ‘needs based’ society
3. Internet and mobile have become as essential to life as food and water
4. Word of mouth (both online and offline) are now the key sources of information for consumers
5. The impacts of this recession will be seen even once the economy improves –the recession is a permanent “Game Changer”

1. Anxiety is rife amongst consumers• Despite large differences in the economic climate a ‘fear factor’ is present in all 3 countries
• This is true for everyone regardless of whether they have suffered directly or note.
• The prevailing feeling is a lack of confidence in spending money.

2. We are now in a ‘needs based’ society.• A complete re-appraisal of spending is taking place with a focus on ‘needs’ and not ‘wants’.
• Brand loyalists are trading down buying own brand or only on promotion
• Holidays and luxury items are on hold
• New behaviors are arising such as eating more elaborate meals at home rather than eating out.
• Consumers are also taking evasive action to avoid temptation such as leaving the kids at home to reduce pester power, shopping online to find the best prices, and actively avoiding advertising messages.

3. Food, water, internet and mobile are the bare essentials• Internet and mobile now seen as a critical part of everyday life, as critical as oxygen.
• They are described as essential ‘communication technologies’
• Whereas Pay TV and landlines are expendable. Consumers see Pay TV as a non-essential which can be replaced by either online TV or simply reverting back to terrestrial channels only.
• Landlines have become further obsolete because consumers view mobile phones as a more popular and cost effective way to communicate
• Other new or cool technology, or upgrades on existing technology, is put ‘on hold’ for the moment, unless it is absolutely essential.

4. Internet and WOM are the main information sources• This is the first recession where the internet has been readily accessible
• It has become THE source of information on the recession combined with on and offline conversations with friends, family and colleagues.
• There is a shift away from the traditional information channels of television and print.
• TV being seen as delivering ‘media hype’ and online as balanced
• This is resulting in people looking at the recession from every angle in order to create a full and unbiased picture and ultimately making up their own minds rather than simply taking the views of a particular TV channel or newspaper.

5. This recession is not just “life on hold,” but a permanent game changer.
• The recession is a game changer as consumers are clearly recognizing that their previous levels of spending are not sustainable going forward.
• There is a definite shift back to a world where money demands respect.
• The general consensus is that the reduction in spend on unnecessary items will remain permanent, and while other higher tickets items will eventually return, they will be saved up for rather than simply put on the plastic.
• The mentality is now very much about saving for the future, paying off debts and establishing financial security as quickly as possible.
• Consumers also speak about the positive impact of this recession in making them realize their wasteful ways, and the key lessons they have learnt about the importance of saving for the future and living a more healthy and sustainable existence.

RADIO! What if it had been Garth?

2009-06-30T15:00:00.003-04:00

It's a terrible, morbid thought...but what if it had been Garth Brooks that died? (Or Reba, or pick a relevant "country" artist) Country radio was given a pass in the latest "How did radio respond in the wake of Michael Jackson's death" post-mortem. Obviously, outside of passing on the shocking news, it wasn't like country programmed stations were going to jump and do musical tributes or keep the mourning period alive very long. Some aired calls from listeners, others simply acknowledged Jacko's contribution to pop culture--but for the most part, Michael Jackson, his music, his legacy are outside of the box for the typical country station. It was a virtual non-event. A news story...maybe. Event, not really.

It will be interesting to see the PPM "real time" reality check listening analysis for the CHR, Urban, A/C stations that were plugged into the post Jackson mourning window. Was it smart programming? An even better question; was it smart PPM ratings programming? We'll see...

BUT...what if it had been Garth Brooks? Garth is arguably one of the most influential, popular, successful artists the country format has ever witnessed. If news came down today that Garth suddenly died, would your station be prepared to get the word out or even respond in a reasonable time frame?

How bad would it be if your loyal listeners heard about "Garth's" death from television, Facebook, Twitter, friends, another radio outlet, etc; BEFORE their favorite country station KNEW about it? Do you have systems in place to overcome the voice-tracking/syndication black hole? How would you handle it on the air? What's the plan?

Radio's information credibility seems to slip a little more each day it remains out-of-touch in the listener's world. Most country stations still try to provide some news in the morning show...and maybe some "entertainment" news as part of the generic content during other parts of the day-but whether we're talking about the "Garth" example or a local emergency in your town, you have to ask yourself: Are we prepared? What will we do? Does it make a difference if it happened on a weekday or a weekend? Is it the same plan--or a "Plan B"?

Country radio got a "free pass" on the Michael Jackson drama. I'm not convinced that your listeners would overlook your absence if it was a format-specific equal.

RADIO! I (Still) Love Radio...

2009-03-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

Every day, you check the trades...you read the BLOGS... you talk to friends...and you hear the negativity about radio. I may be crazy but I (still) love radio!

I love radio for what it's meant to me from the time I was young and first discovered the power of the music...the DJs...the commercials...the games and contests...the whole package. At its best, it was the original social networking site. I was turned on to new music. I heard about all of the cool things that were coming to town. I felt connected to the jocks on the air. It was just the beginning of a life long love affair.

I love radio for what it became: my livelihood...my passion...my mistress...my creative outlet...my business. You oftentimes hear about people that destroy their passion by making it their daily job. For me, it fuels the fire.

I (still) love radio for its future...the unrealized potential...the opportunities...the next generation of ideas--the innovation. Will it be different? Of course it will be. Change is constant--whether we choose to see it or not. It's been changing all along and many folks have gone kickin' and screamin' fighting the evolution.

We're so focused on technology and the rapid changes in the potential delivery systems, measurement systems, and of course a terrible economy...that many of us are failing to see the opportunities for programming innovation. All of the changes taking place right now are presenting an interesting challenge--but a chance to develop deeper, personal relationships with our listeners/users/viewers/consumers.

I (still) love radio because it can be as powerful and meaningful as we want it to be...as we dream it to be...the centerpiece for digital content distribution.

I (still) love radio and the other passionate, talented individuals--that can take all the pieces, mix them up, shuffle them, edit them, combine them, divide them, re-organize them, and turn these pieces into audio/video magic that other people actually care about, seek out, share, and save. I've met and worked with some of the most brilliant, creative, innovative, passionate, driven pros in programming, sales, promotions & marketing, management, and ownership. When I compare them to the people I've worked with in television, cable, print, and others...radio people usually outshine them---but rarely get their deserved credit.

I (still) love radio for its business potential. The business may be off track due to the economy, but do you doubt the money-making opportunities that exist? Companies with dwindling Wall Street values are still billing millions upon millions of dollars in advertising revenues. Once the expectations become more realistic, smart business people will realize that radio is a GREAT advertising medium for businesses large and small.

I (still) love radio for its ability to change and adapt. The change may be slow at times. The change may be forced on the industry...but radio just keeps on adjusting and morphing to fit the needs of its listeners and advertisers. Radio will figure out a way to stay relevant and profitable.

I (still) love radio in all of its shapes and sizes: from small markets to major markets...from big groups to mom & pop ownership. Big town-small town, major corporation or not, each presents its unique opportunity to succeed and grow. A tough economy is the great equalizer. When advertising and promotional dollars are virtually non-existent, it comes down to who has the better ideas...and who has the passion and drive to implement and execute better...programming, promotions, and sales!

I (still) love radio for all that it has been...and all that it will be. Radios are everywhere...we just need to give listeners enough incentive to turn them on and use them. We need to develop programs that help advertisers get results. We need to harness the power of veteran leadership vision and combine it with the innovation and youthful multi-media awareness to develop our new arsenal of products and services.

I (still) love radio...I have a fiery passion...a keen, pragmatic business savvy...an innate ability to see the bigger picture while never losing sight of the day to day ratings and revenue goals...a finger on the pulse of pop culture, technological innovation, and talent development. Protect the license...build the brand...manage the systems...lead the people...improve ratings...make budget. We now live in a multi-station, multi-format, multi-media, multi-tasking environment. Everything I dreamed of when I first got into the business...how exciting!

I (still) love radio...Do you?

RADIO! The Stream Stops Here

2009-03-16T08:01:00.003-04:00

The big news reverberating around the radio world this morning is Jerry Lee (The owner of the market leading AC station "B-101" (WBEB) in Philadelphia pulling his webcast in protest of the excessive new streaming rates. Blame the new agreement between SoundExchange---the record labels’ collection agency, and the NAB. (A seven year deal back-loaded with escalating royalty rates)

What makes this move so attention-getting is that Jerry Lee has built a reputation for making shrewd strategic moves, building the highly successful "Bee" brand and keeping the station ahead of the curve all these years. This is a guy that "gets it"...

Lee didn't pull the stream because of money...he did it to make a stand. But...increasing costs are making streaming cost-prohibitive. What's the return on the investment? Even though WBEB’s stream has some of the highest ratings among PPM measured webcasts, it was still losing money. To make the situation worse, WBEB’s rates have almost doubled in the past three years and they project that they would have paid $200,000 in royalties this year alone. WBEB estimates that nearly half of their webcast revenues would go to SoundExchange to pay for royalties by the year 2015.

No word on what others are planning to do. With extreme cost-cutting going on in many broadcast groups, it wouldn't surprise me if you see other operators join the protest--either permanently or even just short-term to save some budget bucks until this is resolved.

As much as we all see the potential long-term value in web-based simulcasting in building our overall brands, the cost challenges, Arbitron's 100% simulcast rule, the AFTRA rules that force stations to "cover" spot-breaks, etc. are working in concert to thwart any realistic revenue growth opportunities of streaming your broadcast audio. (In addition to potentially damaging the product perception with all of the "fill" gyrations that programmers have to do in those stopset holes)

This doesn't mean you can't make money or build listener affinity via your station website, but it DOES mean that there's a chance your station audio may not be part of your web presence without becoming a loss-leader.

Hard to picture a future broadcast model that doesn't include web-based station audio as part of the product distribution formula--but it could happen. We're one step closer...

RADIO! PPM School-Change Happens

2009-03-12T13:10:00.005-04:00

Change happens. A wise man (or woman) once said: "The only thing constant in life--is change." Whenever "change" happens, there are always those that OVER-react, OVER-compensate, and OVER-think.

Then, there are others that observe, research, analyze, tinker, and join the party later...with a different version of the new approach.

"First in"...used to win. That hasn't necessarily been the case over the past decade of innovation. In reality, first-in to best match the consumer's needs seems to have greater success. First-in (the hare) usually makes mistakes...the slower to react, (the turtles) have a unique opportunity to quickly seize the moment, make the improvement or adjustment if necessary, and re-position the first-in as missing the mark with the consumer. (Granted, there are still plenty of cases where "first-in" defines the product/service and wins---but, that's because they got it absolutely RIGHT in the first place.)

We've had enough time to observe the lessons being learned in the early-launch PPM markets. There's plenty of analyzing-strategizing-re-organizing already taking place in the programming model of music stations. The primary take-away for music-driven stations from PPM is that the new methodology "loves music". Any interruption to the music causes not just tune-out, but turn-away to another station.

Intuitively, we already knew that unnecessary talk, verbal repetition, and long-winded, lengthy chatter was bad for ratings. We didn't need People Meter to tell us that...but, I guess that we needed PPM to "validate" it. Well...PPM confirmed our suspicions.

So, as predicted a few years ago---long before the first meters were activated---there would be broadcasters that strip away virtually ALL non-musical content and there would be others that would modify their approach. (The OVER-reaction...and the REACTION. The jury is still out on which will be more effective in the long-run)

So, why do we still hear stations that have failed to implement any level of word-economy strategy? Hard to figure. Whether you're in a PPM or diary measurement situation, it would make sense to take what we've learned through actual listener behavior and apply it to your product programming strategy. Heck, even if you were in a non-rated marketplace, you now have a critical piece of information that helps you focus your on-air product to better satisfy listener wants and needs.

Does that mean to strip away all talk? That might not be the correct strategy for your situation. What I'm suggesting to you (as a programming manager or air talent) is that taking the first exit off the talent-speak highway is not just desirable...it's imperative! When working with talent, whether they're in-market or out, whether they're live or voice-tracked, whether they're rookies or broadcast veterans, you must teach, re-teach, guide, and direct them to hit the bulls-eye. The further you get from the center of the target--the more layers of unnecessary talk, redundant un-edited content, and un-filtered filler you hear, the less effective you become in retaining your audience.

For the record, let me repeat what I said: I'm not necessarily advocating a completely stripped down approach. I'm saying that real-time, measured, listener-behavior confirms that even in personality-driven situations, your best approach really is "less is more" when it comes to any kind of talk content. Note: I didn't say "none is more"...

If the air talent doesn't "get it"---doesn't believe that it's beneficial to their long-term future success...if the PD does not see the wisdom in these new PPM strategic discoveries and doesn't insist on enforcement of a more word-economy approach, you've simply witnessed "change" happening all around you--but you've chosen to ostrich the situation by sticking your head in the ground and continuing to do it the OLD way.

As you get ready for the Spring 2009 survey window, it's the ONE thing you can do---that will likely make the greatest difference in your ratings. Change happens...

RADIO! If It Ain't Broke...Break it!

2009-03-11T00:01:00.001-04:00

The Spring ratings survey begins on April 2nd. This is the time of year of a little "Spring cleaning" around your radio station. I know that you're busy and have more than enough on your plate right now, but doing a complete station programming audit is just plain smart business going into such an important ratings period.

1.) Review your music scheduler. Is it actually accomplishing what you want it to do? Does the rotation math work? Do you have the correct number of songs in each category? Review your clocks. Double-check the field data on each individual song for correct sound coding and fix all errors.

2.) Re-focus the talent. Do they know what the game-plan is? Don't make 'em guess--clearly define your targets, performance expectations, their role and responsibility in achieving both individual and station objectives. Remember, they don't necessarily have to agree with your programming strategy, but they DO need to agree to carry it out as planned.

3.) Re-evaluate all programming services and features on the station. Everything from syndicated programming elements to public service content needs to be checked and tweaked to fit your target. For example, if your station's primary ratings goal is #1 25-54 women, you're probably correct in questioning the strategic value of the "Classic Country" show you air on the weekend. Look at bulls-eye of your ratings target...the one that helps your sales department achieve the revenue goals. Run everything you do through THAT filter with as little emotional connection to the elements as you can muster. Super target ALL of your content.

4.) Re-establish team spirit and re-ignite pride in the product. Morale may be down. These are tough times and your team members may be more concerned about looking over their shoulders than they are in executing the station game plan. Now is the time to let your leadership and motivation skills shine. The threat of losing your job is not inspirational. The possibility of success, achievement, and fulfillment IS.

5.) Remember, it's all about the listener experience. Everything should be LISTENER-benefit focused. Develop a collective mindset within the walls of your station that enhances the listening experience, the web-viewing experience, the street event experience, etc; OF THE LISTENER. Don't put the station up on the pedestal, put the listener up on the top as the biggest priority. Stop beating your chest and trumpeting YOUR successes, promote THE LISTENER benefits and opportunities.

As you prepare for the start of the Spring survey window, don't forget--if you're in a diary-measured market...it's not ONE Twelve week survey---it's TWELVE one-week surveys. Each week has a completely different panel of fans/critics. Develop your Spring on-air, online, and on the street "plan" accordingly.

The first step...is to take a step backwards and view your entire operation from a more global perspective. If ain't broke...break it! Update it and make it better and more relevant to your target listener under today's economic circumstances, competitive media environment, and changing lifestyle behavior patterns.

RADIO! Is Your Station Afraid of "Christmas?"

2008-12-20T00:00:00.002-05:00

Meeting or exceeding listener expectations is the goal. If you're programming a mainstream country station, this week will either be a home run for the station -or- a strike out with your P-1s.

Unless you program in a highly non-Christian market, you're likely missing a huge opportunity to connect with your best customers. Even in a strong economy, Christmas week is an off-week for people psychologically. Normal routines are thrown out the window--even if you're working the whole week. The last minute prep, the shopping, the decorating, travel, kids getting out of school, etc. It all adds up to major distractions and grand opportunity.

Toss the economic "wild-card" into the mix and the Christmas halo is intensified. In this politically correct world, it's easy to just give in and go the "Happy Holidays" route. It has always baffled me that even on country stations that were in the middle of either wall-to-wall Christmas music, I've heard Program Directors running generic, PC, "Holiday" greetings with few references to "Christmas" or the religious aspects of Christmas Day.

The fear or offending someone by saying "Merry Christmas!" or "Happy Birthday Jesus!" or some other non PC reference--can cause even the sharpest Programmer to get generic...but it makes little sense. The reasoning is simple: If you're listening to wall-to-wall (or a heavy dose of) Christmas music, there's a pretty good chance you're actually celebrating Christmas. You like it. You're emotionally connecting to it. If you're not---you're not listening--you've already hit the button or popped the IPOD on. It's all about "preaching to the choir".

If you're going to be "Christmas"...BE CHRISTMAS. What makes it feel even MORE out of sync is that the majority of country stations---in an attempt to be "sensitive", don't mix in the spiritual titles until Christmas week or even the last couple of days. You go from "Away in the Manger" or "Silent Night" right into a generic, PC "(station name here) wishes you a Happy Holiday!" It's such a great opportunity to emotionally sync up with the listener mind-set.

Be conscious of the music you schedule. After 9pm on Christmas eve, consider "mellowing" out the music mix to match the listener activities. At a point when families may be heading to midnight mass, the last thing you want coming up is "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" or some other harsh novelty song. Likewise, on Christmas morning--if you expect listeners to use your station to provide the soundtrack to Christmas 2008, combine a mix of light novelty songs with the "Joy to the World" or "Hallelujah" titles.

I've even gone as far as to remove titles like "Christmas time's A Comin'" or "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"...since my detail-oriented, nit-picking mind tells me they're "dated" on Christmas morning. (Christmas is HERE...Santa already came and went!) While that may be taking it a bit too far, it's the so-called "art" of your role---and it plays into the idea that you're "programming" a specific emotional music mix---not just hitting the "schedule music" button on your scheduling software.

The combination of correct music, specific imaging, talent/voice-tracking focus, etc; can go a long way to making your Christmas music presentation magical or disposable. Anyone can play Christmas music, but a real pro with vision can make it all come alive.

You know your market better than anyone. You still have time to re-evaluate your game plan for the rest of the week.

RADIO! Is Your Website Matching Lifestyle This Week?

2008-11-24T00:01:00.002-05:00

I've asked this question many times...and here's another opportunity to re-evaluate your station's commitment to making your website "listener-friendly", interactive, and plugged in.

It's Thanksgiving week. Does your website reflect it? Visual imagery and appropriate content is the first step. How about some secret video tips on how to cook a turkey? This could be sponsored---or even created in cooperation with your local grocery store or a restaurant. It's content that can easily be plugged on the air---and sound completely in sync with the listeners. Who wouldn't want some secret tips, new recipes, etc.?

Create an opportunity for listeners can share their own secret tips and recipes, screw-ups...or take it in dozens of different directions.

The goal is to create (or borrow) content they actually care about. If you truly want to speak to your 35+ female country listeners...talk THEIR talk. If you want to talk to the teens, be sure to jam all the Hannah Montana, Taylor Swift gossip and videos that you can on the site.

RADIO! Spreading the Revolution

2008-11-23T12:01:00.001-05:00

It's not a new concept...but it's the ultimate Christmas season promotion for your radio station. Don't have the personnel or the promotional budget to pull off something truly special? No problem! Join the revolution! Go to TheGiftRevolution.com for more details on this bold and universal concept.

Remember the song "The Chain of Love" by Clay Walker that was out a few years ago? It's "The Chain of Love" put into motion for EVERYONE to participate in.

As discussed in an earlier post, in a tough economy--return to traditional values. This is a concept that is ALL-INCLUSIVE, revolutionary even in it's simplicity, and in alignment with the values of the season AND the lifestyle of country listeners all over the world. Even if you don't have money to spend, listeners can participate through random acts of kindness and generosity. (Talk about harnessing the power of your social network) It's not the size of the gift or the number of gifts you give. It's the power of giving put to the ultimate test of appreciation. It's been underway for about one month and has already spread to 20+ countries on nearly every continent. It all starts with a single gesture on your part...on the part of each of your listeners...and spreads like wild fire.

Let the revolution begin! (TheGiftRevolution.com) Happy Holidays indeed!

RADIO! Looking, Sounding, Acting the Part

2008-11-21T00:01:00.003-05:00

I believe in "mirroring". A well programmed radio station reflects the mindset and lifestyle of its listening audience in all aspects. Your BRAND resonates with the target consumer by how it's perceived by that individual. If you're talking about what I'm talking about. If you're doing what I'm doing. If the music, content, imaging, on-site dynamics, website visuals, etc. all "fit" the moment, there's a pretty good chance you're relating to your audience. That's the reason "generic" doesn't always work.

Google doesn't "mess" with their brand, they enhance it. Every holiday, special occasion, or even in a created situation...they'll alter their logo to mirror the moment. You can bet that as we inch closer to Thanksgiving Day, they'll Turkey-fy their logo in some way.

In the "old days", programmers referred to it as "the big event" of the day. When working with air talent and teaching them how to prep for their show--you would start with the big event of the day. Every day has one...and if it doesn't, you developed or created one...and "thread" that you could weave through the content of the show.

Whether it's your on-air, on-site, or web-based elements...integrating the "big event" can help turn the generic---into the relevant.

After all, don't you want your station to be viewed as relevant? Plugged in? In-sync? User-friendly? Targeted?

On the day after Thanksgiving, shouldn't your station be plugged in to the "Black Friday" mentality...even if that's not YOUR personal mindset?

People will be out looking for bargains. BlackFriday.com has some helpful tools for your listeners. Maybe your station can create it's own sales-driven online vehicle specific to your town and your advertisers?

Don't wait for others to lead you. Take charge and set an expectation that the station will look the part, sound connected via music, imaging, on-air activity, and air talent AND act the part of a relevant-sounding product. It's easy to be generic. It takes some effort and creativity to make your content come alive with moment by moment, day to day, week to week mirroring.

RADIO! Taylor Swift going global (Good or bad?)

