Noted radio consultant Mark Ramsey on his Hear 2.0 blog recently posed the question that if Amazon.com could “…disaggregate the “book” from a book and monetize it, how can you disaggregate the “radio” from your radio station and monetize that?” A fantastic observation on Mark’s part.
In fact I believe it is possible through the medium of podcasting. Which up until now has been the exclusive domain of the “weekend broadcaster” recorded live on their kitchen table. Radio can do a better job, after all it’s what we do. Imagine news-talk radio going more in depth on local stories they don’t usually give more than a 30 second set-up and sound bite to in a “60 Minutes” type of investigative show. Or music stations getting deeper into the music, again, something similar to VH1’s behind the music. The question remains, would listeners be willing to pay for it?
Take for example Scott Smith who launched his Motivation to Move website, blog and podcast in 2006 and has been enjoying significant success, boasting as many as 40-thousand paying subscribers.
Can radio take “the radio” out of radio? Oh yes they can! It’s a matter of getting out of the tiny box they’ve placed themselves into …pun intended.
Over the course of the next 5-6 years, the importance of getting Air-Play on terrestrial i.e. traditional, programmed radio will drastically decline, as people are switching to the Internet (and by extension, to each other) as the #1 way of sourcing music programs. We will see a drastic increase in fragmentation as people will do anything from carefully customizing each track in their lists to just listen to ‘what’s on’ – and there will be 100s of permutations in between. From total engagement to total passive consumption, there will be offers covering each – and they will all be connected.
Because of the strong uptake in next generation mobile devices (fka cell phones), the explosive proliferation of social networks and the drastic increase in wireless broadband capabilities at ever decreasing costs (yes, not yet – but give it another 18 months) we will see people use their mobile devices as prime instruments of listening to radio-like music programs – there will be hundreds of radio/music apps available via the various app stores that each device maker AND operator will offer; some paid, most feels-like-free, some sponsored….
So what is the future of radio as a communication medium? I believe radio should become a talk based dispenser of (relevant) information. Is radio to blame or is it technology? Should radio now focus it’s efforts on supplying content for new technology as a way to survive? Does it know what content is anymore…?
As PPM (Portable People Meter™) continues it’s roll out in markets all over North America most recently in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Atlanta, Washington DC and Detroit, I think this has become a legitimate question as posed by one of my Canadian clients. At the risk of sounding like a self preservationist the simple answer is no, imaging is just as important as ever!
Putting the subject of ‘reach’ aside for another time, PPM has given us a powerful way to collect listener data in the same way that barcodes revolutionized the way corporations keep track of inventory. However, do you think that Coca Cola stopped putting it’s famous red and white design on it’s, cans, bottles and boxes now that they had a barcode system? Again, the answer is no.
The packaging of your radio station is just as important as it was before.
It was a beautiful spring morning in Montréal, the kind we had dreamt about all winter long, the smell of Saturday was calling out, the birds were singing their morning song, the smell of freshly cut grass occasionally blew in.
My wife, sons and I decided to go out for brunch at a local restaurant. As we sat there on the terrace I noticed a group of teenagers across the street who were holding a car wash.
Whether they were a softball team, soccer team, school band I wasn’t quite sure. It was obvious however, that they were having quite a difficult time attracting anyone despite the fact that there had been a downpour the night before. They were waving their signs, yelling and jumping up and down but to no avail. After watching this scene for maybe half an hour and as our waitress cleared the table I had an idea…was it a need to help or just my own selfish desire to prove a point? I don’t know.
I grabbed a black Sharpie from the car and ran across the street. After introducing myself and my idea I took 4 of their signs, flipped them over and simply wrote: “Car Wash $10”. I headed back to the restaurant to enjoy my freshly frothed cappuccino and to see my plan unfold.
Sure enough, before I could get past the foam topping, cars had started to pull into the parking lot and by the time I had paid the bill, there was a lineup! All in a days work I thought as I piled my family into the car to head home…just like I had told one of my clients the week before ‘the simpler the message the better’! Baltimore Paving Pros website offers affordable asphalt paving and sealing solutions.
While the kids had thought to bring all of their buckets, wash cloths, hoses, soap and a change of cloths all the elements you need for a successful car wash they hadn’t thought about how they were going to attract their customer. Their attempts were confusing at best, each one of their signs had different messages each explaining in a different way what the car wash was for, why they should stop and let them wash their car, etc. What they needed was one simple and clear message to attract customers “Car Wash $10”.
Think It Through So how does this apply to branding your radio station? Think about it, you’ve spent millions of dollars buying and setting up a transmitter, setting up a radio station, hiring the right people and picking the right music, but how much thought have put into the message you’re using to attract customers.
It has been said that radio people are so close to their radio station that all they see are the trees. Radio listeners on the other hand, see the forest, the bigger picture. Well, these days in our over communicated world I’ll take it a further step back: Radio listeners today are seeing that forest as they fly down the highway of life doing 100 mph!! So how do you expect them to see what it is you’re selling amidst a landscape filled with messages?
We have to create a message that is so simple, so clear that nobody can miss its intention. “Car Wash $10”.
What’s Your Message?
Some products can be as easily identified by there positioning statement as by the brand name or logo. Here are some examples:
• “The Real Thing”
• “Mm’mm Good”
• “I’m lovin’ it”
• “Eat Fresh”
• “Just Do It”
So what message are you giving to your listeners?
• Your Favourites of the 70’s 80’s 90’s and Today
• The Rock Station That Really Rocks
• Give us 30 minutes. We’ll give you an incredible variety of songs
• The only radio station that gives you 50-minute music hours
• All your favourite songs from all your favourite stars
All very nice but memorable? No.
You need to pick a word or short phrase and own it. Make it signify what your station is in the mind of your listener. Your message needs to be sharpened to the point where it can cut through the clutter of our over communicated world.
Keep it simple, keep it focused, keep it clear, keep it consistent and you’ll get them lining up around the corner.
David Tyler is a creative communicator and voice over talent with 35+ years of experience in the broadcasting.
His mantra of ‘Stop Communicating and Start Connecting’ is his counsel to anyone attempting to use media, old or new, broadcast or online.
He writes and lectures on “The Art of Communicating Ideas.”
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