2008-11-20T00:01:00.002-05:00

We've seen this story before: Country star looks to expand fan base...loses touch with country core...pop stardom falls apart...works like heck to get her country career back. Does Taylor Swift have what it takes? Is this good or bad for the format? Some say it's great--it introduces country music's "stars" to the masses. Others say it's not so good---the format loses the exclusive drawing power of the "country stars".

Taylor Swift, international pop star? That's the plan, according to Universal Music Group, which has struck a deal with the teen singer's record label, Big Machine Records, to help expand Swift's fan base to other countries."

I don't really see her as a country artist," Universal's Executive Vice-President Max Hole tells Reuters. "If you listen to the records and see her play live, she has much more in common with acts like Avril Lavigne and Miley Cyrus."

Universal wants to poise Swift for international stardom, hoping music fans in other countries will catch on to what millions of American fans already love."

She is by some distance the biggest breakthrough for an American artist in America over the last year," says Hole.

The first step in the global plan is a new album in early 2009 that will include songs from Swift's self-titled debut CD and from her sophomore album, 'Fearless.' Several songs on the new project will reportedly be re-mixed to be more pop-friendly.

Swift is also planning a European trek next year, playing shows with small audiences and making the media rounds. An international tour could come in the fall.

RADIO! Generational Split?

2008-11-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

Edison Media's Sean Ross raised some interesting points in his recent BLOG article. (See yesterday's THINKING OUT LOUD posting) Is there a generational split at country? I'm sure there is---and he probably has some legitimate research to back up the argument. After all, they ARE a "research" company.

Hasn't there always been a split? With the exception of the boom period of the 90's--the so-called "Garth Brooks era", when there was agreement on what was popular between both the younger end of the format AND the older end...no matter what time frame you look at in the rear-view mirror, there appears to be a call for splitting the format every up and down cycle.

The problem it seems is that it's difficult to program a mainstream country station that serves a life group from birth to death. You just can't be every one's favorite. You can't please all the people-all of the time...so you gravitate toward the largest available audience segment that exists in the format. There are indeed different musical tastes along the various phases of one's own life cycle. If it's not an argument about Traditional vs. Contemporary, there's a discussion about sonics and styles; it's going "pop" or it's too "rock and roll". (The "that ain't country!" challenge) Mix in a bit of era definition; classic country, class of '89/Garth-era country, 2000+, etc. and you've got a pretty wide field to play.

Sean's right...the new country/young country/alternative country position is more of an attitude than it is a musical style in most market battles. Upon a competitive attack, the existing mainstream station adjust the music based on the newcomer's attack playlist and you end up with two stations playing very similar, hit-driven, contemporary music mixes.

In a general sense, there just doesn't appear to be enough cume to make a truly "new/young/alternative" music station successful. Even if you find some level of success with that position, you slowly mainstream the product to keep growing the audience.

If the question is: Is this the right time to build a young-targeted country brand? The answer is absolutely yes! If you're willing and able to be patient, you can create an entirely new country model--utilizing many of the new digital web-based tools and develop a 2009+ "next generation" country brand--unlike anything you hear on the radio (or see on the web) today. If you want immediate, short term results...you're in for more of the same ol' same old.

It's the targeted music...it's the attitude alignment...it's the word-of-mouth marketing...it's the web-based outreach that links the young consumers with your brand.

Country stations are currently dabbling with the power of the Internet because the average age of a country listener is 40+. There's no sense of urgency. A next-gen country station would have to rely on the power of the web to link listeners socially as well as musically.
It's not about throwing a bunch of content up on your website. Just because you have a bunch of videos, goofy games, entertainment news, and other "cool" elements on your site---it doesn't make it a "destination" or make it relevant. It's not fragmentation...it's optimization!

Think about how Barack Obama's recent campaign strategy harnessed the power of the people. It ushered in a new model for political campaigning. Your new generation country station (complete brand) will have to be uniquely different...conceptually a better targeted fit...and customizable on many levels.

Innovation is the act of doing...not thinking. You don't innovate in your head---you do it in your actions. Move quickly. Do something! Whatever doesn't work, abandon it---but keep moving forward toward the goal of 18-34 (or other target) brand alignment. Their tastes can change very quickly and you need to stay in step with (or ahead of) them.

Music Row is ready. They've always been ready. Even in the "bad" times, they're still producing music targeted to the young music buying consumers...or at least what's left of them. Radio picks and chooses the most mainstream of the bunch, but there's plenty to pick from.

Until a radio operator decides that there's "opportunity" in zigging while the others zag, we're unlikely to see much movement in this area. These are tough times for broadcasters and there are very few risk takers left. As Sean states in his last paragraph, the default position for the majority of operators will always be a safe, mainstream mix (the traditional country brand) because that's the one that currently works. There's too much money on the line to experiment with the cash cow.

What are your thoughts?

RADIO! Sean Ross on "A Generational Split At Country..."

2008-11-18T15:00:00.001-05:00

Sean Ross, Vice President, Music and Programming at Edison Media Research penned an interesting article challenging the Generational Split at Country Radio/Music...and What to Do about it. Here's his take. Tomorrow--MY thoughts...

"I think the CMA finally made history tonight. We as an industry should realize that the 49-54-plus audience is gone. Thank God. The music industry and the charts should stop accepting radio's excuses and out-of-date research, and [realize that] the audience that radio seems to cater to most no longer reflects the reality of the music and the artists that are making the format interesting again. Country radio now belongs to a much younger audience."

That was Tim Riley of Syndication Services, Inc., as quoted last Thursday in R&R Country Daily's wrap-up of the previous night's CMA Awards Show: the one that accommodated everybody from George Strait to Kid Rock & Lil Wayne but could certainly be viewed as a passing of the generational torch, despite Strait's two wins. And having been part of a lot of very up-to-date research on the topic recently, I'm going to surprise some people here and agree . . . up to a point.

The generational split is hard to deny. During the early '90s Country boom, there was traditional leaning but freshly-packaged music that a 44-year-old and a 27-year-old could agree on. In the late '90s doldrums, nobody cared if there was music for listeners under 35. Now, there's a lot more music for 25-to-34s, but it doesn't all work for a 45-year-old. The split is exacerbated by the greater likelihood of a 27-year-old listener to be female and the 45-year-old to male, a legacy of the very different pre-Randy Travis lean of the format. And some of the once-enduring songs a 45-year-old male likes have finally reached the point where they mean nothing to younger listeners.

So why not just write off those older listeners and move on? Because the older audience is not gone. They're less satisfied. They're willing to head off to Oldies or Classic Rock if they hear too much music they can't relate to. But the available 45-to-54 audience is still larger than the 25-to-34 audience that will consider listening to Country in most places. It would undoubtedly be fine with many on the label side if Country focused exclusively on the audience they perceive as buying music. But walking away from a third of the target - often the largest target - isn't a realistic proposition, particularly in markets where there is only one Country station.

But, perhaps, after nearly 20 years of false starts, it is time for a true, younger-skewing Country format to take shape in any market where there are two Country stations. Over the years, Country radio has been very good at coming up with Country stations that have a younger, more energetic presentation. It has been eager to embrace the "young country" or "new country" handle. (Cox is using the latter on stations in Louisville and Birmingham, Ala.) But it has been hard pressed to create anything truly different. In a format that has always seen strength in unity, Mainstream Country stations were willing to become just contemporary enough to block off any opportunity for something younger.

In the early '90s, there was no need to force the issue. If a second Country station popped up playing roughly the same music, it would still grow the existing audience for the format, rather than merely cutting it in half. That happens less often now, and if a second station is going to expand Country's listener base, it's going to have to happen by offering something truly different.

On a truly younger Country station:

* Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, and Sugarland would already be core artists (alongside Rascal Flatts), instead of the tier behind Kenny, Toby, Tim, etc.

* The core artists of the '90s would have to earn their way on with tremendous, relevant records that tested at the young-end, or maybe they just wouldn't be there at all.

* The early '90s gold that carried the format for many years when the currents weren't as good would finally be retired; so would the late '90s music that caused Country's doldrums and forced radio to burn out the early '90s in the first place.

* Songs would become hits (or not) in far less than 40 weeks.

* The format's goal would be recruiting 18-to-34-year-old Country fans on their own terms, without compromise; helping them to learn to use the format and creating excitement about the artists.

Until now, the industry has assumed that the younger leaning Country station would be edgier and more rock-leaning. Certainly, we have seen that the growing handful of Country records with Hip-Hop elements work better for younger listeners. But we are also dealing with a more female audience at the younger end. It might be the older-leaning mainstream Country format - the one where "A Country Boy Can Survive" remains valid - that takes on the more Classic Rock flavor.

Are Country PDs the hold-up here? I don't think so. This format would likely be the personal preference of many of them. They already make most veteran artists fight for every hit now. The real question is whether Music Row is ready, since so many facets of a truly young-end Country format would represent a radical change in the current way of doing business. So you have to ask:

Is Music Row ready to work more than one Country format? For 20 years, any whisper of fragmentation has been rapidly shouted down by an industry that finds nothing scarier than trying to go for No. 1 without having every Country reporter in lockstep.

Is Music Row ready to drop "one-size-fits-all" A&R and let more Taylor Swifts emerge? Some new Country acts appear on the scene with songs that could easily be sung by a 45-year-old artist. Others make their initial statement by being just edgier than the competition, and then go in search of that more adult-leaning, female-friendly "career song" that dilutes their identity. When there are two real choices, fewer hits will have to super-serve a 39-year-old woman to the point of patronization. But how long will it take for the labels to adjust their current notion of what a hit sounds like?

Is Music Row ready to let programmers pore over a new album and find their own hits again (assuming there are still stations willing to do what Houston's KKBQ did 15 years ago)? Are labels willing to let a great song that wasn't right for every station go to No. 9 at Country radio instead of No. 1? And even if labels were willing to accept a No.9 record that sells more albums than a No. 1 chart hit, are artist managers? For the younger leaning Country station to have enough music to truly differentiate itself, the industry will have to surrender some of the symmetry it has gotten used to.

There have always been a few Country broadcasters game for a new variant of the format. There have been fewer with the tenacity to perfect it; it's usually easier to default back to mainstream Country when there's not immediate traction. But if there's an opportunity to build a younger-leaning format, it's now when there are the burgeoning superstars to define it. It's the best way to recruit 18-to-34-listeners without deliberately alienating the existing audience, and the best way to ensure that when 45-to-54s age out of the format once-and-for-all, there's an equal number of listeners waiting to replace them. Forcing existing Country stations to become more current might be more satisfying for the music industry; building two strong formats would be the greater achievement.

For comments on this article and more information on Edison Media Research, click here.

RADIO! Family values? Not any more...

2008-11-17T00:01:00.001-05:00

You take your kids to a "G" rated movie...and you unknowingly expose them to "R" rated previews.

You hop in the car to drive them to school...and even on many family-valued country formatted stations, you now hear content that just a couple years ago would have been considered way out of line.

I'm not even talking about the big ones--the four letter variety. Most air talent and programmers are smart enough to stay away from them. It's the little ones: "...this sucks!", "that blows...", "what an a-hole..." and beyond, etc. Stick enough of them in your on air presentation and you'll definately make some moms and dads pretty uptight in the car with the kids.

Yeah yeah...I know the arguments. Push the limits. They use that verbiage on virtually every prime time TV show---why can't we say it on the air? My question is: Why should you?

If you want to be a "safe spot"...if that's part of the brand essence of the station---why would you want to mess with the brand? (Certainly, it's a different story if you're an 18-34 driven young country station--then, the edge is part of your competitive brand attack) For a mainstream country station, your attempt to sound cool, hip, and connected to youth---makes you sound out of sync with the middle-aged core of the format. On top of that, the format gets so many important quarter-hours from 35-54 females, why take the chance on offending them and alienating your listeners?

Maybe I'm just getting older and my perspective is changing as I mature. While I know what to expect from the Top 40 stations they want to listen to---and do my best to control that exposure to my kids in the car...I find myself confused about some of the content I'm hearing on country stations. I find myself shielding my pre-teen girls from edgy jock raps, some tasteless, sophomoric promo and commercial content (and now, even some songs) on the country stations. (Daddy-what's male enhancement?)

My kids love country music too...but some country stations (along with the writers, artists, and labels)--in another attempt to make country "cool" keep pushing the edges out further and further. A little "ass" here...a little "damn" there. After awhile, "Shut up you a-hole", "that sucks/blows" doesn't even seem out of place...except to the listener with kids in the car.

Where is the filtering? Where are the gate-keepers? Aren't Program Directors guiding the talent away from brand damaging content? Doesn't the talent know where the line is? Is anyone paying attention to the product and listener expectations?

Is this another by-product of overwhelmed multiple hat-wearing Program Directors that don't have enough time to work with the talent and help them---help themselves? Is this a result of air talent trying to be as "edgy" as the Top 40 or Rock station down the hall? Will country stations continue to push the envelope further and further away from the safe center?

I hope not--because this sucks! (and blows too!) If you get my drift.

RADIO! It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

2008-11-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

Mid-November...time for the format-flips to "All Christmas-all of the time" to commence. Up and down the radio dial from town to town, the sounds of Christmas abound. ("Holiday" music if you prefer)

It couldn't come at a better time. These are uncertain times. The economy is bad. Many are out of work or fear losing their jobs. A new President has been elected-but the old one remains in office until Mid-January. The space under many trees will be bare this year...fewer presents than usual. It's a different mindset for sure...

As a radio station, you have to take a step back and ask yourself "What are we doing to plug into the listener's mindset?"

Whether you're a fan of Christmas songs on the air or not, this will be a challenging year for most. You can bet that there will be an emotional yearning for years gone by. Churches across the country are already experiencing higher attendance figures as panicked people turn to God for some answers. That's where the music question comes in.

This feels more like an "I'll Be Home for Christmas" Christmas...than a "Frosty the Snowman" Christmas. Taking it a bit further, it even feels like more of a "Silent Night" or "Joy to The World" Christmas than a "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" Christmas. (Nothing like financial hardship and emotional insecurity to snap us back to our senses!)

In most markets where the "format-flip" takes place, it's usually an AC or Smooth Jazz station doing the flipping to All-Christmas. In some situations, a non-AC station that is about to change format after the holiday season, uses "All Christmas" to bridge that gap and allow time to prepare for the post-holiday change. Depending on your station strategy, you may need to reconsider your Christmas music "plan" this year---if you want to be in sync with your listeners.

I'm sure you have a different set of experiences, but I haven't heard one person in my circle of friends and family "complain" that Christmas has come to soon this year. Heck, some stores had Christmas items or Holiday imagery up along side their Halloween stock this year. While I've heard plenty of comments like "Geez, they have the Christmas stuff out already...", or comments that it will be a lean Christmas this year, I have not picked up on any negativity about it.

This will be a "Hard Candy Christmas" (thank you Dolly) for many. Even so, "If We Make It Through December" (thank you Merle) it will most likely be because we have returned to a simpler, less materialistic, family-driven, spiritual "Christmas" this year.

Your musical approach, the promotions you plan, the visuals on your website, the attitude of your imaging and air talent, etc; all need to take this into account. You can't Tab A into Slot B this year...it's going to require a bit more sensitivity and attention to mirror your listener mindset.

Remember the formula: In times of extreme uncertainty: Return to tradition and comfort.

RADIO! Even Higher Speed Internet Coming

2008-06-06T00:01:00.003-04:00

FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin put some new spectrum up for auction. But there’s a catch. The winner will be required to provide free wireless broadband access to 50% of America within four years and, cover 95% of the country within 10.

Shelly Palmer was one of the first to offer a tip of the cap to Commissioner Martin and the other FCC commissioners. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent United States government agency established by the Communications Act of 1934. The FCC is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. It’s nice that people who are responsible for regulating our communications have started thinking about the size and shape of the broadband cloud that will define interpersonal and business communications for the next half century.

This random act of future-mindedness has inspired a few questions:

-What kind of wireless broadband connectivity would best serve the people of the United States of America?

-Should we start with the feature set or think through the benefits and work backwards?

-Who should pay for the network?

-Is nationwide wireless broadband connectivity a privilege or a right?

-Should it be run by a private enterprise or a government agency?

-Should it be a “freeway” or a “toll road?”

-Should this really be a version of Al Gore’s “Information Super Highway,” a service to be purchased in a free market or a service protected by a government granted monopoly?

Yes, this is the tip of the iceberg and the list of questions is practically endless.

For the moment, let’s cut away the “how” and the “who” parts of the equation and focus on the “what.”

-What should be built?

-What is the job we expect it to do?

-What is the promise of ubiquitous, free, nationwide wireless broadband?

There is a school of thought that follows a mantra “deployed innovation must match consumer aspiration.” This group will advocate for an “also ran” network. Users of such a network would have an experience similar to a current low-end ASDL wired broadband connection. (1.5 Mbps down, 768Kbps up). The actual numbers and techno-speak don’t matter. This would be a slow network with very limited multi-media and file transport capability. Music piracy might still be an issue, but the casual transport of high or even medium quality movie files would be cumbersome. The devices that would take advantage of such a network would be very similar in concept and construction to those available today.

Then, there’s the “Beam me up, Scotty” group who will advocate for the fastest, highest quality network that current technology will allow. Many people believe that this would be a version of WiMax technology with speeds approaching slow cable modems. (6 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up).

This kind of network would enable all kinds of interesting stuff. At that speed, you can move big, high-quality movie files with relative ease, but – more importantly, you can access big files stored on remote servers in realtime. This last point is the most important because it would change the fundamental way we use computers.

Right now, your computer, PDA or Cell phone all use the following component parts. A central processing unit (cpu) connected to some random access memory (ram) that is in very close proximity to the cpu. There is also some storage (like your hard drive) close by. Unless your computer is on a robust local area client/server network (like many businesses are), most of the data you access is stored inside your computer.

This fundamental construct of a personal computer has not changed substantially since they were introduced in the late 1970s.

Fast forward to life in a high-speed, wireless broadband cloud. Your laptop, PDA or cell phone will not have to have enough built-in storage to store everything you want or need - you will be able to access the data over the air. Now, add an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen and a big battery and you have a class of wireless devices that will change the way we behave.

Everything would change. Every movie would be one click away. All retail products would be one click away. All downloadable products would be accessible. Every photo you ever took, every .pdf file you ever scanned would all be available in the palm or your hand or in the back-seat of your car instantly. It would truly be a life-changing network. Think about the computers in your oven, coffee maker, car, wrist watch, toys, etc. A network of this capability would give certain inanimate objects the illusion of thought. We would live in a world that could be taught to react to us and to our needs. It’s really fun to think about.

Back to reality – we’re not likely to see this kind of technological innovation inspired by the current auction. It the last auction, private enterprise steered clear of the spectrum that was going to be encumbered by requirements to share it police and fire departments. And for good reason … no one wanted to spend billions of dollars and have any restrictions placed upon how they might maximize their investment.

And as if that wasn't enough--fast is about to become lightning fast.

Now comes news from the NY Times that Comcast plans to provide Web Service at 100 Mbps within the next two years...

Comcast Corp. says that by early 2010 it plans to offer consumers in most of its markets Internet service so fast they will be able to download a high-definition movie in minutes.

The nation's second-largest Internet service provider -- and biggest cable TV operator -- will deploy a technology capable of delivering up to 100 megabits of data or more per second in 20 percent of its markets by the end of 2008, Comcast senior vice president of investor relations Marlene Dooner said at the Merrill Lynch U.S. Media Conference in London.

Dooner said the speed was ''very competitive'' with Verizon's fiber-optic Internet service, which had about 1.8 million subscribers in the first quarter.

Among cable operators, Comcast has been one of the most aggressive in deploying a wideband technology called Docsis 3.0 to fend off competitors as more users download videos over the Internet.

You can see the writing on the wall. As quickly as the technology evolves---as quickly as both the data delivery capacity and download speeds increase and become the norm, the faster manufacturers create the hardware and software to max out the product to the consumers.

It won't be long now...is your radio station ready for the revolution of change?

RADIO! I-Phone Revision: Any Radio Impact?

2008-06-04T13:19:00.002-04:00

There's been plenty of speculation about what enhancements will be included in the next version of the iPhone. Broadcasters of course--are wishing for a "radio" option to be included--but the closest thing we may see to that is better web-based audio access. If it includes a better audio "streaming" component, it may usher in a mad rush for stations to concentrate more on the quality of their web audio experience with consumers.

Forbes is reporting that you don't have to wait much longer for the answer. It's almost certain Apple CEO Steve Jobs will unveil the latest version of the iPhone Monday, when he speaks at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. The gadget will go up for sale shortly thereafter.

The company has been quietly positioning millions of units of a mysterious new product in key markets since March. The look and feel of the phone, however, remains a mystery. Security at Apple's headquarters is tight. Rank-and-file staff say sensitive projects are draped with cloth before they're even brought into work. What we know for sure though is that sales of the iPhone are fading fast and Apple will have to do something very soon to get those phones moving.

The iPhone could be just the start of what Jobs announces next week. Veteran Apple watchers are noting a redesign of Apple's hot-selling notebook computers is long overdue. Some are even wondering if Apple will introduce a touch-sensitive table tablet that riffs off the iPod Touch's touch-sensitive interface. - Read the whole story...

RADIO! What Are Your Listeners Telling You?

2008-06-04T00:01:00.003-04:00

Formal research is "research". Collecting ratings data is "research". In the quest to better understand the wants and needs of our listeners, we forget that consumer behavior is also "research". Instead of asking someone what they think, remember, or believe they want or like, you might be wise to simply take note of their real-life behavior. That's the original premise behind the Arbitron PPM. The goal is to passively "observe" and measure an individual's listening behavior.

While we all wish for fresh, new, better metrics to provide instant data on our offerings, there are some metrics already in place--that you should take full advantage of. For example, if you send out a weekly e-mail blast to your listener database, there are metrics that can tell you how many people actually OPENED the e-mail. If you're not checking those numbers, you're missing their message. A low "open" count may be telling you that they're not interested in what you're selling. Maybe your e-mail content is not relevant...maybe it's not meeting their expectations of your brand, etc. Maybe it's just SPAM.

A review of your weekly website click counts can give you an indication of whether or not your website is improving in value or declining. It can guide you to understanding which elements of the site are of greatest (and least) interest.

Volume of in-studio listener telephone calls down? Your station may not be connecting as well on the interactive front as it once was...that's a by-product of active investment in your station.

Fewer people coming to station remotes, events, etc.? Not a good sign--but it's an indicator. Either it tells you that you're not doing an effective job inviting them to join you---or there isn't a good enough reason for them to come.

Declining participation in measurable contesting or promotional events (texting, e-mailing, etc.) is telling you something.

Falling ratings in an individual daypart? It may not just be a bad Arbitron sample. Maybe the listeners haven't fully embraced the new host yet or are getting tired of the old host. Maybe they just are not connecting with the jock, or just losing interest in a show or presentation that has become background, passive, static, or boring. If you're not meeting expectations--they'll tell you. It can't get more direct than that.

When you trend stations or specific shows over time, you get a better picture of improvement or decline. Book-to-book comparisons only tell part of the story. Year-to-year samples--either calendar year or rolling 4 book averaging can be a better way to determine if your station is on the right path. (going up or going down)

There are plenty of ways to gauge listener investment and involvement in your product offerings. You have to take the time to review the data on an on-going basis and listen to what listener behavior is telling you.

Ratings are down. Now what? Do a comprehensive analysis of your station, the changes you've made, the market, changes in the market, your primary competitors, a review of the ratings sample, put some research in the field, etc. and while you're doing all of that---take a moment to listen to what your listeners are secretly telling you about your station and your individual elements.

Sometimes, listener behavior speaks louder than their words.

RADIO! All My Faves

2008-06-03T00:01:00.005-04:00

Okay, so it appears that in the future---virtually all content will be transmitted via a web-based platform on one level or another. Audio and video content, new or archived, entertainment or information, etc. will be available online and on demand at the convenience of the consumer. If that premise is true, organizing the content is the real prize. Google is making a pretty good living at organizing and giving consumers easy access to everything on the web.

Let's assume for the moment that you're a broadcaster and you want to give potential consumers of your products organized access and the variety of choices they seek. One such "channel" might look something like AllMyFaves.com ---a site that streamlines the process. I imagine that if you re-created this list with format options on the left side...and company-owned stations (or audio options) on the right side, you would provide consumers with an easy link system to your arsenal of media entities---radio, web, podcast, video, news, sports, concerts, etc.

There's a great deal of talk about "re-inventing" radio...but there may be a greater need to re-purpose what we do and how we present it--especially in our web-based digital applications.

We currently view the radio station as the "product". In reality, it may be the base product, but it's just part of a wider array of touchpoints to our consumers. We shouldn't be in the business of creating one singular piece of content--ex. "the 10am-3pm midday show", we need to think bigger than that---creating content that fits inside of that show---AND developing this material to move outside of the play window. Inside vs. Outside thinking...

In order to attempt to maximize the advertiser dollars---we may need to focus wide AND narrow at the same time.

If you know your listener well...if you understand what's important to your core consumer, you shouldn't be afraid to serve them with components that they find important. For example, using a content organization system that allows your country station to master "all things country": new country single releases, CD samples and listener input about them, the latest videos, concert reviews, interaction and involvement in jock/host content, relevant contesting or promotions, family events, cheap or free community activities, etc. (I might even consider links by product category for all advertisers currently on the air--a way to monetize the concept) You're looking for content that complements, mirrors, and stimulates your core audience wants, needs, interests, and curiosities.

Virtually all station websites take on the same appearance...it's a model that needs to be broken and re-worked for both branding purposes AND listener relevancy. Not only do you want to set yourself apart from the other station sites in your competitive arena, you actually want to create a web experience that is useful to your listeners.

Why do they go to your site? If they don't go to your station site, what would cause them to come and return often? What makes YOUR site more important than the others in town?

Consider your personal behavior online. Do you have favorite places marked? These are the sites that are important to YOU on a daily basis. You mark them for future reference and an easy return. There are websites that you visit--that have guided you toward other sites that you've then--designated as a favorite. Your browser has likely organized those favorites for you in some sort of folder--helping to make your online experiences easier for you.

Shouldn't part of your mission be to further develop your relationship with your listener? If they're a fan of your format, your station, your talent, etc. you might choose to integrate your brand deeper into their lives by being "all things country" or "all things Anytown, USA", or "All things 35-54 female", etc. but NOT giving it to them all in one shot. The last thing you want to do is overwhelm the individual with too many options---too much choice. Limit, control, expose, and frequently change-up the choice so the content appears to be fresh and easy to manipulate. Spike the curiosity and return visits. (Fresh, updated content is the 2nd most important piece of your web experience. 3rd, is ease. Number one is: relevancy of the content to me---the consumer!)

Unless you're one of my favorites---or someone (or something) leads me to you, I don't care about you. You don't exist. My list of "favorite places" is already getting unmanageable at times. I frequently find myself purging links that I once thought would be worthy of saving--but no longer provide value--usually because the site doesn't offer anything fresh or relevant to my life and my needs. All I care about are MY needs. How---whatever you offer---helps ME, entertains ME, informs ME. I'm the customer---it's about ME--not you.

In order to even consider the possibilities, you have to first agree and believe that your web-based applications are an important part of your brand--and will soon be a critical aspect of your overall revenue model.

Make my life easier and more enjoyable with the product you offer. If what you do and how you do it--can make an impact on my behavior---I'm more likely to re-visit your on-air product, your online product or your on site product again some time. Do it often---and I may become a fan.

What are you truly offering to your listeners? What does it mean to them? What role do you have in their lives? How can you make it better? How can you serve them and make their lives easier? What do you need to do in order to become (and stay) one of their favs?

RADIO! Building Your Team Spirit Inside The Station

2008-06-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

When times get tough outside of the building--you can bet that morale and team spirit inside the building will be affected. One of your primary jobs of management/leadership is setting the tone for your team.

Motivating by fear may get immediate short term results for some managers--but your organization pays a long term price for management-by-intimidation.

It's best to build up the framework of team spirit via positivity and individual growth and achievement. Collective individual achievement typically results in group goal accomplishment.

Has your group or team ever experienced any of the following?

--Lack of creativity and new ideas
--Misunderstandings due to miscommunication
--Low morale and/or motivation
--Personality conflicts
--Hidden agendas that affect progress
--Team members doing their jobs and going home
--No one watching the “big picture”
--Difficulty coming to agreement
--OR refusal to go into disagreement

If you have, some team development work might be just what you need! Team development addresses HOW the work is accomplished. It helps people learn how to create a product and performance vision that all members support as they:

-Gain clarity around what role each person plays
-Confront issues honestly and openly
-Value each members' unique talents and abilities
-Think positively and creatively in a chaotic environment

With a spirited team, all things feel possible. Teams, and the people that make them up, are potentially the most powerful human resource available in any company. The way in which teams operate can ultimately be what helps to differentiate your radio station from your competition. When a group of individuals is given the opportunity to effectively merge its ideas, energies and ambitions toward a common vision or goal, anything -- (from the most difficult, to the improbable, to the seemingly impossible) -- can be achieved.

Although this might sound like a wonderful idea on paper, reaching this lofty goal in today's corporate environment is no small task. As employees are faced with downsizings, budget cuts, tighter schedules, heavier workloads, greater cultural diversity, and rapidly changing technologies, they find it increasingly difficult to meet responsibilities, let alone become animated and inspired to deliver extraordinary performance.

That's where YOU come in. Station management creates a "culture"--often times and unspoken "culture" in the building. People can read through the false rah rah and begin to question leadership. They begin to ask themselves "What aren't they telling us---and how does that affect me, my department, my team, etc.?"

The first step to creating a sense of spirit---is having everyone on the same page. If your staff doesn't know the goals, how do you expect them to attack 'em and achieve them? It seems like an obvious point, but I can tell you that few jocks, promotions people, and support staff--truly understand their role in the overall business plan. Where are we going? How do we get there? What methods do we plan to use to accomplish these goals? What can I do to contribute to this plan?

A narrow focus helps the individual concentrate on the areas of greatest impact. For example, if you tell the new afternoon guy--"Go...be entertaining and improve the ratings...." What does he take from that?

Once you feel like your team is going in the same direction---the RIGHT direction--acknowledge and reward all efforts that support this new team-oriented framework. You'll spend time meeting and discussing their individual efforts and performance, but without the public reinforcement of attempting to accomplish TEAM goals, group members will be less inclined to focus on the group--and more likely to work their own singular agenda.

Team spirit begins with group goal accomplishment---but don't make it broad. As in the earlier example, defining the group goal as "improving the ratings" isn't specific enough.

Determine what the specific areas of concentration are...then, figure out the specific performance targets in those key areas. If you expect to be #1 or Top 3 with adults 25-54, you can narrow the goal-setting down in the next step by reinforcing that anything below a Top 3 performance in any daypart would likely be viewed as an "unacceptable" ratings performance.

Work the individual performance targets in the individual meetings...and reinforce the team goals in the group settings. Set the goals, focus on best practices to achieving those goals, reinforce the positive applications of those efforts, reward the achievements. We're big boys and girls now. Most folks in radio understand that they are in a "performance-based" business. If your team members don't understand the goals, and you can't lead them to achieving those goals, you'll never create the kind of team spirit you desire.

WEEKEND RADIO! Station Emails & Texting--Now What?

2008-06-01T00:01:00.000-04:00

Many stations are beginning to adjust the way they utilize direct marketing applications to the station's listener database. Whether it's email blasts, texting promotions, or even contemporary direct mail programs--there are new rules emerging. As our listeners ramp up and embrace these forms of communication, it's important that we understand the changing landscape and the new set of consumer expectations. The most important being---don't overdo it. You risk your relationship with your most important fans---those that voluntarily signed up to become part of your "community". Don't give them a reason to opt out.

Morgan Stewart is the Director of Research and Strategy for Exact Target. Morgan says that on the direct marketing landscape, email is as strong as ever. Over the past month, DoubleClick, ExactTarget , and Habeas have released studies testifying to the overall strength of email as a marketing channel. This comes as a response to a string of recent articles claiming that "email is dead." It simply isn't true. Consumers are comfortable buying through email and they feel comfortable receiving permission based email from companies they trust. In fact, across the board consumers prefer email when dealing with businesses for most communications -- and they don't see that changing any time in the near future.

Email is the established technology for outbound digital messaging. That said, new channels are emerging. Much like traditional media, direct marketing is becoming fragmented. In the '90s we added email to the direct marketing mix of direct mail and telemarketing. Since 2000, there has been an explosion of new communication tactics added to the one-to-one marketers toolkit. We need to move beyond showing the value of email to highlighting the roles it plays in a fragmented one-to-one environment.

At the recent Email Insiders Summit, a group of college students shared their thoughts about their media preferences and how they use technology. Guess what? They were all different. While there were some overall themes, the glaring reality was that they all used a different set of tools for communication, and they used those tools differently. As much as we may try to categorize communication preferences by demographic data points such as age or income, there are consumers who break the mold. In the 2008 Channel Preference Survey, we found some teenagers prefer to communicate with friends and family through snail mail, and some senior citizens are heavy into text messaging. How do we serve customers under these circumstances?

Start Listening!

So think, what would your marketing program look like if you communicated with consumers more like you communicate with your friends and family? In marketing, we regularly come across deals that we know are a good value and want to share. How do we pass this information along to those closest to us? Do they all go through email? Text only? Do you call 20 of your closest friends? More than likely you communicate to different people differently. After all, they are real people, not lists of faceless contacts. To listen to our consumers means that we need to commit to serving our customers and honoring their unique preferences. These preferences come in several forms:

1. Opt-in. Do your consumers want to hear from you at all? Are you on my "friends" list? This is the base level we have all become accustomed to, but we need to go deeper.

2. Type of communication by channel. How do they want to receive promotions? What about account statements or travel alerts? Recently, I received a flight cancellation notice by text message. Thankfully, this came just before I dropped off my rental car at LAX, so I was able to rebook another flight while driving to Orange County. If this had been sent only through email, I would have seen the message too late. For flight delays, text messages are my preference. If the same airline were to send promotions via text, it would be the end of our relationship. I want the deals, just send them through email.

3. Frequency. How often is too often? Again, this is a personal preference by the consumer. Otherwise, we are just playing the law of averages. As we move into more channels, these frequency preferences will need to be honored by channel. Email once a week, direct mail monthly, text messaging -- only in emergencies!

4. Content. "Opting-in" should not be an on/off switch. Give me a chance to tell you what I want and don't want. Aggregate information that is relevant to me so that you don't violate my frequency preferences.

From my airline, I want messages about promotions in email, I want my statements and receipts in email -- I can archive and sort them there. I don't want messages about sweepstakes. I want alerts by phone, but if I don't answer, send me a text message. Don't bother me with partner programs, I already have more frequent flier points than I can use. Don't assume that one channel works for me. Honor channels, frequency, and content... or I will turn to another suitor who will listen.

To do this, we need to evolve and take channel preferences seriously. There are already companies taking the lead in this area. The financial services industry was forced to tighten up communication preference centers to combat phishing scams; National City Bank stands out as a good example.

Email may not be dead, but it is not the end-all channel either. The solution to one-to-one marketing fragmentation depends on our ability to capture preferences, listen over time, and adapt accordingly. The people that you communicate to want to be in control, they want to provide input into your programs, and soon, I believe they will demand control. So, build the tools to listen now and reap the rewards for years to come.

WEEKEND RADIO! Station Authenticity

2008-05-31T00:01:00.004-04:00

The days of unsubstantiated positioning statements and inflated product puffery may be behind us. Listeners are as cynical as they are sophisticated. They're as plugged in as they are patched in with each other. Station branding is different now---the age of authenticity demands it. Dave Morgan shares some observations that might give you some things to think about this weekend...

In the bold new world of marketing communication, the future will be a lot less about what you say and much more about what you do. Thus, brands now live and die by how they perform for their customers, because the Internet permits those customers service stories to be amplified and shared. The power of those experiences is already starting to eclipse anything that marketers can do with advertising. This is the future, and we'd better get ready for it.

Here is why:

* They will know. Like it or not, almost nothing that happens to or in or around companies is secret anymore, particularly if anyone involved has any interest in having it known. You can't hide anymore. The ability to forward emails has seen to that. If a company's customer service is bad, the customers know that and are certain to share it. While their only recourse in the past was a letter to the editor, which was rarely if ever published, today they can post it on blogs or YouTube for all to see. If a company does something terrific, it is just as easy for those delighted customers to share that information.

* Bald puffery doesn't work anymore. Consumers are getting more sophisticated -- and more cynical -- by the day when it comes to commercial communication. While many companies and their PR firms try to game this system, and create fake blogs or pay for blogs, more and more they are being outed. Consumers are getting better and better at judging authenticity, and taking more and more pleasure catching companies trying to trick them.

* More competition. Whether you want to point to the growing global economy, or the opening up of low-cost distribution and logistics systems, or the power of the Internet to help any marketer interact with virtually any consumer, every company in the world is facing more competition today than it used to. Thus, there is almost always someone out there who wants to be sure that any bad experiences that you have had with your customers is reported quickly and distributed broadly. There's nothing like competition to get bad news around fast.

Is the age of the brand slogan and advertising ending, about to be displaced by the "age of authenticity" and conversational marketing? I don't think that it will be that extreme, but I certainly think that the most important brand slogans in the future will be those uttered by marketers' customers, not those that marketers broadcast at them. What do you think?

It won't be long until radio stations will catch up. Pre-consolidation, broadcasters were once a competitive bunch...and with the dynamic power of the Internet to help you call the competition on their exaggerations (and outright lies) to listeners in such creative, subversive ways---it could make the future format battles and cluster battles even MORE interesting down the road.

RADIO! FCC Unveils Free Broadband Plan

2008-05-30T12:01:00.001-04:00

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that The Federal Communications Commission is considering giving away broadband Internet for free, in exchange for the right to control it. The new plan would see the winner of an upcoming airwaves auction offer free wireless Internet service to most Americans within a few years, but the FCC would regulate the service. Details of what exactly that means still have to be worked out, but the FCC confirmed that pornography sites, for starters, would be blocked.

Even so, the FCC's plan represents a major step forward in U.S. broadband policy, as the service would reach millions of Americans who currently don't want to pay for or don't have access to broadband. In the past seven years, the U.S. has dropped from fourth to 15th in the percentage of households that subscribe to broadband Internet. "We believe this is a good idea and demonstrates the [FCC's] commitment to supporting initiatives that have a positive impact on the next phase of broadband innovation," an FCC spokesman said. "Particularly with Wi-Fi it would give consumers greater choices to access the Internet."

The question is, who would bid on these airwaves? The major telecoms just spent billions upgrading their spectrum holdings during an FCC auction earlier this year. Meanwhile, it's unclear whether any startups could raise the necessary capital to win an auction and then build out the network. Read the whole story...

The potential implications of this for radio are enormous. We've discussed the future competitive impact in numerous postings, but never have we considered coast-to-coast government controlled wireless broadband. There are 10,600 commercial radio stations in America, plus the non-coms. Imagine a universe where anyone with a computer and some basic recording equipment can "broadcast" content into your home or vehicle. Sure makes the argument of investing in the web-based aspects of your station brand---a bit stronger.

You have a head start--and some time to further develop your Internet-driven audio components. If this plan ever comes to fruition, the landscape will be richer for consumers, but could be devastating for terrestrial radio station operators that failed to embrace web delivery of their core product.

RADIO! The Savvy Digital Consumer

2008-05-30T00:01:00.005-04:00

It's important to understand that while digital technology appears to be everywhere, not everyone is tech-savvy. As a matter of fact, it's a small universe. We all may be dealing with technology via the features on our cell phones & PDAs, IPODS, Tivos, and web platforms, etc. but the majority of consumers feel a bit overwhelmed by it all---trying to keep up with the rapid change and innovation.

As you read the research information that follows, take note that it profiles the digital savvy consumer--not the mainstream. When dealing with your "typical" listener, it's always a best practice to give clear directions on how to use your digital platforms, specific suggestions on when, what, where, and why it's important to him or her--and what the benefit is...plus, samples and examples to create a reference point. Many people are fearful or all these new gizmos and gadgets. (If many people still aren't sure how to stop their VCR from flashing 12:00, how will they possibly figure out how to download your cool website video unless you walk them through the process step by step?)

According to a new analysis from Scarborough Research, six percent of all consumers are classified as Digital Savvy nationally, but Austin (TX) adults are almost twice as likely as the national average to be in this leading edge consumer segment. Las Vegas, NV, Sacramento and San Diego are also leading Digital Savvy cities, with 10 percent of their residents having this higher level of technological orientation and adoption.

Eighteen hi-tech consumer behaviors and purchasing patterns were identified and isolated within the national study. These behaviors included household ownership of certain hi-tech items, consumer likelihood to engage in certain Web 2.0 behaviors, and usage of leading-edge cellular device features. Those who satisfied eight or more of them were classified as "Digital Savvy."

High Tech Consumer Behaviors

Household ownership
PDA
DVR
Satellite Radio Subscription
VOIP
MP3 Player
HDTV

Ways Used Internet (past 30 days)
Online banking/bill paying
Blogging
Gaming
Download podcasts
Download/listen to audio
Download/watch video
Instant messaging

Cell Phone Features Used
Download ringtones/video games
Email
Messaging (instant, picture or text)
Stream video
Internet use on cell phone

Source: Scarborough Research, May 2008

Digitally Savvy consumers, says the study, are

>56 percent more likely than the average consumer to own or lease a luxury vehicle;

>175 percent more likely to have spent $500 or more on men's or women's business clothing during the past year

>49 percent more likely to own a second home.

Online, this consumer group is high-end in its shopping behavior, and are far more likely to spend online in high-end purchasing categories, such as automotive and travel, as well as every day items, such as books and clothing

>54 percent of the Digital Savvy spent more than $500 online during the past year

>35 percent spent upwards of $1,000 during that timeframe

Gary Meo, senior vice president, print and digital media services, Scarborough Research, said "The most Digitally Savvy markets... typically have the presence of major universities and represent established tech corridors in the U.S... They are early adopters when it comes to fully integrating new technologies into their lives... their shopping patterns, demographics and lifestyles could presage behaviors of consumers across the country."

Active lifestyles and on-the-go living are the hallmarks of the Digital Savvy. They are far more likely to enjoy athletic leisure activities including basketball, yoga, free weights training and jogging. Given this active lifestyle, concludes the study, they rely on cell phones for communication and information. 59 percent of the Digital Savvy use their cell phones for email.

The Digital Savvy are male, young and wealthy:
>56 percent of them are male
>77 percent of this consumer group is below the age of 44
>They are 132 percent more likely than the average consumer to have an annual household income of $150,000

>57 percent of this consumer group has an annual household income of $75,000 or greater

The recently-released (PHP) Scarborough report, "Understanding the Digital Savvy Consumer," is available for download here.

RADIO! The Hot Buttons of Your Female Listeners

2008-05-29T00:01:00.007-04:00

According to a the second in a series of findings from the Meredith/NBC Universal "What do Women Want?", when it comes to health, 56% of women are more concerned about diet/weight and 36% about eating right, while only 23% express the same degree of concern about cancer, 20% about heart health, and 18% about diabetes.

Debbie Reichig, Senior Vice President, Market Development, NBC Universal, notes that "It is particularly important for marketers in the health and wellness category to have a clear understanding of women's behaviors, motivations and thoughts so that the messaging they create will resonate and have enhanced impact."

The nationwide survey among more than 3,000 women reveal key insights on the female psyche across topics including health and well-being. Many women are skipping important medical examinations, annual physicals and screenings:

>Less than two-thirds (59%) of all women get an annual physical, even lower among Gen Y women (44%)

>Nearly one-third of Boomer women are not getting their important annual mammograms, cholesterol checks or physicals

>62% of women regularly give themselves a breast self-examination, while only 14% of all women get a skin cancer screening at least once a year

>While most women (68%) like who they are inside and are satisfied with their "identity and development as an individual," only 40% say they are satisfied with their physical appearance and 37% their energy levels.

>Four in 10 women report that they are more than 20 pounds overweight

>29% of Gen Y women say they are at their ideal weight vs. 9% of Gen X and 7% of Boomer women

>Only 4% of overweight women say they would consider surgery as a weight reduction strategy, while 76% say they would consider exercise and 75% improving their diet to lose weight

>84% of American women feel they are overweight:

>13% of women feel that they are the ideal weight, while 23% feel they are 21-50 pounds overweight and 16% report being more than 50 pounds overweight.

>Older women are more likely than younger women to report they are overweight and to join weight management programs

>Gen X women and Baby Boomer women are more likely to get involved in weight management programs to improve their health and well-being than Gen Y women

>Gen Y women are more likely to do yoga or Pilates to improve their health and well-being

Most women don't want to work too hard to achieve a healthy lifestyle, opting for simple solutions like drinking more water or eating more fruits and vegetables over the more disciplined approaches like exercising regularly, counting calories, and using portion control.

What Women Do to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

...............................................................% of Respondents
Drink more water-------------------------------------- 80%
Eat more fruits and vegetables------------------------70
Read nutritional labels---------------------------------49
Avoid foods that are high in fat------------------------47
Make a conscious effort to lower calorie intake-----44
Watch my sugar intake----------------------------------44
Exercise at least three times a week-------------------43

Source: Meredith/NBC Universal, May 2008

Also, to improve health and well-being, some women have taken non-traditional approaches such as natural herbs and supplements (26%), bought/adopted a pet (25%), meditation (11%), acupuncture (4%), visited a hypnotist (1%).

But wait...

Women are sensitive about their own weight, with 40% who say it's wrong for a man to tell a woman that she's overweight

Only 32% of women think it's wrong for a woman to tell a man he's overweight, or a parent to tell a child he or she is overweight (26%)

Most women think the battle of the bulge starts at the schools at an early age. The majority of moms claim that while their children eat junk food, it's "not when I'm around"

Diane Salvatore, editor in chief, Ladies' Home Journal, concludes "While staying fit and trim definitely contributes to overall good health, it's only a piece of a proactively healthy lifestyle... These findings should be a wake up call to American women..."

So, your headline reads: Appearance and Weight Trumps Disease In Women's Concerns.

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise, we've all been using Moon Mullins prep filter for years:

Health

Emotion

Leisure

Pocketbook

Showbiz

The new generation of air talent haven't had the benefit of coaching and direction as previous generations may have. PDs are juggling additional responsibilities and programming multiple stations. The net result is less coaching, not as much teaching, and too little guidance.

6 Ways to Sell Magazines (and keep listeners)

Female-targeted music stations use research to learn what music content has high appeal for the core consumer. Female-targeted magazines similarly determine what story content has high appeal. Here are the 6 content areas that magazine publishers know will interest American female readers, in no particular order:

Sex Relationships

Family Relationships

Work Relationships

Health & Beauty

Personal Finances

Exercise & Diet

Veteran programmer Dave Shakes suggest that we get the air staff focused on these content areas for prep. If these 6 subjects are what sell magazines, then of course they'll work to help us hold listener attention for the next 20 minutes.

RADIO! Downloadable Media

2008-05-28T00:01:00.005-04:00

The Inside Radio headline reads that the use of Podcasting is up: Podcast audience is growing "tremendously."That's according to Edison Media Research, which found the number of Americans who downloaded and listened to an audio podcast grew from 13% to 18% in the past year. Edison Research VP Tom Webster says stations should create as much "podcast-able content" as they can.

With three years of research data in the bank, it's clear that the use of audio podcasting is on the rise.

The principle findings of the study are:

The audience for both audio and video podcasts has grown tremendously since last year. 9% of Americans have downloaded and listened to an audio podcast in the past month, a figure that equates to 23 million Americans.

Podcast listeners enjoy additional listening opportunities. The portability of podcasts has enabled new contexts and environments for listening to downloadable audio.

Podcast consumers are extremely attractive advertising targets, though difficult to reach via traditional interruption models. Podcast users are far more likely to have attained at least a college degree, and are also more likely to live in households earning in excess of $75,000 per year, than Americans who have not consumed podcasts.

Podcast consumers are heavily involved with social networking. Podcast consumers also spend markedly more time on the Internet every day than the average American.

So what do you do with this information?

Podcasting is a viable alternative means to target attractive consumers who are otherwise proving difficult to reach with traditional advertising. Consumers who go through the process of selecting a program (rather than passively consuming whatever is on traditional media), downloading it and potentially moving it to a portable device are exhbiting an increased level of engagement with the programs and hosts of the shows they select. This engagement may translate to an increased credibility and level of trust in the show's sponsors and advertisers. Further research should be conducted in this area to quantify this potential lift and engagement in order to properly value podcast advertising beyond simple reach and frequency metrics.

Podcasters should consider lifestyles, context and even potential 'dayparting' for their audiences. One of the great benefits of podcasts is that they can be consumed anywhere, at the users' convenience. As a result, much of the messaging around podcast usage has to date centered around that convenience. However, podcast producers might also consider 'educating' their audiences to listen to or watch their content at specific times or in specific places. "Training" audiences, for example, to listen to a lawn-care podcast while mowing their lawn, or a podcast for commuters featuring custom traffic and quick dinner tips to be synced just before leaving the workplace provide a context and appointment to ensure that media which can be consumed "any old time" is consumed at a certain time, every time. Creating appointment media has been a foundation of broadcast radio and tv for decades; there is no reason why podcast producers can't generate the same immediacy and relevance for downloadable media in order to create powerful associations and build habits.

Take lessons from broadcast media and improve production, staging and create true 'theatre of the mind." While there will always be listeners who will ignore poor audio quality, confusing numbers of voices and unscripted rambling, podcasters interested in attracting and delivering and audience for advertisers would do well to remember that the consideration set for podcast listeners now includes extremely well-produced downloadable media from sources like NPR, ESPN and the BBC. Production quality is more important than ever as more and more well-produced content fights for space and time between the earbuds.

Remember the 'Mid-Tail.' There are many podcasts serving the countless niches enabled by the 'Long Tail' capacity of the Internet, as first noted by Wired editor Chris Anderson in his book of the same name. However, there is tremendous opportunity for well-produced, commercial quality podcasts serving the "mid-tail"; formats and topics that may not be mass-appeal enough to be supportable at the local level by a broadcast radio station, for example, but could generate very sizable audiences nationally or globally. Podcasts for affinity groups like 'parrotheads' (fans of Jimmy Buffet) or BMW drivers, for instance, have enormous potential to aggregate audiences significantly larger than most 'long-tail' propositions, and be valuable advertising targets as well.

In other words, radio stations have a tremendous sales opportunity available on the individual station sites, the cluster sites, regional sites, or national group sites. Radio has the voice talent, the audio production facilities, and the trained sales departments already in place. It wouldn't take much for radio stations to crank out some highly informative, entertaining, downloadable media elements, promote them on-air, and channel listeners to the website to retrieve them. It's precision targeted non-traditional revenue.

RADIO! PPM Reality Check For Diary Markets

2008-05-27T00:01:00.002-04:00

The question came up again: What can "diary" measurement stations learn from PPM measured markets? What can passive measurement teach us about how radio users actually consume the product, and what should we do differently? Here are some additional thoughts...

1.) You can't force people to listen where they aren't. For example you can give away thousands of dollars at night trying to lure listeners to your station. Unless you've already got a home run night/overnight show and large ratings, you can bet that you'll be wasting your time and money. The bulk of radio usage is between early morning and late afternoon. The reality is that there just are fewer people listening at fringe times. If "people using radio" levels are low on a Sunday night, program accordingly. Keep your powder dry for when it can serve you better.

2.) More occasions-shorter durations. The cume on your station is bigger than you think. The time the average listener spends with you is much shorter than you believe. Adjust your thinking: Even in morning drive, the daypart that you're supposed to have your largest, and possibly your most loyal audience, even the P1s to your station listen only 2.3 days a week on average. When they DO listen, they spend 3.1 occasions per day--averaging less than 10 minutes with you--each time they listen. Now THAT'S a "reality check"... When you conceive your clocks, develop your show content, plan on-air promotional execution, etc. knowing the fluid nature of the listening audience may force you to re-think how you program your station.

During the day (9am-7pm), your average P1 listener will give you 2.8 days, 7.0 occasions per day...and about 9 minutes per occasion. Remember, these are your BEST customers! These P1 listeners will give you 65-75% of your PPM ratings.

The lesson: Don't compromise your P1s at any time. Always put your absolute best foot forward. For programmers, the importance of P1 listening is paramount. It’s true that while the PPM picks up a lot of incidental or “light listening” (which adds to a station’s cume audience) a station’s “heavy listeners” still contribute most to the station’s success. Just as with the Diary, heavy listeners are essential to a station’s well-being. Just to recap: a P1 listener is defined by the station that listener spends more time with than any other station – most likely that listener’s favorite station. With unprecedented granularity we are observing actual behavioral research; if listeners don’t like what they hear, they move on - possibly to the next radio station.

3.) In the diary, 50% of the starting entries are around the "top of the hour". When you look at when listeners REALLY tune in, it's about even across all quarter hours...across all minutes. They tune in and out at will. Stations don’t have a “soft” quarter hour. The Diary taught us that listeners tuned-in around the top-of-the-hour. In reality, as is common sense, we can now substantiate that people are tuning in to stations every single second . . . of every minute . . . of every hour . . . of every daypart . . . of every day. And what people hear when they tune in will have a lot to do with whether or not they continue to listen to your station. The goal is to make your station "sticky” so listeners will stay once they tune to it.

4.) Don't let the minute-level data drive your actions. The detail is being misconstrued. You've got two missions: Build ratings AND build your brand. If you only focus on the available data to build your ratings, you abandon the pieces of the puzzle that support or enhance your station's overall brand. Unless your long-term brand is built around a no-talk music machine, stripping away all of the elements that have contributed to your station's success will damage the overall brand and it will no longer meet the existing listener expectations.

On the other hand, we’re also seeing that it’s really difficult to make someone listen to something they don’t want to listen to. PDs might be amazed to learn what little effect many of the tried and true diary tricks have on real listening. You have to give people real reasons to tune in.

5.) Your P1s are not as loyal as you think. Understanding P1s… their habits, their wants, needs and expectations is critical. In the past, P1s were treated as possessions (“These are my P1s!”). We all thought that “once a P1 to a particular station, always a P1 to that station.” However, what we’ve found through the PPM is P1s switch their “favorite station” to a greater degree than ever imagined. And the trigger for change can be something simple. So, we have to really understand why people use a particular station and then make certain that’s their experience each and every time they tune in.

P1’s switch: in 2 weeks 30% of P1’s switch. In 8 weeks, 80% switch. Understanding the difference and impact of P1 “loyalists” and P1 “switchers” will be the topic of endless white-papers and panels in the years ahead.

Some addition points to consider: PPM data tells us...

Men listen to more stations and have more occasions of listening than Women.

If a listener works fulltime, radio gets a potential base of 3 TSL occasions: An "occasion" of listening in the car on the way to work, as well as an "occasion" of listening in the workplace, and another "occasion" of listening in the car on the way home. Fulltime TSL is 16 hours. (vs 9 hours for non-fulltime workers or unemployed listeners) Employed listeners are more valuable to you!

Holidays and Summer vacations disrupt PPM in-tab. The in-tab in Philly and Houston declined dramatically as the employed panelists took Monday, Memorial Day off. When the kids get out of school in a few weeks, more listening routines will change as families go on vacation, wake and depart home at different times, etc.

In the current diary system, if you win Saturday midday, you probably win "weekends". In PPM, Saturday afternoon and Sunday midday are essential for programming a winning station.

RADIO! Summer 2008 Arbitron Planning

2008-05-26T00:01:00.004-04:00

While the Spring book continues, looking ahead---the Summer survey window is 30 days away. As you finalize your Summer book plans, build a programming and promotional activities calendar that takes advantage of the Thursday to Wednesday night Arbitron system.

Here are some big events and natural programming opportunities to exploit: Don't forget the beaches, pools, water parks, outdoor & yard-based activities, vacations, summer camp, keeping the kids busy, Summer fairs and festivals, theme parks, concert tours in your area, etc.

Depending on how the diaries fall, each week represents a little over 8% of the total survey. Keep in mind that each week and each monthly phase are not weighted equally by Arbitron.

SUMMER 2008 ARBITRON SURVEY
(June 26th –September 17th)
12 One-Week Surveys

Phase I
Week #1.....06/26-07/02------------Summer Camp, Vacations, Summer Movies
Week #2.....07/03-07/09------------July 4th falls on a Friday! Toby Keith BD: 7/8

Week #3.....07/10-07/16-------------Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts BD: 7/10
Week #4.....07/17-07/23-------------
Phase II
Week #5.....07/24-07/30------------Martina McBride BD: 7/29
Week #6.....07/31-08/06------------
Week #7.....08/07-08/13------------2008 Summer Olympics 8/8-8/24
Week #8.....08/14-08/20------------
Phase III
Week #9.....08/21-08/27 ------------Back to School sales, JoDee Messina BD: 8/25
Week #10...08/28-09/03------------Labor Day, Monday 9/1, Shania Twain BD: 8/28
Week #11....09/04-09/10------------NFL season begins on Thursday 9/4
Week #12....09/11-09/17-------------Election Day in 7 weeks! Jennifer Nettles BD: 9/12

WEEKEND RADIO! Gas Promotions

2008-05-25T00:01:00.001-04:00

Here we are...Memorial Day weekend---and as predicted, gas prices are hovering around $4 bucks a gallon across many parts of the country. Radio stations are hopping on the "free gas" bandwagon with petrol promotions and free fuel giveaways---clearly pushing a listener hot button.

After surfing the Internet and listening around to a number of country stations doing free fuel promotions, I just wanted to say "hats off" to the few programmers (or copy writers) that resisted the temptation to use sophomoric "flatulence" humor when describing "giving you gas" in the promos and contest execution. It shows an innate understanding of a female-driven format. Some guys may chuckle at "fart humor", but I don't know many women that find the gas twist funny. They simply think it's immature and stupid. (Especially those with kids in the car)

There's a good chance that the air talent will follow the lead of the promos and imaging on the station. If they hear "fart humor" in the promo, it's like giving them tacit permission to use it in their individual live sells of the promotion---and it all goes downhill from there.

It may take some clever copy writing to sell your promotion in a fresh, unique way, but by all means---try to avoid that easy cliche on your mainstream country station. There are dozens of other obvious angles to take---and even hundreds more if you want to get really creative. The best way to approach it is from the listener benefit perspective.

Word-smithing aside, it's the right promotion--at the right time. The price of gas is on every one's mind and impacting every one's wallet. Be sure to position it and sell your giveaway in the most powerful, direct way---straight to the pocketbook!

WEEKEND RADIO! Two Schools of Thought

2008-05-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day weekend...a programming dilemma for some. It's a philosophical crossroads. There are two schools of thought regarding what to do on the air:

One school of thought says--stay true to your format--so that anyone sampling your station over the long holiday weekend, is exposed to a true representation of your product. The thinking is--the last thing a listener should hear when they punch your station up--is some sort of special programming that is different from the usual--it might confuse them. It might not meet their expectations of your station.

The other school of thought is that since it's pretty likely that the long weekend will alter normal listening routines, it's best to do something memorable to grab their attention and be memorable when they sit down to complete their diaries next Tuesday and Wednesday.

It's the unofficial "start" of Summer...the first real opportunity for cold-weather areas to get outside and so something fun---working out in the yard, have a picnic or barbecue, maybe even go to the pool or the beach, etc. It's a good bet that musical entertainment will accompany many of these activities.

Take note of what competitive stations are doing in your market. If you're out of town for the weekend, listen for on-air activity that deviates from the norm. Some people like to shake it up a bit with "Top 500" countdowns, Memorial Day tribute programming, retro reunions and flashbacks, etc.

Lately it seems, many programmers---either through laziness or lack of inspiration---have ignored one of the long-held rules of programming: Don't just own mornings-own the whole day. Create the soundtrack of people's lives...develop meaningful, memorable content that mirrors the real lives and mindsets of your listeners.

"Own" Memorial Day and you’ll own up to July 4th. "Own" July 4th and you’ll own up to Labor Day. "Own" Labor Day weekend – and you’ll be in the perfect position to "own" the fall book. It's momentum building...

Memorial Day signals the start of Summer for most people. It's an emotional trigger that can be used to enhance your connection between station and listener. It's like a 5 o'clock Friday weekend kickoff mirroring the "yabba dabba doo" mentality at the end of another long workweek. You sync-up emotionally...

Turning on the jukebox and letting it rip for the weekend may be easier, but it may not be the most effective way to build your brand, gain diary credit, or develop your relationship with your best customers. Entertainment value goes deeper than just "back to back" music sweeps. Engagement is the by-product of being entertained.

RADIO! Memorial Day Tribute Songs

2008-05-23T00:01:00.005-04:00

Monday is Memorial Day...In America, it's a national holiday to remember and honor those that gave their lives defending the country. In one way or another, we've all been touched by someone who has made the ultimate sacrifice--whether it's a grandparent, parent, sibling, friend, or neighbor. Picnics and barbecues aside, in reality--it's more of a solemn day of tribute--than a day of celebration.

One mistake that some programmers make in an attempt to reflect the holiday is to showcase "patriotic" songs---rather than genuine remembrance songs. If you're trying to capture the proper emotional essence, you may need to be more selective when it comes to song selection. Universal "patriotic" titles are better suited for Independence Day. Even a song like "God Bless The USA" by Lee Greenwood---has become associated with 4th of July Fireworks displays--celebrating America rather than honoring the fallen.

While their are plenty of appropriate titles available, most stations playing a contemporary music mix might want to consider limiting the showcase songs to titles that complement your usual playlist: Here are five songs that set the proper emotional tone:

Big & Rich "8th Of November"
Toby Keith "American Soldier"
Trace Adkins "Arlington"
Tim McGraw "If You're Reading This"
John Michael Montgomery "Letters From Home"

For example, "Only in America" by Brooks and Dunn, or "Where The Stars and Stripes and The Eagle Fly" by Aaron Tippin--are perfect songs for 4th of July, but they may not strike the same chord on Memorial Day.

While it may be a literal interpretation of "Memorial Day", part of the ART of programming is using the power of music to create and facilitate emotional connections to the songs, the specialized tribute imaging, the station's holiday attitude, and the overall presentation. That's where the true "Program Director" shines...and it helps sort the experienced winning PDs from the inexperienced wannabees.

If you listen around to country radio stations this weekend--particularly on Monday, you'll see that many programmers have the right intention--but miss the target by a mile. When you hear it--you'll feel it. If you don't feel it...you'll know what I'm talking about.

RADIO! The Curse Of Knowledge

2008-05-22T00:01:00.004-04:00

Sometimes, knowledge is good. Sometimes, knowledge is bad. Unless you have some sort of medical problem....once you learn something--it's difficult to un-learn it. It's the famed "Curse of Knowledge": You can't not know what you already know---and once you know, it's very difficult to know what it's like to not know.

The art and business of radio is a good example. Over the years, broadcasters have figured out best practices in serving local communities, selling advertising to businesses, creating on-air products that help them manipulate ratings in their favor, etc. Years of collective experience, doing it the hard way---helped radio folks figure out the possible winning strategies and powerful tactics.

There's only one problem---that practical knowledge and all of that collective wisdom, may be outdated or inappropriate for passive measurement and a digital web-based media environment. It's a different world now.

Ideally, we would wipe the slate clean and start fresh. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. You have to adapt on the fly.

An easy example is your station website. Since you first launched your station site years ago, I'll bet you've updated it a couple of times. Even when you blew it up, and your web people helped you design a brand new site, the end result was a contemporary version...a revised edition of the original. You moved a few things around, changed the color scheme, added a few additional applications---but you really didn't change much. It's the same website with a different coat of paint. While evolving technology has changed before our eyes and delivered amazing new tools in our laps, we simply stuck some of those on our sites and convinced ourselves that we're keeping up with the changing times.

There are no "rules", yet we're self-restricted by what we see others doing and what we already know about websites...and in this case; "radio station websites". There is no grand vision. If there aren't any rules---why not create something so unique and remarkable--that it actually enhances your brand?

It's not just the web experience--even more so, it's what we do on the air. I know...I know...experimentation is dangerous at a time when everyone fears losing their jobs. A legitimate argument can be made that this is the exact time radio SHOULD be trying some new things on the air. If the world is changing around us---we ought to be trying to change to meet or exceed those new consumer expectations. Product innovation...talent discovery...re-imagination of formats, presentation, imaging, clock structure, performance guidance, multiple platform integration, etc...all areas that deserve a blank-slate-creative-idea-infusion.

We know what worked. We're relying on the model we're familiar with. The thinking is--we'll just tweak it a bit--and get it better focused---but that may not be enough in the long term.

It's the lack of long-term planning that got broadcasters in this position to begin with.

The great thing about knowledge--is you can always learn MORE. Better ideas should have the opportunity to replace the old way of thinking. Modern concepts should be given the chance to develop fresh, new conceptual foundations. Innovative approaches should be implemented, nurtured, and developed fully in order to ascertain potential impact. (Who knows until you really try?)

You can't not know what you already know...but you CAN add to that knowledge base and continue the growth process. Who says you have to stop there?

RADIO! The Re-Invention of Radio

2008-05-21T00:01:00.002-04:00

November 8th, 1972...HBO (Home Box Office) was launched. "It's not TV-It's HBO" changed the way people watched television. Cable TV programming was struggling to be meaningful and the launch of HBO gave us an early glimpse of the possibilities.

1984...Cirque du Soleil was born. It combined circus with theatre. They abandoned the "three-ring" concept, re-imagined the entire circus experience, added a themed storyline...and a spectacular modern day acrobatic performance was born.

June 1985, The Nintendo Entertainment System hits store shelves across America...with removable game cartridges. Atari, Coleco, Mattel's Intellivision...all left behind scrambling to catch up. NES single-handily revitalized interest in the home video game industry. Now, you can play games head to head against someone across the country in real time!

The evolution of home computing...cell phone technology...the list goes on and on.

The entertainment world has a deep history of taking an existing product and re-purposing it by going in a different direction. HBO could have thrown together another lame cable channel. Cirque du Soleil could have simply modernized Barnum and Bailey's model with better animal acts. The Nintendo could have simply replaced shooting arcades and Pac Man games with Mario Brothers and left it at that. It took grand vision (and great risk) to re-imagine these products.

Radio-as we know it...is at a critical stage. Digital web based applications and mobile technology are opening up what was once a limited playing field---to a wide open, borderless, limitless, horizon.

While we're seeing some broadcast groups beginning to attack the challenge, most are very, very slow to respond to the wolf at the door. Money is tight. It limits long-term planning...it stifles creativity.

You know change is upon us. You can see the potential of where this technology is leading us. It doesn't take a genius to put one and one together and see what the new "two" might look like in two years...five years...ten years.

That's why it's so hard to believe that there are still radio stations that still don't even have a website. There are still stations that don't stream audio. There are still stations and companies that aren't investing in their digital platforms--and ignoring the tidal wave of change that is coming.

If these folks don't see the potential value of the Internet in their business model, I'm sure mobile marketing/communications isn't on their radar either---even though it's the gold-standard for the younger generation...the next generation of consumers to move into the 25-54 prized advertising demo.

Samuel "Roxy" Rothapfel, founder of the grand Palace Theater chain and famed showman of the '20s...who also opened Radio City Music Hall in New York (Featuring the Roxyettes--later called the Rockettes) said:
"Giving the people what they want is fundamentally and disastrously wrong. The people don't know what they want. They want to be entertained, that's all. Don't give the people what they want--give 'em something better!"
If he were alive today--and applied that attitude toward re-inventing and re-imaging audio entertainment, you almost have to wonder what he might do to help create a bold new radio product. We need some modern day "Roxys" to step forward and take some chances. The tools and resources at our disposal provide greater opportunity to expand the core product in ways we couldn't even imagine just ten years ago.

It's the responsibility of the owners, the managers, the programmers, the talent, the interactive department, the promotions and marketing team, the engineering folks, consultants, and even the sales team--every one. What's the next step? Innovation comes from inspiration. If people are losing interest in what we're doing---let's do something different. Let's do it better...

People want to be entertained...that's all.

RADIO! Violating The Basic Rules of The Game

2008-05-20T00:01:00.005-04:00

I'm a big fan of Seth Godin's perspectives. Years ago, he published this list of marketing observations which remains valid in today's complicated business environment. It's worth a review every couple of months. As you read this, think about radio and how things are typically done at the broadcast level. Radio seems to violate many of these basic premises--on a regular basis. Makes you wonder...

What Every Good Marketer Knows:

Anticipated, personal and relevant advertising always does better than unsolicited junk.

Making promises and keeping them is a great way to build a brand.

Your best customers are worth far more than your average customers.

Share of wallet is easier, more profitable and ultimately more effective a measure than share of market.

Marketing begins before the product is created.

Advertising is just a symptom, a tactic. Marketing is about far more than that.

Low price is a great way to sell a commodity. That’s not marketing, though, that’s efficiency.

Conversations among the members of your marketplace happen whether you like it or not. Good marketing encourages the right sort of conversations.

Products that are remarkable get talked about.

Marketing is the way your people answer the phone, the typesetting on your bills and your returns policy.

You can’t fool all the people, not even most of the time. And people, once unfooled, talk about the experience.

If you are marketing from a fairly static annual budget, you’re viewing marketing as an expense. Good marketers realize that it is an investment.

People don’t buy what they need. They buy what they want.

You’re not in charge. And your prospects don’t care about you.

What people want is the extra, the emotional bonus they get when they buy something they love.

Business to business marketing is just marketing to consumers who happen to have a corporation to pay for what they buy.

Traditional ways of interrupting consumers (TV ads, trade show booths, junk mail) are losing their cost-effectiveness. At the same time, new ways of spreading ideas (blogs, permission-based RSS information, consumer fan clubs) are quickly proving how well they work.

People all over the world, and of every income level, respond to marketing that promises and delivers basic human wants.

Good marketers tell a story.

People are selfish, lazy, uninformed and impatient. Start with that and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

Marketing that works is marketing that people choose to notice.

Effective stories match the worldview of the people you are telling the story to.
Choose your customers. Fire the ones that hurt your ability to deliver the right story to the others.

A product for everyone rarely reaches much of anyone.

Living and breathing an authentic story is the best way to survive in an conversation-rich world.

Marketers are responsible for the side effects their products cause.

Reminding the consumer of a story they know and trust is a powerful shortcut.
Good marketers measure.

Marketing is not an emergency. It’s a planned, thoughtful exercise that started a long time ago and doesn’t end until you’re done.

One disappointed customer is worth ten delighted ones.

In the googleworld, the best in the world wins more often, and wins more.
Most marketers create good enough and then quit. Greatest beats good enough every time.

There are more rich people than ever before, and they demand to be treated differently.

Organizations that manage to deal directly with their end users have an asset for the future.

You can game the social media in the short run, but not for long.

You market when you hire and when you fire. You market when you call tech support and you market every time you send a memo.

Blogging makes you a better marketer because it teaches you humility in your writing.

Obviously, knowing what to do is very, very different than actually doing it.

RADIO! Helping Talent Change Bad Habits

2008-05-19T00:01:00.001-04:00

Whether your air talent is live and local, pre-recorded in town, or voice-tracked from out of town, you're bound to hear things that need correction or re-direction.

The key is to first make them aware of the issue--whatever it is---and ask them to present different options. (Always in a non-confrontational manner) If they're not able to--be prepared to offer alternatives. Guide him/her/them to the desired performance and reinforce the positive behavior/performances.

The reinforcement step seems like the hard part of the formula. They've developed a bad habit, and it's going to take time to alter that habit to improve the quality of the individual's daily performance. The good news is: It won't take that long if you do it right.

The more years you've been at work, the longer you've had to develop bad habits. Habits that steal precious time from your workday, such as spending too much time looking for things, reading e-mail and reacting to interruptions. Learning to replace these unproductive habits with more effective ones will take commitment.

The good news is that a habit is learned behavior. If you can identify a bad habit, you can replace it with a more effective one. Keyword: replace. You can't stop doing a habit without replacing it with something else. No wonder people who stop smoking start eating more or biting their nails.

How long does it take to change a habit? Experts say 21 days.

Not bad. Instead of dreading the process of making yourself do something new for the rest of your life, you really only have to make yourself do it consistently for 21 days. On day 22 it becomes part of your normal routine. It becomes a habit. A new and improved habit.

Your attitude plays a major role in trying to change behavior. Today it's popular to think that being busy holds high merit. You may feel inadequate or guilty if you don't finish everything on your "to do" list. But the truth is, no one can do everything. Accepting that fact can be your first step toward changing the way you manage your time.

How you view life can make all the difference in mastering your time. Some people believe they have at least some control over things that happen to them. They view the glass as always half full.

Others believe they have absolutely no control or influence over what happens to them. They see the glass half empty. They react to their environment with constant whining and complaining.

On his TV show "Dr. Phil," Phil McGraw described these "half-empty people" as complainers. If you think that sounds harsh, look around and see who complains. He says, "Complainers are self-centered and immature. Their personal growth is restricted. And they typically have troubled relationships."

"Half-empty people" will have a more difficult time gaining control of their time because deep down they don't think they can.

"Half-full people" believe they can do something and try to do it. The result? They actually do it.

Help your talent improve. Set them up to succeed. Sure, you'll get push-back...few people really welcome any kind of non-positive feedback-no matter what they say. No one wants to be criticized or corrected. Reinforce their positive attempts to change the behavior. If you can assist them in changing one aspect of their performance every 21 days, you'll help your air talent be better at doing what they do. (Inside, most of us really DO want to get better and improve our abilities and talents)

You're just 21 days away!

WEEKEND RADIO! The Quest For Community

2008-05-18T00:01:00.003-04:00

Yesterday's preview of Web 3.0 gave us a sneak-peek into the next generation of social networking via the Internet. If you look down the road, you can almost see the convergence of radio and web coming. It's not "if"...but more like "when". As you sit down and do your long-term planning, it's probably a good idea to review how fast technological growth is moving and how it impacts what you do in your core business: building your listener base--so you can sell advertising to reach them. The more listeners you have---the more money you should make.

One area that radio has been heavily criticized in---is the lack of attention to maintaining or building on its (previous) strengths in community and social networking. Communities rallied around radio stations...and plugged-in radio stations rallied around communities. During these so-called "Web 2.0 years", the web based applications have jumped into the game--and connected consumers like never seen before. Seana Mulcahy says it's just the beginning...

One of my many quests is to build communities on behalf of the brands we represent. I write about this quite a bit. I try and think who out there has community and I feel that the line is blurry. Every brand I came up with seems more like "affinity" or "loyalty" versus community. Are they one and the same? When I think about enthusiasts, I also think those folks are most likely part of a community or communities online.

Take a look at cars. I typed in "Porsche fan" in Google and got pages of results from blogs and bulletin boards to dealers, small dealers, parts sellers, and sites like eBay, Kelly Blue Book, NADA and Porsche.com of course. Just about any auto manufacturer seems to have an online fan base.

Or how about music? In the past five years or so, musicians have had the opportunity to really tout their own talents (versus being so tightly controlled by labels and lawyers). MySpace seemed to be a springboard for many. It offered them personalization, customization, a place for videos and audio clips -- all for free.

Of course there have been several social networks pooping up that are dedicated to this genre. According to Digital Media Wire, Universal Music Group announced recently that it has made an equity investment in Buzznet, the music-focused social media site, and will share revenue with it, as well as help develop editorial programming. Financial details were not disclosed.Buzznet, which claims 10 million active members, recently acquired music blogs Stereogum and Idolator.

Want to build a gourmet kitchen? Looking for wine tastings or luxury spa vacations? Then you might want to stop by Spire. Look around some of the user postings, and you'll see perfect examples of those being true to a brand.

What strikes me is most brands that I think evoke community seem to be vertically focused or even niche. Is that true? They certainly are lifestyle-focused like Nascar.com and iVillage.com. But isn't Craig's List a community? Or what about Facebook?

To this writer there are sites that represent community like ClubMom, Crackberry and Apple; sites that create communities by some sort of common association, like Facebook and Classmates.com; sites that house many communities therein, like MySpace and Yelp.

In a recent Adweek article, Brian Morrissey writes that brands like Zappos.com, Craig's List, Yelp and the T-shirt phenomenon Threadless are quietly building powerful brands online on the strength of communities. For these companies, community is not a tactic or marketing plan line item, but core to what they do. It means being hyper-responsive to customers, laser focused on usability, unapologetically human and OK with customers determining the course their businesses should take. The bonus: When they take off, these brands don't need to do much in the way of advertising, instead letting their customers spread the word."

To me a community is a place where you can go to find common interests, values, likes, dislikes -- the list goes on. It is a place where you feel welcome. However the communities I am a part of are by no means one-way streets. You get out of them what you put into them. You just can't sign up and rarely come back with little to no interaction. It's like buying a house on a cul-de-sac and never knowing who your neighbors are. Successful online communities offer the environment; people or members make up the culture.

What does community mean to your radio station and your station brand? If you're "the country station" in your town, aren't you the center point of the country music community? Does your online experience reflect that? What you do on the air and what you do on the web are two completely different experiences.

WEEKEND RADIO! VCR/DVR/TIVO Alert

2008-05-17T17:19:00.004-04:00

Don't forget to set your VCR/DVR/TIVO to record Sunday night's ACM Awards broadcast in case you need to capture audio (or video) elements to air on Monday.

Reba hosts the country awards show live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas starting at 8pm (Eastern) on CBS-TV. There's always a moment or two worth re-broadcasting--and this year, with the Entertainer of the Year award up for grabs at www.voteacm.com, it may have a different kind of vibe to it.

WEEKEND RADIO! Racing Toward Web 3.0

2008-05-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

Just when you thought it was safe to go in the networking waters...the major social networking sites are already preparing for the Jaws of Web 3.0. Radio is struggling to get up to speed with the latest web-based technology explosion...and it doesn't look like it will be slowing down any time soon. Joe Marchese shares his observations of what's going on.

MySpace, Facebook and Google have all recently made "major" announcements regarding the future of how their platforms will play with the rest of the Web. I put major in quotes because a majority of the functionality announced isn't yet available to the average Joe app/Web developer. Regardless, the trend seems to be the movement into Web 3.0 that is making the entire World Wide Web into social media.

If Web 2.0 was all about social features and community formation, Web 3.0, it seems, will be about personalizing an individual's entire Web experience -- not just through data portability, but through community portability. In Web 3.0 your personal data will follow you from destination to destination, allowing you to experience the entire Web in a far more social manner. In order for this to work you need to have a centralized place to store your data -- a "home base" of sorts -- in a Web where you (and your data) may live in a lot of places. Facebook and MySpace both want, very very badly, to be your home base for Web 3.0.

You can read about both MySpace's and Facebook's versions of data portability on TechCrunch. The long and the short of their pitch to users will be this: Store your data on MySpace (or Facebook) and never have to sign up for another social network, service, community or Web site again. For developers and Webmasters the pitch centers more on allowing them to build greater "socialness" into their Web sites and applications (sorry, couldn't think of a good word that was real, so please consider "socialness" my version of Steven Colbert's "truthiness").

Google's Friend Connect takes a slightly different approach. Conceding that not all people are going to be storing their data with Orkut, Google wants to offer the tool set that promises to turn any static Web site into a social media property. As they tie into Facebook and other social networks (it will be very interesting to see when/if MySpace follows), you will begin to experience sites that were once information sources, with limited community, as fully social experiences. You don't have to register to join another site, probably never maintaining your registration data as your life changes (Web 2.0), but that data being tied to one source of data about you that you will maintain. It's not who else likes this site (Web 2.0), but who else that I know who likes this site. These are just basic examples, but you can begin to see the difference.

Great walk through of the Google Friend Connect service on YouTube.

So what does all this mean for the ordinary user? Not much yet, but the plan is that it will spark an evolution of the Web, truly changing the way an individual experiences the Internet. I for one think we might be in for a little bit of a rough ride. Because, while there is great potential for this type of openness, it requires that developers see this as not simply an opportunity to tap into people's social networks on MySpace and Facebook to drive traffic and adoptions, but instead as a way to add value to people's experiences with tools and properties. If you see this as a way to gain more users, but can't find a way to improve the lives of those users, you are missing the potential.

Second, because MySpace and Facebook still don't play nice with each other, and there is no reason to assume they ever will, one is going to have to "win" in order for this to really start changing the Web. Sure, it will change things a little on a lot of sites right away, and may even changes things a lot on a select few sites, but for a majority of people, this is simply a way to extend their current Facebook or MySpace experience -- and they are still one or the other, or they are a Bebo'er or and MyYearbooker or... ubiquity is key.

What does all this mean for marketers? Again, not a lot instantly. But most marketers are Web site publishers and application developers. Start thinking about what it would mean to have people "join" your brand's site and to experience your brand in a more social manner. Also, the above goes for all marketers: If you see this openness as a way of accessing people's friend lists, then you are missing the point, and in the end your brand will be missing the potential.

What value does your brand add to a data and community portable Web 3.0?

RADIO! It All Adds Up To 100

2008-05-16T00:01:00.004-04:00

Okay--it's Friday, May 16th. If my math is correct, we just started the second half of the Spring Arbitron ratings survey. (4/3-6/25) That means you're half-way there! Don't slow down now...crank it up!

As you continue to execute your Spring book plans---take a step back for a moment and ask yourself: "What are we planning to do in these final six weeks of the survey that will make a difference?"

Remember, if you're planning for your market shares to go up...someone else has to come down. It all adds up to 100. You can't control what the other stations do---but you sure can have an impact on what your station does (or doesn't do).

Some people say "Don't worry about the competition" implying that if you worry about what you're doing and take care of YOUR house properly, all will be good. That's not necessarily the case. You almost have to be obsessed with the competition. You have to know what the other stations are doing, what kind of marketing they're employing, what programming changes they've made, what special programming tactics they're using against you and all the other stations in town. (This is critical knowledge for counter-programming AND in your post-book ratings analysis)

Study them. Know their moves. Track their programming changes and promotional events as best you can. PPM shows that even the folks we previously thought were "consistent", "stable", P-1 listeners...were loyal to us--aren't. Even your station's biggest fans have other choices...and they listen elsewhere. They may even go as far as to become P-1 to another format or your primary competitors in the middle of the survey. They ebb and flow--based on THEIR needs and desires---not yours. That doesn't mean they don't like you anymore and won't listen...but you can't afford to lose them--not now...not even just for a week or two. You need every quarter-hour you can get out of them--especially if they're part of the panel.

Get their attention! What do you have planned? Would can you do to make it "bigger than life"? How can you enhance the impact of your tactics? Again, you can't control what the other stations are doing--nor can you control how the Arbitron sample falls. You have complete control over your product offerings. Power up your music--play only the hits! Make sure the jocks are focused. As you get closer to the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the air staff will begin to think "vacation"...when there will still be FOUR weeks of survey remaining. (The list goes on!)

If you're going to increase your share---it's going to have to be at the expense of other stations.

It all adds up to 100...

RADIO! How To Get The Most Out Of Linkedin

2008-05-15T00:01:00.004-04:00

I had a great conversation with a friend of mine about business networking programs like Linkedin. He recently became intrigued and interested in the program but like most of us, signed up, linked up with a few friends and asked "Now What Do I Do?".

So, I turned to Guy Kawasaki---founding partner and entrepreneur-in-residence at Garage Technology Ventures and co-founder of Nononina ( the owner of Alltop.com and Truemors.com). Guy is also a columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine. Previously, he was an Apple Fellow at Apple Computer, Inc. and authored eight books including The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Selling the Dream, and The Macintosh Way. He has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College. If he didn't know...who would?

Most people use LinkedIn to “get to someone” in order to make a sale, form a partnership, or get a job. It works well for this because it is an online network of more than 8.5 million experienced professionals from around the world representing 130 industries. However, it is a tool that is under-utilized, so I’ve compiled a list of ways to increase the value of LinkedIn.

Increase your visibility.

By adding connections, you increase the likelihood that people will see your profile first when they’re searching for someone to hire or do business with. In addition to appearing at the top of search results (which is a major plus if you’re one of the 52,000 product managers on LinkedIn), people would much rather work with people who their friends know and trust.
Improve your connectability.

Most new users put only their current company in their profile. By doing so, they severely limit their ability to connect with people. You should fill out your profile like it’s an executive bio, so include past companies, education, affiliations, and activities.

You can also include a link to your profile as part of an email signature. The added benefit is that the link enables people to see all your credentials, which would be awkward if not downright strange, as an attachment.
Improve your Google PageRank.

LinkedIn allows you to make your profile information available for search engines to index. Since LinkedIn profiles receive a fairly high PageRank in Google, this is a good way to influence what people see when they search for you.

To do this, create a public profile and select “Full View.” Also, instead of using the default URL, customize your public profile’s URL to be your actual name. To strengthen the visibility of this page in search engines, use this link in various places on the web> For example, when you comment in a blog, include a link to your profile in your signature.
Enhance your search engine results.

In addition to your name, you can also promote your blog or website to search engines like Google and Yahoo! Your LinkedIn profile allows you to publicize websites. There are a few pre-selected categories like “My Website,” “My Company,” etc.

If you select “Other” you can modify the name of the link. If you’re linking to your personal blog, include your name or descriptive terms in the link, and voila! instant search-engine optimization for your site. To make this work, be sure your public profile setting is set to “Full View.”
Perform blind, “reverse,” and company reference checks.

LinkedIn’s reference check tool to input a company name and the years the person worked at the company to search for references. Your search will find the people who worked at the company during the same time period. Since references provided by a candidate will generally be glowing, this is a good way to get more balanced data.

Companies will typically check your references before hiring you, but have you ever thought of checking your prospective manager’s references? Most interviewees don’t have the audacity to ask a potential boss for references, but with LinkedIn you have a way to scope her out.

You can also check up on the company itself by finding the person who used to have the job that you’re interviewing for. Do this by searching for job title and company, but be sure to uncheck “Current titles only.” By contacting people who used to hold the position, you can get the inside scoop on the job, manager and growth potential.

By the way, if using LinkedIn in these ways becomes a common practice, we’re apt to see more truthful resumes. There’s nothing more amusing than to find out that the candidate who claims to have caused some huge success was a total bozo who was just along for the ride.
Increase the relevancy of your job search.

Use LinkedIn’s advanced search to find people with educational and work experience like yours to see where they work. For example, a programmer would use search keywords such as “Ruby on Rails,” “C++,” “Python,” “Java,” and “evangelist” to find out where other programmers with these skills work.
Make your interview go smoother.

You can use LinkedIn to find the people that you’re meeting. Knowing that you went to the same school, plays hockey, or shares acquaintances is a lot better than an awkward silence after, “I’m doing fine, thank you.”
Gauge the health of a company.

Perform an advanced search for company name and uncheck the “Current Companies Only” box. This will enable you to scrutinize the rate of turnover and whether key people are abandoning ship. Former employees usually give more candid opinions about a company’s prospects than someone who’s still on board.
Gauge the health of an industry.

If you’re thinking of investing or working in a sector, use LinkedIn to find people who worked for competitors—or even better, companies who failed. For example, suppose you wanted to build a next generation online pet store, you’d probably learn a lot from speaking with former Pets.com or WebVan employees.
Track startups.

You can see people in your network who are initiating new startups by doing an advanced search for a range of keywords such as “stealth” or “new startup.” Apply the “Sort By” filter to “Degrees away from you” in order to see the people closest to you first.
Ask for advice.

LinkedIn’s newest product, LinkedIn Answers, aims to enable this online. The product allows you to broadcast your business-related questions to both your network and the greater LinkedIn network. The premise is that you will get more high-value responses from the people in your network than more open forums.

For example, here are some questions an entrepreneur might ask when the associates of a venture capital firm come up blank:
- Who’s a good, fast, and cheap patent lawyer?
- What should we pay a vp of biz dev?
- Is going to Demo worth it?
  
  How much traffic does a TechCrunch plug generate?

12. Integrate into a new job.

When people start a new job, ordinarily their roots aren’t that deep in the new company. However, with Linkedin, new employees can study fellow employees’ profiles and therefore help them get to know more people faster in a new company.

13. Scope out the competition, customers, partners, etc. This seems like it’s a no-brainer, but you can use LinkedIn to scope out the competition’s team as well as the team of customers and partners. For example, your competitor’s vp of marketing came from Oracle...she’ll probably believe that business is war.

In addition, a quick Google search on maximizing the use of Linkedin and pulled up a series of suggestions worth reviewing. All this--from simple small talk...

100+ Smart Ways to Use LinkedIn

This resource is intended for people who…

…are new to LinkedIn and wondering how to use it to help you in your business and career
…have been using LinkedIn a while but felt like you haven’t really been accomplishing anything with it
…are trying to persuade their friends to join LinkedIn and want to communicate the value proposition
…think there’s no real value in LinkedIn (and those who want to rebutt them)

Business Development / Marketing / Sales

A Tool to Help with Reference Selling - Dave Stein
Getting More Than Just Answers - Diane K. Danielson
How to Use LinkedIn to Build Your Business - Liz Ryan (via The Virtual Handshake blog)
Market Your Company on LinkedIn - Gordon Choi
Using LinkedIn for Market Research - Loren Baker / Jason Calacanis
Secrets LinkedIn Can Tell You About Your Customers - Matt Asay
Using LinkedIn to Make the Sale - Al Chase (excerpt from The Virtual Handshake)
Warm Calling via LinkedIn - Alex Iskold

Career Management / Personal Branding / Resumes

Becoming a Recognized Subject Matter Expert on LinkedIn - Barbara Rozgonyi
Brush Up Your Resume - CarlenLea
Enhance Your Resume with LinkedIn Testimonials - Harry Joiner
LinkedIn and Career Management - Jason Alba
LinkedIn as Resume 2.0 - Scott Sehlhorst
Your Reputation: Create a Permalink - Todd Defren

Job Search

Best Practices for a LinkedIn Job Search - Konstantin Guericke (via Dave Taylor)
How Do I Use LinkedIn to Find a Job? - Dave Taylor
How to Use LinkedIn to Find a New Position - Eric Mariacher
How to Find a Job Using LinkedIn - Liz Ryan (via Dave Taylor)
LinkedIn and Your Job Search - Alison Doyle
Following Up on Inside Connections at Potential Employers - Scott Allen
Searching the Hidden Job Market for Opportunities - Debra Feldman
Using LinkedIn to Prepare for Your Job Interview - Darlene McDaniel

Recruiting

Companies Use LinkedIn to Find Top Talent - Desire Athow

Growing Your Network

Grow Your Network While You Don’t Need It - Eric Mariacher
Growing Your Network Online - Kathie Thomas
LinkedIn as Cult Builder - Matthew Reinbold

Keeping in Touch

Borrowing the Expertise of Others - Eric Eggertson

Meeting Face-to-Face

Breaking the Ice at a Meeting with LinkedIn - Pete Johnson
Using LinkedIn to Fill Out Your Business Trip - Scott Allen
Using LinkedIn for Travel - Marc Freedman
Connecting with People in Your Network When Traveling - Stewart Rogers

Organizing and Extending Groups

Using LinkedIn to Create a Granfalloon - F. John Reinke
Pros and Cons of LinkedIn for Alumni Groups - Andrew Shaindlin

Miscellaneous

Introducting Your Network to Each Other - Scott Allen
Using LinkedIn to Find Celebrity Guests - Stan Relihan
Unpredictable Benefits of LinkedIn - Nathan Gilliatt
LinkedIn a Box - Brendon Connelly

Specific Jobs / Industries

10 Ways Journalists Can Use LinkedIn - Penelope Trunk
LinkedIn for Startup Entrepreneurs: 5 Reasons to Join - Dharmesh Shah
Five Ways IT Managers Can Get More Out of LinkedIn - Shane Schick
Five Ways Authors Can Profit from LinkedIn - Mahesh Grossman

Lists

How to Change the World: Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn - Guy Kawasaki
20 Ways to Use LinkedIn Productively - Web Worker Daily
Making Your LinkedIn Business Network Pay Dividends - Tatsuya Nakagawa & Peter Paul Roosen
Top Reasons to Use LinkedIn - Various, compiled by Chris Pirillo

RADIO! Clear Channel Continues to Work the Web

2008-05-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

CBS and Emmis have gotten a lot of the recent accolades for their latest web-based efforts, and all we seem to hear about Clear Channel---is stock and buyout news. Hats off to Clear Channel for rolling out more features to their arsenal of online tools. Clear Channel is adding new media riffs to its online radio formula, enabling listeners to access lyrics and producing video spots for advertisers.

Lyrics are offered online through the Gracenote Lyrics service. It’s integrated into the media player for online listeners, who can now click on an icon on any of the 800 Clear Channel Radio station sites to access lyrics while a tune is playing. The top 20 tunes on any given station are also archived on the sites.

“Lyrics are one of the most requested features from our listeners and our program directors,” said Paul Miraldi, vice president of programming and marketing for Clear Channel Online Music & Radio. “We try to integrate into our site to make it easier to find and put it at their fingertips.”

Miraldi considers the feature one that has appeal across all demographics, from top 40 listeners to classic rock fans and alternative rock adherents.

In a relatively new feature of the “Stripped” music performance series on Clear Channel sites, listeners can now take videos of artists’ acoustic studio performances—up to five tunes—and move them with a widget to their own Web sites on Facebook or MySpace. The Jonas Brothers have drawn 6,000 takers since the feature was incorporate on Clear Channel sites in March. “It just virally spreads,” Miraldi said.

In small and medium-sized markets, Clear Channel is offering stations a new feature for advertisers from StudioNow: 15 seconds of professional quality pre-roll video integrated into on-demand programming packages. The service is incorporated into the cost of the ads. Miraldi said the new advertising video service responds to needs of both advertisers and stations in more moderately sized markets.

RADIO! If Content is King...then Context is Queen

2008-05-13T00:01:00.004-04:00

We are all, no doubt, familiar with the well-worn cliché that Content is King. Popularized (or -- depending on your perspective -- worn out) in the dot-com era, the overriding importance of content is a truism that drives all volitional consumption of media. Even the idlest of browsing or channel-hopping is driven by the desire to find something of interest or relevance, and such browsing stops at the point where the desire is satisfied - at least temporarily.

This has become ever more the case as we assimilate the various forms of choice, control and convenience (the Holy Trinity of modern media) that consumers are increasingly able to exercise in ever more varied ways.

As Mike Bloxham points out, as the importance of content and its impact on both attention and delivering an audience to advertisers continues to grow, so grows the importance of context.

Not only do we see this in the much-heralded promise of addressable advertising (which is all about context), but it is also evident in the many ongoing about which content and advertising is right for which platforms, audiences, occasions etc., as all content goes multi-platform in pursuit of audiences (and the revenues associated with them).

Contextual relevance can be defined in a number of ways, ranging from the audience for which it is intended, the time it is made available, the speakers and screens (and their size) through which it is delivered, the duration and format of the content, the functionality of the content (what can I do with it), the location of the content and so on.

Many of these elements are factored into the communications planning process as it is developed. Fewer of them find their way through to the station's marketing plan -- and fewer still to the media buying process, due to the difficulty of operationalizing insights driven by the planning process.

However, as we see more place-based digital media in our daily lives, the issue of which content works best for which location becomes even more critical. For the relatively short periods of time we are exposed to many of those outlets, our attention needs to be grabbed by a story that demonstrates relevance and saliency - maybe there's a call to action in the mix as well.

The locations where messages are popping up are so incredibly varied, that it is impossible to address this issue with broad brush strokes. Contextual relevance is to a large extent determined by the consumer, after all. For example, my attitudes towards advertising on TV screens at retail locations, the extent to which I pay attention to them and -- most important -- how I utilize the content they carry to aid my shopping will vary from the next shopper.

Clearly, when working the advertising message into your website elements, e-mail blasts, streaming players, or any special feature on or off the air...it becomes more effective in-context. Common sense tells you that you're more likely to sell fishing supplies or boating gear if the message is attached to a fishing-boating report. Ads for women's sanitary products wouldn't be a good fit inside a NASCAR race. Well-placed ads in PM drive for restaurants or take out service hit the hungry listener on the way home from work. While these are obvious, basic examples--you can visualize where contextual planning may be highly beneficial when it comes to both sales and programming.

Developing useful, beneficial, and entertaining content is one thing...using it in the correct context is another.

RADIO! Teens and Online Activities

2008-05-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

The numbers are staggering. According to a Pew study, 93% of teens are online, and an NSBA study has found that 9-to-17-year-olds spend an average of nine hours a week on social networks alone. Amy Gibby reports that within the last month, eMarketer published a new statistic showing that social consumption by 10- to 12-year-olds doubled from '06 to '07. So the growth isn't over yet.

How do we account for the big boom? Generation-defining exercises aside, the explanation can be chalked up simply to that universal truth of being a teen: boredom. Pre-Internet, they relieved their ennui by hanging out at teen hot spots like the mall. Now they're killing time hanging out online -- at virtual malls like MySpace, Facebook and eSPIN.com, among others.

You don't need a crystal ball to visualize that radio's future successes will come with an integrated parallel web-plan. The two will need to go hand-in-hand. The younger generation is tethered to their cell phones and computers for social connection in addition to entertainment and communications. Radio needs the Internet connection...and radio needs to figure out how to make money with a combined business model.

Radio might want to stop and reconsider HOW it builds its station websites. Many look like NASCAR cars--packed with ads. Others look like sales brochures for radio stations--mimicking the model of 95% of all 'sites for any product in every product category. Who said there was a "standard" to follow? Nobody declared a specific model was "best"...after all, the Internet was the wild, wild west and virtually---anything goes. Why did radio follow the visual leader?

Once broadcast groups started hiring REAL web-people to manage the websites, I thought things might change. Maybe these talented new media hires weren't being allowed to reinvent the wheel in a grand new vision---but all they ended up doing was to shine up the same old turd. Nobody took a step back and thought about radio's core product and long-term marketing approach. We looked around at what everyone else was doing (those who borrowed THEIR ideas from what everyone else was doing) and simply did what they did---only with our own twists. Nearly every radio station website looks the same and operates the same.

I don't need to reiterate the stats. We know that young people aren't using "radio" like previous generations. Instead of focusing on the reasons why, let's focus on the fixing the problem---both on the air and in our new companion tool: The Internet. These young people will be growing into desired demos and bringing their behaviors with them. We can't force THEM to change...they'll force US to change.

WEEKEND RADIO! Mother's Day Music

2008-05-11T00:01:00.002-04:00

It's Mother's Day. I've been listening to a number of different country stations online today. It's a shame that many just don't get it. They're so caught up in programming their non-intrusive jukeboxes that they end up missing the forest for the trees.

Mother's Day (weekend) presents a tremendous tactical opportunity for country stations...especially because so many are already targeting or leaning more female than male in gender composition. These are family-valued stations, and sometimes, programmers forget to immerse themselves into the real world of their family-values driven listeners.

If your station didn't bother to produce a specific package of Mom's Day imaging, promos, vignettes, etc. or showcase many of the prolific "honor mom" songs available in the format, either you're either distracted/overwhelmed or asleep at the wheel. It's a golden opportunity to connect with your target---a direct hit on the center of the bulls eye.

"Mom" is the foundation on which the country format is built.

Television gets it right. There are numerous channels that build weekend programming around movies and shows that honor mom, remember mom, showcase mom, etc. A lot of radio stations I've been listening to---must think that a quick jock mention of "Happy Mother's Day" is more than enough to sound timely and topical. We have all these audio/video/graphic tools available to us for our on-air product, websites, e-mail blasts, on-site events, etc; yet--many stations barely make a token effort.

The downside of a budget-cutting based business model is that experienced, creative programmers with a grand vision for audience growth and audience satisfaction are no longer needed. (Just keep the music rolling without intrusion?) Programming is as much an "art" as it is a "science". There's a reason why Christmas programming wins at Christmastime---the emotional connection is reinforced.

If you're a 25-54 female-driven format, what's the downside of creating special programming tools that focus on moms and soon to be moms? I don't see one. All I see is a missed opportunity to sync up with real life and reflect and mirror the big event of the weekend---(Hallmark moment aside).

WEEKEND RADIO! Raised On Radio

2008-05-10T00:01:00.004-04:00

While I'm out shopping for a Mother's Day present, Mobile Insider's Steve Smith checks in with an outsider's view of radio and texting. Some keen insights into how mobile marketing is making in-roads in radio's sales, promotions, and marketing model.

Anyone else remember a time when radio DJs were not all super-caffeinated -- but nicely anesthetized? The need to fill air time with fast-paced chatter is so profound now that drive-time shows seem to require a trio in the studio and "Wayne, Our Eye Guy in the Sky" playing the straight man. Maybe I was spoiled by '70s FM rock. Even NPR seems a bit too chipper for me. Back in the day, I remember when we kept our DJs well stoned and searching minutes for the next word. "That was.....Leon Russell...Lavender.......................Blue."

Personally, nowadays, I wouldn't mind if Fresh Air's Terry Gross took a couple of hits before air time.

And so I am not the best guy to judge radio or radio audiences, but I am intrigued by some of the ways that stations are embracing SMS -- both as a promotional tool and as a way to build community.

A Portland, Maine station, Citadel's WJBQ had its second annual "Q Baby Idol" contest, which had people email in their cutest baby pictures and asked listeners to vote by email and SMS on the winner. According to promotions director Tim Moore, "last year we had over 400,000 emails and 231,000 text votes. This year we had 904,000 texts and 250,000 emails." Not only are the volumes of text votes enormous (i.e. potential ad space in the response text messages) but the supplanting of email with SMS is noteworthy.

Moore says that for his younger listeners, email is passé. "I have an email database of about 12,000, and response to it is fantastic, but it is all in the upper demos, not teens." He expects the text database soon to outpace his email community.

"One station spent 12 years building an email list to 25,000. We were at 50% of that community in six months," says Martin Kristiseter, founder and executive vice president, mSnap, which powers text programs at WJBQ and hundreds of other stations around the U.S. MSnap provides a platform to radio stations for free and retains the right to the traffic for in-text ads and cross-promoting to mobile content. It shares learnings and templates across the network.

Contests like free concert tickets and private concerts for a winning high school can generate phenomenal SMS volumes. Whether through double opt-in or through an over-air disclaimer when they are prompted to text in, the users are converted into SMS community members.

For an Atlanta country station, the offer of a private concert by Kellie Pickler led to a war among high schools and over 2 million texts in about nine days of promotion. Because so many SMS users are voting serially, the actual number of community sign-ups resulting from these campaigns is a fraction of the SMS volume. But still, Kristiseter says that only about 20% drop out of a radio SMS community when an on-air disclaimer is used, and less than 10% drop out when they sign up via a double opt-in. In essence the promotion kick starts the community, which then can be leveraged in many ways.

The SMS database is a lot more flexible for certain things. For instance, a radio station can use it for a kind of "stealth marketing" when a DJ is broadcasting from a local merchant. Moore says that the over-air prompts to "come on down" to an auto dealership may not work very well all the time. But if the DJ brings along 50 CDs and then hits only your list of opted-in SMS club members with an offer of free CDs to the first 50 visitors, suddenly a crowd shows up. "It is a great marketing tool for the station and it glides under the radar," he says.

During ratings periods, Moore can hit his club on the Thursday survey day with a contest offer to tune in and win when they hear a secret word mentioned on air. Instant audience.

Radio has a unique hold on the people who are loyal to it, and so the medium offers a special kind of fit with SMS response. It is a lot cheaper than TV for running a prompt, and the text-in message can run throughout the day. Kristiseter says that in comparisons of the effectiveness of various media acting as triggers for SMS response, outdoor advertising and radio were among the most successful, but they work at different rates. Outdoor promotions take several months to achieve the same response rate as a single week of radio mentions. TV and radio both perform well, but TV is much more expensive.

Of course, being a trusted correspondent in a consumer's SMS ring is an invitation for abuse. As brands get closer to users, the need for restraint becomes greater. Two to four SMS messages a month from a text "club" seems to be the accepted norm lately, unless the subscription is to text alerts that you expect with greater frequency. I have always said that mobile media is going to press some of our own rhetoric about wanting "relationships" with consumers. Are brands really ready to trade value for attention?

As for me, I am not sure SMS would fit any of my favorite laconic DJs of yesteryear. This clearly is a medium made for the radio of 2008, not 1974. The potheads at WNEW-FM in New York would space out on the shortcode before they even got to the end of the prompt. "That was Foghat before that three hour set of King Crimson. Just remember...to get your free Emerson Lake...and Palmer tickets for...the Garden show...just text in 'Hoedown' to...to.......well, wherever you texted to last time for the Yes shows."

RADIO! Understanding the Value of BLOGS to Women

2008-05-09T00:01:00.002-04:00

We all know that men and women communicate differently. Women tend to "share" and confide more with other women. It's no surprise that women love to BLOG. It's a great way to express one's thoughts, ideas, and emotions. What's surprising is how few radio stations and jocks working at female targeted stations are BLOGGING and making their relationship with women deeper and more intimate. If it's a way to forge a stronger bond and connection, wouldn't it make sense to develop a give and take forum off the radio when it's more convenient for your female (and male) listeners to click in?

A recent release of a new social media benchmark study of more than 6,000 women by BlogHer, in conjunction with Compass Partners, shows that 36.2 million women actively participate in the blogsophere every week, with 15.1 million publishing and 21.1 million reading and commenting.

68% of this BlogHer community is concentrated in the 25 to 41 age group (the GenXr's), compared to 42% for the general blogging population. Together, the Millienials and the Matures account for only about 10% of this community. Two thirds have completed college, and 46% earn over $75,000 compared to only 25% of the general community.

Online Women Demographics

.....................................................General Population...........BlogHer Women

Married/Living together.......................62%....................................77%
Number in HHD..................................3.2 ..................................... 3.2
Have children at home ........................46% ...................................58%
Employed full time.............................. 34% ...................................45%

Education

High school graduate or less ..............20%.................................... 4.8%

Technical or trade school graduate .....5% ......................................3.0%

Some college/university......................40% ....................................25%
Graduated from college/university......22%......................................37%
Some post-graduate work.................... 5% .....................................10%
Masters or doctorate degree................ 9% ......................................20%

Income

Under $25,000 .....................................18% ....................................8%
$25,000 - $34,999 ...............................14%.................................... 9%

$35,000 - $49,999 ...............................20% ..................................14%
$50,000 - $74,999 ...............................24% ..................................23%
$75,000 - $99,999 ...............................14% ...................................18%
$100,000 - $124,999............................ 5% ....................................13%
Greater than $125,000..........................6% .....................................15%

Source: BlogHer & Compass Partners, April 2008

The blogging rates are highest among Millennials and GenX "digital natives," says the report, and Online media participation rates decline with increasing age.

Additional highlights from the study:

Women are so passionate about blogging, says the report, that large percentages said they would give something up to keep the blogs they read and/or write:

55% would give up alcohol
50% would give up their PDAs
42% would give up their i-Pod
43% would give up reading the newspaper or magazines
only 20% would give up chocolate

Time shift from traditional media is accelerating in the general Internet population:

24% of women surveyed watch less television because of blogging
25% read fewer magazines because they are blogging
22% read fewer newspapers because they're blogging

In addition:

More than half of women surveyed consider blogs a reliable source of advice and information...
Half of women surveyed say blogs influence their purchase decisions...
For more information: BlogHer/CompassPartners

RADIO! Country Music Loses Two...Eddy Arnold and Jerry Wallace

2008-05-08T16:21:00.003-04:00

Technology captured their music and saves it for posterity...but it doesn't fill the hole they leave behind. Eddy Arnold and Jerry Wallace have both passed away. A couple of "classics" that will be missed.

Eddy Arnold singing "Make the World Go Away"

(From RJ Curtis @ Radio & Records)

Coming Monday, May 12, RCA is releasing a special single from Arnold called "To Life," from 2005's "After All These Years" CD. This was actually in the works prior to Arnold's death, as the label was hoping to celebrate Arnold's 90th birthday with yet another charted single from the icon -- he's charted songs in the '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s -- and mark a record-breaking seventh decade with Arnold appearing on the country charts.

RCA is moving ahead with this plan, encouraging country radio to play the single Thursday, May 15 -- Arnold's 90th -- during the morning show. The label will make it available digitally through Play MPE, or radio can contact their RCA rep; hell, they'll even overnight you a copy if you simply ask them. It sounds like a warm and touching tribute for someone who meant so much to this format.

Jerry Wallace singing "In The Misty Moonlight":

RADIO! CBS Makes More Headlines

2008-05-08T00:01:00.003-04:00

In case you missed the big news the other day, here's a recap:

Starting this June, 140 CBS radio stations, as well as the AOL Radio network will be available on the Web through a single media player. Plans call for social radio widget too.

CBS Radio unveiled plans for a new Internet radio network earlier this week. Speaking to a packed audience of media buyers and sales executives, CBS Radio President Dan Mason introduced the new digital network as part of a campaign aimed at destroying “the myth that no one listens to radio anymore.”

The digital network, which will debut in June, will provide access to all 140 CBS stations, as well as the AOL Radio network, through a single media player. In addition, later in the summer, CBS will introduce a new advertiser supported portal, called Play.it, that will allow users to create their own radio stations that can then be carried to social networking sites.

According to CBS, once all the parts are in place, it will own the largest Internet radio network, aggregating millions of listeners through one portal. “We want to define the next generation of Internet radio,” David Goodman, president of the digital radio group, said last night.

Ad sales have been growing for Internet radio, but the medium has yet to gain serious traction among advertisers. Media buyers say CBS’s moves are a step in the right direction. “It’s long overdue,” said Deborah O’Rell, president of Urban Communications, which specializes in radio marketing. “This will be a great way to get younger people listening to radio.”

Whether it succeeds or fails...one thing is clear: CBS "gets it"...and they're going after "it" big time!

RADIO! Fans get to vote for ACM Entertainer of The Year

2008-05-07T00:01:00.008-04:00

The 43rd Academy of Country Music Awards are coming up on Sunday, May 18th. The broadcast, hosted once again by Reba McEntire...begins at 8pm (Eastern) on CBS-TV.

Kenny Chesney leads this year with twelve nominations, including Entertainer of the Year - followed by Rodney Atkins with six nods including Top Male Vocalist - and Brad Paisley, nominated as Top Male Vocalist, Album of the Year and Video of the Year for "Online."

This year, the Academy of Country Music introduces a new twist: Fan voting. Taking their cue from American Idol and other similar fan-picked awards, for the first time ever---fans can help pick the winner in the most prestigious category of the year. The Entertainer of the Year will be determined by a combination of votes from the ACM and the viewers participating in this Entertainer of the Year voting. The voting continues until 10:40pm (Eastern) on awards night-May 18th.

This will certainly add a new dimension to the show. As the five final nominees are showcased during the broadcast, fans can hop online and cast their vote---and see the results by sticking around until the end of the show. (In reading the fine print of the rules, it's one vote per IP address.)

Owning CMA and ACM nights has always been an important promotional tool for country stations in the middle of the Fall and Spring ratings periods. After budgets got slashed, I'm not sure how many stations have been able to partner up with CBS affiliates in their markets to maximize the evening, but this year---with it being on a Sunday night (big TV night for country's key demo) the natural recycle back to the station on Monday morning is perfect. The only thing better is when the show gets Wednesday night placement and allows recycling back to Thursday morning during a ratings period.

Even better, Sunday nights are "dead nights" for most stations. Sunday night radio listening levels are so low, you'll actually feel more comfortable this year encouraging your listeners to tune-in to the TV on a Sunday night---especially if you have spots, promos, or crawls scheduled in the broadcast. Each time you plug the TV broadcast, be sure to reinforce your Monday morning re-cap and listener reaction to the winners and losers--on your station. Use it as a promotional vehicle to showcase the format's big talent and hot new songs---and tie it back to your radio station.

Don't forget to put your webmaster or Internet person on call Sunday night. If you want to be the "country authority", don't wait until arriving in the office at 9am on Monday morning to post the winners and the highlights on your station website. Results should be posted immediately at the conclusion of the show at 11pm on Sunday. If someone misses part of the show, they should be able to find the list of winners on your site when they get up at 5 or 6 in the morning. Don't force them to go somewhere else to find out whether their favorites won or not.

RADIO! At Work Listening

2008-05-06T00:01:00.009-04:00

Here's a headline we were anticipating:

"Online Radio Listening At-Work Grows"

The latest Internet & Multimedia study, conducted among people who are employed full time or part time and who listen at work, shows a clear up-and-down trend according to the latest from Edison Media Research and Arbitron.

Arbitron says “the portion of people who listen most often to radio stations through a computer over the Internet has grown from 12% to 20% in one year’s time.”

“The portion who listen most often via a regular radio has declined from 88% to 80%.” That’s a real swing in just 12 months. And Arbitron says when you control for education, “among college graduates, 30% say they listen most often to radio stations over the Internet.” That’s contrasted to a figure of 12% for non-college grads.

Edison’s Larry Rosin says “the findings suggest that broadcasters need to think about the quality of their streams, and promote the ability to listen to radio online.”
“After all, on the Internet, the competition is not just the other stations in town. The possibilities are essentially infinite.”

Obviously, this shouldn't surprise anyone. Next year, when a follow-up study is completed---it shouldn't come as a shock that it continues to increase. All you have to do is look around and watch the day to day behavior of co-workers, friends, and family members. As their collective behavior begins to change, it usually indicates a shifting of social behaviors on some level.

With the wide use of broadband and high-speed Internet in most workplaces, it's pretty easy to keep audio quietly running in the background while you work. (unless workplace rules prohibit it) This is a predictable behavior pattern for the desk-bound or anyone in an office setting. We're groomed to multi-task...and this is a natural extension of our busy lives.

Is your station "P-1 stream-ready"? Is it easy to listen to you online? How many steps does it take from site entry to audio usage? What's the sound quality like? Is it seamless or cutting off audio every time you go from audio to commercials? What streaming support tools are you applying? (title and artist info, last 10 played, etc;) What is your streaming experience like? Does it complement your radio usage? (After all, from the user's standpoint, it's the SAME thing!)

RADIO! Nobody Wins When You're A Label Shill

2008-05-05T00:01:00.005-04:00

Okay, so your music station has an artist stop by the station and you want to put the artist on the air for an interview and maybe play a song or two...now what? First off...don't be a record label shill---whether the artist is live, on the phone, or pre-recorded. Nobody really benefits when the station acts as a label shill.

What could possibly be more boring than the typical "So, when does the new album come out?" , "Who were your influences?", and "Where's the next stop on your tour?" questions, and their lame, predictable answers. Who really cares about that? You stopped the music to talk about THAT?

The goal should be to use the artist and his or her performance to INCREASE the entertainment value of your show/station...otherwise, you're wasting every one's time.

The artist is framed and positioned as someone "fun"...and gives the listener a reason to like that artist--particularly if it's someone they're not familiar with. The station is haloed by presenting something different--that's actually interesting and memorable.

Don't settle for the typical pap. Plan the interaction and control the environment. Make sure that your interviews have the same entertainment and personality elements as the rest of your show. Create a listening experience--that "we've" never heard before.

One of the strangest, yet funniest---and most compelling interviews I've ever heard came from Terry & Staci Coffey in the Morning on WKIS in Miami in the Summer of 2002. SheDaisy was in town visiting stations and promoting their latest CD. In prepping for the interview, they found a little tidbit in some showprep material--that one of the SheDaisy girls loves to cook. So, prior to their arrival...a hot plate, utensils, and ingredients were gathered.

As the interview began, Terry invited the "cook" (I believe it was Kelsi) to prepare a breakfast omelet while they chatted. They were willing to play along...and as the conversation continued, there were scattered references to how things were coming along in the pan, etc; in addition to the background sounds of eggs cracking, mixing, cooking, etc.

Always conscious of overstaying their welcome, they proceeded in and out of breaks over the span of about 15 minutes while the SheDaisy girls chatted, and talked about their latest CD, played the new singles, etc. At the end, they served up the giant omelet for everyone in the studio and the visit came to an interesting conclusion. The side show, added an interesting twist to what may have turned out to be a "typical" interview---with an artist who at the time---was getting a reputation for being "difficult" to deal with. (Kristyn just went through her divorce) The girls actually enjoyed it---it caught them off-guard, but in a good way. They let down their guard a bit and it made for an entertaining secondary story-line in the interview.

I remember hearing a Morning Drive team in Texas doing something similar. They learned that singer Daryle Singletary's dog "sings" along with him, baying and howling while Daryle sings. When they had him on the show a couple of days before he played in a station-sponsored concert, they made sure to have him go get his dog while we had him on the phone, and got the two of them to "sing" together on the air! It was a very human moment, so real...so NOT staged and contrived. It was anti-record business hype, yet created a moment that created a magical connection between a listener and a young act.

If you have a main theme going for that day, try to get the guest to fit into what the show's already doing. Bring the guest in as a sort of "co-host" when you can.

I've heard many other memorable examples of artist interviews on country stations. Most of the artists "get it"...and are willing to have a little fun---because it helps them build THEIR brand too. (and maybe sell a few CDs or concert tickets in the process) On the downside, you tend to hear many horrible interviews on the air. Clearly, the jock wasn't prepared, had no plan, and was "winging" it from start to finish---hoping to stumble upon some magic that never happened. Instead of creating a memorable, entertaining moment, listeners were left with a reason to scratch their heads and maybe even tune out completely.

Without making the artist feel uncomfortable---get them out of their comfort zone. If they come in expecting stock questions in a standard Q & A setting...all you'll get are their practiced, prepared, stock answers...along with a series of plugs for their new project.

Just because the artist is willing to chat with your station---it doesn't make it special. Just talking with an artist, doesn't automatically make for compelling radio. You have to create the opportunity--and that takes planning and preparation...followed by execution.

The next time an artist visits or calls---think about what your talent can do to make the interaction cause a reaction. If it's not better than the music you COULD BE PLAYING, then why even bother doing it? Just because they're available?

WEEKEND RADIO! Mother's Day is One Week Away

2008-05-04T00:01:00.007-04:00

With Mother's Day around the corner--just one week from today, (Sunday, May 11th) Sarah Mahoney shares her thoughts on how a softer sell might be a better strategy to reach Gen Y moms.
With many country stations targeting 25-54 females, it becomes even MORE important to understand the hot buttons of marketing and programming to these women on their terms.

While the daily drill of motherhood is the same no matter how old you are, new research from Moxie Interactive is finding that when it comes to getting the help she needs, Gen Y moms are a little different.

These moms, born after 1978, are as committed to finding products they trust as other generations, says Joanna Sammartino, Moxie Interactive's New York managing director. "But perhaps since they don't have as extensive a network of friends with kids as older women do, they put a lot more stock in what their peers say about other brands. They'll respond to a recommendation from another parent much more favorably than a straightforward ad," she says.

When using such popular parenting sites as BabyCenter or BabyZone, for example, Gen Y moms are much more apt to use the community features--posting comments and questions to other moms, and using different tools found on the navigations bars--whereas older moms are more likely to zoom right toward the commerce section.

For marketers, she says, that means it's important to invest in the "softer sell" and focus on getting their brand names mentioned on blogs, social-networking sites, or by building useful tools. "Anything that builds brand awareness, relevancy and word-of-mouth is very important. Millennials, especially, are relying on this social currency."

Obviously, these moms are most at ease with the latest and greatest technology, from iPhones to laptops. "The Millennial mom integrates technology seamlessly into her life; she blogs, sends text messages and IMs, and has the Internet in the palm of her hand," Moxie's research has found.

Gen X Moms, on the other hand, born between 1965 and 1977, are much more overtly focused on keeping all aspects of their lives in balance. While they're as PDA-proficient as Gen Y moms, they're less likely to spend hours evaluating new products and services, and tend to buy whatever is most convenient.

Moxie, an interactive ad agency that works for such clients as Nestle, Coca-Cola and Maybelline, says that while Boomer moms tend to be less tech-proficient, they are willing to spend a surprising amount of time comparing prices, products and services--perhaps because they are more likely to have older kids who require less hands-on care.

But for all mothers-about 80.5 million of them--"trust and recommendations from other parents matter more than anything."

Finally, Sammartino says, marketers may be missing mom-centric opportunities because they're just in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Marketers should be targeting moms at different places throughout the day," she says, "finding her in her natural environment," in stores, gas stations, and even playing games.

"Marketers think mothers are just too busy to play casual games," she says, but Moxie has found that plenty of moms are de-stressing with electronic games. "And they regard something like a marketer putting a brand name on checkers, for example, as a non-intrusive, non-marketing way to reach them."

What are you doing that is specifically targeted to the women listening to your station? Are you painting with broad strokes or using a brush with fine hairs to precision target?

WEEKEND RADIO! Why Passion Matters

2008-05-03T00:01:00.001-04:00

How is the spirit in your building? Do you get the sense that your team is hungry? Do you get the feeling that your co-workers are invested? Max Kalehoff checks in with a reminder that passion matters. At a time when radio people are more worried about "covering their butts" and staying employed, the exuberance and passion is placed on hold.

In a hyper-competitive market, competence is expected and only flawless execution is tolerable. But that's no longer enough. Today, the ultimate competitive advantage is passion.

When passion lets loose, you drive focus, cultivate mastery, leverage spontaneity, foster creativity, build intuition and live toward mission. The dots connect. Clarity emerges. Your own bar of excellence sets higher, and you become infatuated with exceeding it.

The result is accelerated and extended value creation that otherwise would never have been possible.

Think of the places in your business where the presence of passion really matters -- making you stand out beyond the rest, or sink into mediocrity. It's about approaching things with the utmost thought and care, versus doing anything less.

In my experience, there are a few places in business especially sensitive to passion:

Listening and understanding your customers and the market.
Innovating based on your market insight and intuition.
Building your product with quality and speed.
Ensuring the highest aesthetic and usability.
Refining your product over and over and over again, until it's better and better and better.
Paying attention to all the details and signals that comprise the experience.
Inspiring your employees, customers, investors and other stakeholders.
Engaging and collaborating with customers.
Fixing things quickly when they go wrong -- and then making them far better.
Using your product yourself and recommending it to friends because you truly believe it's the best.

Businesses with passion tend to excel in these areas, while businesses that don't tend to just get by or break. I know -- this is all obvious. But the irony is that most businesses and brands I encounter come up short.

It's probably because passion is not something that can be bought, outsourced or faked. Rather, the presence of passion has more to do with an authentic and fierce desire for your product to really change the game. Of course, it also has a huge amount to do with the CEO and leadership. It has to do with hiring and grooming an employee base that is culturally aligned and motivated with a real stake in the outcome. Same for investors, advisors, listeners, customers and partners.

Who's doing it right? We can all name some of the mega-brands that veer toward passion, like Apple, Google and JetBlue. But passion is equally important in smaller businesses, and perhaps more attainable and prevalent.

Does your station and product embody passion? If not, it's probably at risk of being displaced by one that does.

RADIO! Summer Movie Promotional Tie-Ins

2008-05-02T15:27:00.004-04:00

The Summer movie season kicks off early. If you're planning to tie in with some of the new blockbusters, here are the scheduled release dates from Miami Herald's Rene Rodriguez:

Indiana Jones? Check. Batman? Yep. Will Smith? Him too.

There will be no shortage of box-office draws during the 2008 summer movie season, which is so loaded with potential blockbusters that it may surpass last year's record-setting summer grosses of $4.15 billion, the highest in Hollywood history.

That is no guarantee the movies themselves will be good, of course: Just because they've made another Hulk picture doesn't mean it will be any better. But at least on paper, the 2008 summer movie lineup certainly looks formidable enough.

Here is a list of the 50-plus movies heading our way between now and Labor Day. Iron Man and Made of Honor kicked things off this weekend...but it's only the beginning.

MAY 9
Speed Racer: In their first film since The Matrix Revolutions, directors Larry and Andy Wachowski turn the TV cartoon staple into the first live-action anime film. Emile Hirsch is Speed, Christina Ricci is Trixie, John Goodman is Pops and Matthew Fox is Racer X.

The Fall: Tarsem Singh (The Cell) directs this visually striking fantasy about the tall tales a bedridden man tells a little girl during her stay at a hospital.

What Happens in Vegas: The morning after a night of drunken partying in Vegas, two strangers (Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher) wake up to discover they're married to each other and they share a $3 million jackpot. So each tries to make the other file for divorce so they can keep the loot.

MAY 16
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The next installment in author C.S. Lewis' fantasy series about the magical realm of Narnia is set a year after the events of the first film, which translates into 1,300 years in Narnia-time. Once again, the four Pevensie siblings play a key role in helping the denizens of the land fight off evil forces, etc. You know the drill.

Son of Rambow: In the 1980s, two British boys direct a homemade homage to their favorite movie of all time -- First Blood -- and become local celebrities in the process.

MAY 22
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Almost 20 years after the last Indy film, Harrison Ford picks up his whip and leather jacket for more old-school, serial-matinee adventure. Director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas took their sweet time coming up with a script everyone liked, setting aside the Nazi villains of the first and third films for Cold War-era Russkies, led by a raven-haired Cate Blanchett. Karen Allen and Shia LaBeouf co-star. Start lining up now.

MAY 30
Sex and the City: The plot of this big-screen spin-off of the hit HBO series has been kept top-secret, so no one really knows what to expect. All we can confirm is that Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall and Kristin Davis are all back, and so is Chris Noth (Mr. Big). Oh, and it's rated R, so it'll be just as raunchy as the show was.

JUNE 6
Kung-Fu Panda: Just as the title promises, a lazy panda bear (voiced by Jack Black) studies the martial arts to battle an evil leopard (Ian McShane).

Standard Operating Procedure: Director Errol Morris (The Fog of War, The Thin Blue Line) reexamines the infamous Abu Ghraib photographs depicting the torture and abuse of suspected terrorists at the hands of the U.S. military and talks to many of the people who appeared in the pictures.

You Don't Mess with the Zohan: Adam Sandler returns to his low-brow roots with this comedy about a former Mossad agent who reinvents himself as a New York City hairstylist.

JUNE 13
The Happening: Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan tries to rebound from the debacle of Lady in the Water with this eerie thriller about a high school science teacher (Mark Wahlberg) trying to elude a mysterious force that leaves entire cities of dead people in its wake.

The Incredible Hulk: After the box-office failure of Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk, executives at Marvel Comics give the big green guy another shot at movie stardom with this new version of the story of Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) and his hard-to-control temper. Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt co-star for director Louis Leterrier (Unleashed, Transporter 2).

JUNE 20
Get Smart: Steve Carrell takes over for Don Adams as Maxwell Smart, the bumbling super-spy battling the forces of KAOS. Anne Hathaway, Dwayne ''The Rock'' Johnson and Bill Murray co-star.

The Love Guru: In his first live-action film since 2003's The Cat in the Hat, Mike Myers unveils his latest character-creation, a spiritual leader who wants to become the world's leading authority in relationship advice.

JUNE 27

Wall-E: The wizards at Pixar Animation Studios (Ratatouille, The Incredibles) take a gamble with this largely dialogue-free (but not silent) story of a garbage-compacting robot who discovers his true purpose 700 years after he was made.

Wanted: Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov (Nightwatch) makes his Hollywood debut with this adaptation of the graphic novel about an ordinary guy (James McAvoy) recruited by the appropriately-named Fox (Angelina Jolie) to join an elite squad of assassins.

JULY 2
Hancock: A cranky, alcoholic superhero (Will Smith) hires a publicist (Jason Bateman) to help him repair his public persona. Charlize Theron co-stars for director Peter Berg (The Kingdom).

JULY 11
Hellboy II: The Golden Army: Although the first Hellboy movie didn't set the box-office on fire in 2004, director Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) proves he genuinely loves the character with this sequel in which the red-skinned hero (Ron Perlman) must defend the planet from a rebellion by the denizens of the mythical world.

Journey to the Center of the Earth: A scientist (Brendan Fraser) discovers Jules Verne's classic sci-fi novel actually doubles as a map to the Earth's core, where monsters and dinosaurs await. Shot with 3-D cameras designed by James Cameron.

Meet Dave: Eddie Murphy moves past the Norbit fiasco with this high-concept comedy. He plays a tiny alien from outer space who travels to Earth inside a spaceship that looks like a human-sized version of himself.

JULY 18
The Dark Knight: The early buzz is that the late Heath Ledger's turn as the villainous Joker in this sequel to 2005's Batman Begins is genuinely, profoundly creepy -- just the way the Joker should be. Christian Bale returns as the cowled one, as do Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman for director Christopher Nolan.

Mamma Mia! The idea of sitting through a film adaptation of the junky Broadway smash is made more palatable by the casting of Meryl Streep as the mother of a young bride-to-be (Amanda Seyfried) trying to figure out who her real father is. Meryl does ABBA!

JULY 25
American Teen: Documentary following one year in the lives of a quartet of Indiana high schoolers. Like The Breakfast Club, only for real.

The Longshots: Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst makes his directorial debut with this fact-based story about a girl (Keke Palmer) who joins a boys' football team.

Step Brothers: The Talladega Nights trio of Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly and director Adam McKay reunite for this comedy about two grown men still living with their parents (Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins) who become stepbrothers.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe: Just because Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) are no longer FBI agents investigating cases involving paranormal activity doesn't mean the paranormal is going to leave them alone. X-Files creator Chris Carter finds out if his audience is still out there.

AUG. 1
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor: If the latest Indiana Jones movie leaves you hungry for more adventure, Brendan Fraser will be happy to oblige, once again playing the intrepid explorer from the first two Mummy pictures, this time battling a shape-shifting emperor (Jet Li).

The Rocker: Rainn Wilson (Dwight from TV's The Office) gets a chance to overcome the trauma of being kicked out of a metal rock group 20 years earlier when he becomes the drummer for his teenage nephew's band.

Swing Vote: Through a series of unlikely events, the results of a presidential election come to rest in the hands of one man (Kevin Costner). Who says a single vote can't make a difference?

AUG. 8
Pineapple Express: Director David Gordon Green (Snow Angels, Undertow) takes a stab at knockabout comedy with this story about a pot dealer (James Franco) and his No. 1 customer (Seth Rogen) on the run for their lives after witnessing a murder. The trailer is sensational.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2: The bond between four high school friends (Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel, Amber Tamblyn and America Ferrera) who share a magical pair of jeans carries on through their college years.

Transsiberian: While riding aboard a train from Beijing to Moscow, an American couple (Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer) befriend a pair of strangers (Eduardo Noriega and Kate Mara) who may not be who they say they are.

AUG. 15

Tropic Thunder: The early buzz is strong on this comedy about a group of pampered actors (Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black and Brandon T. Jackson) who find themselves dodging real bullets during the filming of a Vietnam War drama.

Mirrors: Alexandre Aja (Haute Tension, The Hills Have Eyes) wrote and directed this thriller about a shopping mall security guard (Kiefer Sutherland) who notices something is not quite right with the mirrors at a particular store.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: When George Lucas swore there wouldn't be any more Star Wars movies, he wasn't lying. This animated spin-off, set between the events of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, is actually a prologue to the upcoming Cartoon Network series.

AUG. 22
Bangkok Dangerous: While on assignment in Thailand, a professional hit man (Nicolas Cage) falls in love with a local woman, endangering his mission.

Crossing Over: Writer-director Wayne Kramer (Running Scared, The Cooler) rounded up a starry cast (including Harrison Ford, Sean Penn, Ray Liotta and Alice Braga) for this multi-character drama about illegal immigrants in Los Angeles.

Hamlet 2: A high school drama teacher (Steve Coogan) incurs the wrath of literature majors everywhere when he stages a song-and-dance sequel to the Shakespeare play.

The House Bunny: A Playboy bunny (Anna Faris) gets kicked out of the mansion and lands at a sorority whose members are even more clueless than she is.

Wild Child: A spoiled Malibu teen (Emma Roberts) is shipped off to a British boarding school by her exasperated parents.

AUG. 29
Traitor: Funnyman Steve Martin conceived the original idea for this dead-serious thriller about a CIA operative (Don Cheadle) who gets a little too close to the terrorist group he's investigating.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona: Woody Allen leaves England for Spain in this story about a famous painter (Javier Bardem) whose ex-wife (Penelope Cruz) threatens his affair with a college student (Scarlett Johansson).

RADIO! Online Country Dance Lessons

2008-05-02T14:26:00.006-04:00

Why not use your website to teach listeners how to line dance? If you have a weekly country dance club account, this can either be a value-added feature on your site---or a way to generate extra revenue. Virtually every country dance club I've ever worked with has their own "house" dance instructor. It might be a good idea to shoot and produce a series of dance lessons and show your listeners how easy it is to go out and have a little fun at your advertiser's place of business!

It's just another example of adding promotable website content that can be monetized and creating some interesting, format-specific, lifestyle focused audio/video content that provides incentive for listeners to return to your site. If there's a new lesson showcased every week, (before your scheduled appearance) promote it (and link to it) in your e-mail blast while you plug your weekly event.

RADIO! So You Think That You're So Special?

2008-05-02T00:01:00.003-04:00

In a world of infinite choice, what makes you so special? What makes your radio station stand out from the pack? What makes your website worth noting? What is it that causes someone to take notice of your marketing efforts?

Take a step back and listen to your product. What can you hear on YOUR station---that you can't hear somewhere else? What do you offer that is unique, fresh, insanely different, specialized, compelling, etc.?

I just listened to a daytime host on a radio station that I'm familiar with. This person has been doing the exact same show for her entire career. I bet if you grabbed an aircheck from 5 years ago...or even 10 years ago---you couldn't tell the difference except that the music is updated. Talk about "phoning it in"...this is the reason why many stations can shift to voice-tracked and no one notices.

I had a doctor visit this week and my E-N-T has been a rabid Sirius satellite radio fan since it launched. After we take care of the business of my visits, we usually sit and chat about his observations and opinions of satellite vs. terrestrial--always interesting.

He was a little stunned when I mentioned to him that the majority of the satellite channels were voice-tracked. I reassured him that it was probably BETTER that way, after all--it's about QUALITY--not whether it's live or pre-recorded. I told him to look at it this way, Leno and Letterman are pre-recorded--and nobody seems to mind. All you really care about is the end product-and how you respond to it--whether or not you're entertained and you enjoy it. That made him feel better...

He was a very early adopter. He recently called Sirius to inquire about some issue and was asked for his subscriber ID number. The man on the other end of the phone chuckled that he has a six digit ID number...and apparently, all subscribers are now assigned twelve digit numbers---he was extremely proud of the fact that he was recognized for his long-term loyalty.

In our past conversations, we talked about WHY he switched (and now stayed) with satellite radio. It comes down to two reasons: Choice and no commercials. There are few mentions of a specific channel or host...and yeah, he has his favorites---but that's STILL not the ultimate reason he loves his Sirius radio. He likes to match his mood with the variety of choices.

Sometimes, what sets you apart from the other choices isn't necessarily special--as much as it's different. How you perceive it---how you feel about it...how you respond to it--determines the impact of the brand itself. Clearly, my doctor is brand-conscious about his audio entertainment choice. If the time ever comes when Sirius might consider adding commercials to their product mix, I think he would be crushed. His brand expectation would be destroyed.

The same would be true if the proposed merger is approved and it results in fewer listening options. While he listens to only a handful of channels regularly, knowing they are there, reinforces his brand-choice and supports his decision to be a satellite radio loyalist. He can point directly at those two areas---and sell his passion for the service to anyone that will listen.

When trying to describe your unique attributes, after you say you're (this town's) "country music" station, realize that being country--isn't all that unique in the big picture. The average consumer with a computer can hear thousands of country music listening options online, or pop a country music CD in the player and get their country music fix. It may be what differentiates you from the Top 40, Rock, or AC stations, but simply being "country" may not be enough to create your identity...or enhance your brand.

What makes your station special? What makes your relationship with your listeners special? What programming options do you offer that will make you a destination of choice?

RADIO! Website Strategies Borrowed From Newspapers

2008-05-01T00:01:00.004-04:00

Times are tough for radio. If you run a newspaper...you can only wish you were in the radio business! The traditional newspaper companies are struggling to re-imagine their business as both subscriptions and revenues continue to decline.

They couldn't keep their heads in the sand any longer. Newspapers were forced to establish an online identity as the world shifts to a web-based, information-now mindset. In doing so, they're backed into a corner of providing their content for free. Newspapers that initially attempted to charge a fee for their online content--were rejected by the masses---because similar content was available elsewhere for no cost.

It's interesting to watch how newspapers are attempting to monetize their online content offerings. Recently, a couple of sites that I visit each day--forced me to enter their database if I wished to continue reading their content for free. After resisting for a couple of weeks, I eventually gave in on a couple of sites. I think we all have come to realize---every time you enter a database---it means more and more clutter in your in-box.

What I found interesting was the process itself. For example, the Miami Herald would allow you to enter their site...view the headlines (just like before) and sample their basic content...but--when you clicked on a story or BLOG that you were interested in reading further---you were prompted to sign up in order to continue.

The good news is that I was able to select from a menu of items I wished to have delivered to my inbox each day...a wide range of "news" items from world news, local news, sports, entertainment, etc. I signed up for two things...a daily local sports update and a feature that they call: Five Minute Herald...a quick snapshot of everything going on across all of the choices.

I find myself clicking in on both of these daily e-mails since they both fulfill my expectations of what I would be visiting their main site for anyway: a quick update on what's going on in South Florida. They actually have skimmed it down for me nicely.

Some lessons learned for radio websites:

Give them the free sample. This plays into what we talked about months ago. Provide immediate, instant station audio upon site entry. Get them to sign up for greater depth of services using areas of the site that they're interested in. Draw them in with core services.

Offer customization: When signing up, offer them the chance to cherry-pick what kind of e-mails they will receive from you; program offerings, artist & music information, contesting opportunities, concert announcements, etc. (or everything)

Frequency: You may actually be able to hit their mailbox more often than once a week with self-selected/welcomed information IF it's content they desire. Obviously, frequency plays into the game--but no one wants to be spammed with sales pitches.

Local-focus: Newspapers know that there are hundreds of sources for world and national news...their playground is local, so they plan to make their money on specializing in local information. Radio's audience is primarily local too...so are many key advertisers.

Other than ads and pop-ups in the e-mails, I'm not sure how these new daily e-mails will bring more money to the bottom line, but they WERE successful in capturing me for their database. I'll be watching to see how they market to me in the future. I, like many my age--used to be a ULTRA-heavy newspaper consumer. About a year ago, I cancelled my daily subscriptions to both local papers and consume whatever content they offer for free online. I still pick up the papers occasionally, but it's a whole new world now---and that requires some bold, new actions. I wish them luck...

RADIO! Cell Phone Measurement

2008-04-30T00:01:00.004-04:00

A friend of mine was recently invited by mail to participate in a new research panel to measure media usage. The company: Integrated Media Management Inc. (working with Neilsen TV ratings) This is a company that uses cell phone technology to measure your media exposure in TV viewing, radio, and movies on a local level.

You receive their Smartphone (that you can use for both personal and business calls) and they will pay for the voice, text, and data service. You're asked to simply keep it charged and carry it with you like you would your normal cell phone. Even better, they will transfer your current phone number and they'll pay any cancellation fees on your old account if there are any. Obviously, there is a HUGE incentive to eliminate your monthly cell phone bill.

In the invitation package, they go to great lengths to assure you that none of your conversations or non-media audio will be recorded or identified...and they give a brief explanation of how digital coding works to make you feel comfortable with the technology.

In addition, they stress in the letter that you can quit at any time. It makes for an intriguing soft-cell invitation.

The premise: Every time you watch a TV show, listen to the radio, or go to a movie, you are one of the few deciding the hits and misses of American entertainment.

I'm not sure how many markets they're measuring, but clearly--they're rolling here in the South Florida area. Because my friend works in the media, she declined to participate in the study...but it will be interesting to see how this data is positioned against Arbitron when the results come out. Isn't this one of the companies that came to prominence when broadcasters asked for an alternative to Arbitron's PPM? It sounds familiar...

The more I think about it...after reviewing their invitation materials, this sure sounds a lot more logical than carrying around an additional "pager-like" device. The Smartphone just becomes part of your every day life---just like your cell phone already is. I guess it's because it IS your cell phone. So, you don't have to think about it...

Integrated Media Measurement Inc. is based out of San Mateo, California.

RADIO! Smells Like Green Spirit

2008-04-29T00:01:00.003-04:00

A lot or radio stations jumped on the "Earth Day" bandwagon...the question is did you get any credit for your efforts?

Green messaging has high recall, but many consumers are skeptical
according to a new Burst Media survey, consumer recall of advertising with "green" messaging is very high, with 37.1% of consumers saying they frequently recall green messaging and an additional third recalling it occasionally.

The survey found that 22.7% respondents say they seldom or never believe green claims made in advertisements:

65.3% of respondents say they "sometimes" believe green claims made in advertisements
12.1% say they "always" believe green advertising claims.
41.6% of consumers frequently or occasionally research the claims made in green advertisements
30.1% refrain from any further research

The survey found that four out of five (79.6%) respondents use the Internet to conduct personal research on green initiatives and products, and many respondents find the availability of corporate information on green and environmentally safe products and services lacking. Burst's survey showed that:

41.6% would rate corporate information as only average
20.8% rate the information as fair
17.2% rate it as poor

The survey also revealed additional findings about the green consumer. These include:
More than four out of five (81.9%) respondents have incorporated some level of green activity into their lives - only 12.9% are "not green at all".

Although most respondents have integrated green activity into their daily lives, few (5.2%) are "completely green".

Most respondents are "aspirationally green" - a plurality (43.9%) incorporate a few things that are green into their daily lives but "have a long way to go", and another 38.0% attempt to be "as green as possible, but not 100%".

Respondents most frequently cite "good for the environment" as the reason they include green behavior in their daily lives. Other reasons cited for going green include:

"to impact the future"
"to live a better quality of life"
good for the community (32.5%)
desire to make a difference (31.2%)
desire for a healthy body (29.8%)
desire to live simply and use less (29.2%)

Three out of five respondents who are "aspirationally green" cite "good for the environment" as a reason for going green - clearly the leader among all reasons offered. Among the "completely green" segment the top reason for going green is "to live a better quality of life", followed by "good for the environment".

Survey data showed that the most popular online green content is recycling information, and healthy recipes. These are followed by information on alternative energy sources, natural remedies, eco-friendly cleaning products, green technologies, nature/outdoor recreation, tips for simple living, gardening/organic gardening, and organic foods.

Jarvis Coffin, CEO of Burst Media, says "Businesses that can support their claims... in a way that incorporates the consumer in the conversation are at an advantage in the marketplace... Information that is accessible, transparent and easy for consumers to share... reach consumers in relation to a core personal value."

For more information about the study, please visit Burst Media here.

RADIO! Originality vs Copycatting

2008-04-28T00:01:00.003-04:00

It's been said that "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"...and if that's true, it's simply a gentle of way of complimenting one's lack of creativity and originality and letting them off the hook for stealing intellectual property.

Hey, I've stolen, borrowed, modified, fresh-twisted, re-cycled, and downright ripped off great ideas too...we've all done it. To anyone who I've copied, I just want to take this moment to say THANK YOU for your inspiration. To anyone who has blatantly used MY ideas...consider this my expression of forgiveness and clemency for your actions.

Sometimes, it's just easier to springboard off of other people's ideas. Take a piece of their concept, re-work it, make it fit what you're doing. It's all part of the natural process. There also comes a time when you need to sit down and re-invent, re-imagine, re-invigorate your thinking process and try something completely far out, different, unique, and fresh. You have to put general acceptance aside and open your mind to the possibilities and open yourself up to possible criticism and ridicule. Great ideas scare people. You'll get resistance.

Dare to be a little different! Be a little outrageous in your dreaming and scheming. If your mind wanders TOO FAR, you can always reel it in a bit later. Bold is memorable. Bigger is better...or smaller is better focused and precision targeted---depending on your perspective.

Why copy what someone else has done? Heck, why repeat what you've already done? Strive to come up with something original---or at worst, present it or execute it in an original way.

"Tried and true" can be good. It's safe. It's predictable. It's also a good way NOT to get noticed, remembered, or spread by word-of-mouth.

Rather than reduce your talents to being Xerox machine-like, resist the temptation to rush through the project on your plate. Take some time to re-mold it, re-shape it, turn it upside down, inside-out, etc. When you're pressed for time, your creativity is stifled...and you short circuit your God-given creative abilities.

You may not always be in a position to spend a lot of time re-inventing the creative...but if you improve your percentage by 10% or 25% or 33% or 50% of the time---you'll make great strides in your efforts to tap into that powerful force within you.

WEEKEND RADIO! A Glimpse of The Future

2008-04-27T00:01:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow night, (Monday, April 28th) Entercom launches a new syndicated night show called "2nd Shift" hosted by Alan Kabel. It's a glimpse into the future for a number of broadcast companies looking to increase the entertainment value on their properties in non-prime dayparts.

With the increasing pressure on the bottom lines, everyone is looking to cut expenses...and rather than simply turn to tracking or just hand over the evening show to one of the major syndicators, Entercom has decided to create their own mini-network across the various formats. This allows them to control the programming AND all of the sales inventory. Rather than voice-track evenings in these specific markets, Entercom has chosen to create internal syndication to address their challenge.

"2nd Shift" will run from 7pm-Midnight---locally in every time zone. They will be launching on six Entercom country affiliates, including its flagship station, KWJJ (the Wolf)/in Portland; WBEE in Rochester, N.Y.; WPAW in Greensboro; WGGY in Wilkes-Barre; KDAF in Kansas City; and KKWF (the Wolf ) in Seattle.

In addition, Entercom is in the process of creating similar "national" programming for other appropriate formats the company programs across numerous markets.

Yes, the downside: More staff reductions...evening talent eliminated or re-assigned. While it pains most radio purists to see economics driving these decisions, I give Entercom credit for trying something creative with this program. They could have saved themselves the headache and expense of launching this type of programming. From a product perspective, most companies faced with a similar challenge would have simply shifted to voice-tracking, gone on auto-pilot juke-boxing, or called Premiere or one of the other long form content providers.

While I can't speak for the talent or quality of the production, I'll bet that if you're looking into a crystal ball, this isn't the last time you'll see this done. Tough times require tough decisions.

WEEKEND RADIO! Jack Benny and Character Definition

2008-04-26T00:01:00.003-04:00

Veteran programmer Alan Furst is now blogging. Check out HIS perspectives here.

Alan has an interesting take on Jack Benny that's worth referencing as you guide your air talent. YouTube has plenty of great examples of Benny's character development.

Jack Benny may have been the most influential air talent of all time.

That must seem like a pretty bold statement, especially since Benny’s radio career ended over 50 years ago.

His influence is felt even today.

Benny was a brilliant comedian. But his real gift might have been his ability to know good comedy from bad.

It was Benny who defined roles for his characters in a way no one had ever done before.
He created a true format for the radio show that became the template for modern television sitcoms.

He understood how to build a character and avoid the temptation of changing it simply because he was bored.

I’ll bet most readers; even those who have never heard Benny’s work know a few things about his radio character.

Benny was cheap. He was vain. He drove a Maxwell and kept a guard in his basement to protect his money. He played violin badly and was forever 39.

The Benny character was so well defined on radio that it actually bothered him in real life. He was in fact a good tipper and quite generous.

The Benny cast consisted of several players over the years. The rotund announcer Don Wilson, who was never really as fat as the jokes about him indicated.

Real life wife Mary Livingston played the role of Benny’s not quite girlfriend. She always got the last word on him.

Phil Harris the playboy band leader. Rochester as Benny’s valet, And the naïve vocalist usually played by Dennis Day.

So what makes this show relevant today? In my view the Benny cast was the forerunner of today’s morning show. They built it around characters the listener got to know intimately. The characters interacted through topical humor.

How are your morning show roles defined? Would your listeners be able to explain the characters on the show?

Do any of the players standout because they are so well defined?

Many shows often lack clear character roles. What is allowed or not allowed in their on air banter? Are the boundaries clearly defined?

Imagine your morning show as a sitcom. Are the characters as well defined as those on Seinfeld?
Why is each person on the show? Can you define stronger character traits that they can use to build into their interaction and topics?

What do the listeners know about each character? What can you add that will give each greater depth and definition?

The right character definition helps make the morning show more interesting and more memorable.

Listen to some of Jack Benny shows. The writing is brilliant and they are amazingly topical sixty years later.

RADIO! Customer Service On Your Website

2008-04-25T00:01:00.004-04:00

There was a time when businesses welcomed phone calls from customers. Now, many go to extraordinary lengths to avoid calls--preferring that orders and support issues be handled online--and some companies have cut out telephone customer support altogether. The reason, of course, is that a person picking up the phone will want to get paid.

In a sampling of eight prominent Web sites, The Los Angeles Times reports--Amazon, Apple, EBay, Equifax, JetBlue, Microsoft, Target and Yahoo--only one had a toll-free customer service phone number on its home page: Apple. But it's for ordering products and is fairly low on the page, in small type.

Finding a technical support number took four clicks to get to a page that listed it, and use of the number came with conditions. Two of the other sites had no phone numbers listed at all, and others charged for the privilege of speaking to a real human. Shopping maven Lauren Freedman, who is president of the market research firm E-tailing Group, thinks that's just wrong. "You should not have to kill yourself to find the number," Freedman says. "It's an opportunity for a company to say, 'We believe in service.' " It's equivalent to saying "We care about what you think."

Radio--which at one time had prided itself on the station-listener relationship, has followed suit. A spot check of dozens of country station websites---representing various market sizes and ownership groups either makes it difficult to inquire or complain---or virtually impossible...by not posting telephone "contact information" and in some cases even e-mail addresses of key personnel.

These are the same stations that send out numerous e-mails to customers every week or month. These are the same radio stations that ask for feedback in e-mailed surveys and other forms of station to customer research--yet they choose to make themselves unavailable for direct feedback with inquiring listeners, potential partners, or interested advertisers.

Now that some of the bigger non-broadcast companies are beginning to re-evaluate this non-service approach, maybe it's possible that radio will once again become more accessible and open to a deeper bonding relationship with its active customers.

RADIO! The Power Of The Internet--A Real Test

2008-04-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

This should be interesting...a real live "test" of the power of the people---the www dot people. Below is the text of an e-mail I received today. It's another one of those "pass this to x amount of your friends" to spread the word type of e-mails but this one amounts to BLOGGERS GONE WILD. It's a cause-related protest that affects all of us: Gas Prices.

Read the text--think of the powerful potential of gathering this large coalition to impact a business sector...any business. (In this situation--big oil companies like Exxon and Mobil) Can it happen? Can the www dot generation and those linked by the web use our ability to "link in" together and change something this significant? If you follow the math, it actually plays out, but it would take everyone that receives the e-mail to actually care enough to spread the word of the protest.

It will be an interesting experiment to watch. Certainly, it's a very passionate subject matter with near-universal interest. The question is...are Americans motivated enough to try it? If it works...think of the future applications of inspiring such a coalition.

THIS IS NOT THE 'DON'T BUY' GAS FOR ONE DAY, BUT IT WILL SHOW YOU HOW WE CAN GET GAS BACK DOWN TO $1.30 PER GALLON.

This was sent by a retired Coca Cola executive. It came from one of his engineer buddies who retired from Halliburton. If you are tired of the gas prices going up AND they will continue to rise this summer, take time to read this please.

Phillip Hollsworth offered this good idea.

This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day" campaign that was going around last April or May!It's worth your consideration. Join the resistance!!!!

I hear we are going to hit close to $ 4.00 a gallon by next summer, and it might go higher!!

Want gasoline prices to come down?

We need to take some intelligent, united action. The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt" our selves by refusing to buy gas.

It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them.BUT, whoever thought of this idea has come up with a plan that can really work. Please read on and join with us!

By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $2.00 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently $3.56 for regular unleaded in my town.

Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50 - $1.75, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace..not sellers.

With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action.

The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And, we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves. How? Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas.But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a price war.

Here's the idea: For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL.

If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers. It's really simple to do! Now, don't wimp out on me at this point...keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!

I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x10 = 3,000)...and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth group of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers.

If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted!If it goes one level further, you guessed it... .. THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!

Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all!

(If you don't understand how we can reach 300 million and all you have to do is send this to 10 people.... Well, let's face it, you just aren't a mathematician. But I am, so trust me on this one.

How long would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days !!!I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you!

Acting together we can make a difference.If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. I suggest that we not buy from EXXON/MOBIL UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $2.00 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN. THIS CAN REALLY WORK.

Keep it going!!!