How Radio Stations Can Be More Interactive: Permission Marketing Newsletters

Getting 18-34 year olds to listen to radio is tough. Getting digital = Getting traffic = Getting ratings.

Last Fall, the NY Times referenced an Arbitron study which asked different age groups how their radio consumption differs nowadays from 1999. In every single age group people were listening less to the radio, with 18-34 year olds devoting about 14% less of their daily time to the radio.

18-34 year olds are heavy digital consumers (especially men) every day…especially simultaneous media users.

That means they are on the Internet, probably looking for viral videos and social network interactivity. According to recent research, men aged 18-34 account for 41% of those who view video online on a daily basis and for over two-thirds of adults who view YouTube and other user-generated content daily.

Yes, the 18-34 year old is still habitually online but guess what…the radio can be used when other media is used.

In order for radio to adapt, getting digital is essential, especially for 18-34 year old target audiences.

This will be even more true when Arbitron fully-implements their PPM electronic ratings system.

What does “getting digital” mean for radio stations?

It means communicating and interacting digitally. As mentioned above, Getting digital = Getting traffic = Getting ratings.

Radio station fan newsletters are one way to build interaction opportunities with radio listeners. These are opt-in permission marketing emails allowing stations to communicate and interact with a listener’s interests (click here for 10 good rules).

Most radio station newsletters disappoint and miss their chance to connect with their listeners.

Here’s a great example of a radio station newsletter.

It’s from Q101 in Chicago, a pioneer Alternative radio station making strong moves to digitally connect with their listeners while facing Arbitron ratings challenges.

Signing up for the newsletter is appealing and easy-to-do…and the information provided in the newsletter is useful (pre-sale concert tickets, inside scoop, behind-the-scene station news, encouraging web streaming, their HD channels, etc.) which should help build strong word-of-mouth potential. Q101 has built up quite a fan network since they first launched their email newsletters back in 2001.

Take a look at Q101’s latest newsletter design…what do you think of it?

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

Media Time Travel: The Beatles on Doctor Who in 1965

As a kid, H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine as a favorite of mine. In some ways, the Internet is evolving into something like a time machine, allowing us to “time travel” to different media eras with the click of a link.

Previously-unavailable or hard-to-get archival material is suddenly and easily accessible, such as classic commercials and TV shows long “lost” to the typical viewer.

We are time shifting our media usage through findability. Watched when we want, how often we want. As Microsoft used to say, “Where do you want to go today?”

How trippy!

Being both a Beatles fan and a Doctor Who fan, my thanks to BoingBoing for spotting this YouTube submission. Apparently, the only existing video footage of The Beatles performing “Ticket to Ride” was used on the BBC’s Doctor Who in 1965. Take a look at how much styles do change…while also enjoying a little time-travelin’ ticket to ride:

“The Beatles had a guest appearance on Doctor Who in 1965 — singing “Ticket to Ride.” Afterwards, a traveller from the future remarks that she’s heard of the Beatles, having visited their memorial in Liverpool, but that she didn’t realize that the Beatles also performed “classical music.” This is black-and-white Doctor Who comedy gold. A fan adds, “The original recording of that particular Beatles performance has been lost along with a lot of the BBC library which was tragically thrown out in a great video tape purge in the 1970s. That Doctor Who footage is now the only visual record of that performance.”

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

A Good Sign for Future CBS Radio Growth: Bringing Dan Mason Back

Experience from someone who’s been there is a tremendous asset…especially after having a chance to step away, learn and view changes impartially for a fresh perspective.

CBS Radio needed fresh prespective.

CBS Radio needed fresh leadership.

CBS Radio needed “been there” experience from someone who knows how to get “it” done.

And CBS Radio got it.

Bringing Dan Mason back to CBS Radio looks like the right decision. CBS Radio’s 7% drop in year-to-year revenue for 2006 was a direct end-product of industry, listener and customer perceptual losses in branding trust.

How?

From bold format changes across the nation (in the spirit of innovation) that failed to connect with new audiences.

From poor decisions handling the entire Howard Stern transition to Sirius satellite radio, messing up millions of listener’s morning routines…especially after CBS Radio tired to fill the programming vacuum unsuccessfully.

Worst of all, from breaking “brand trusts” with listeners through perceived manipulation…and not delivering better products; the quality level of radio stations CBS Radio listeners have long expected from CBS Radio.

This change is an important step in rebuilding trust.

Before they brought back the CBS Radio name, they were Infinity Broadcasting — the company that invested in radio’s best talent, best programming, best leadership, best sales teams, the best radio market’s. Before Infinity, it was Westinghouse. And before Westinghouse, it was CBS Radio.

CBS Radio has long been radio’s crown jewel…with the exception of the last few years. Perhaps it is coincidence that CBS Radio’s performance and perceptions changed after 2002 when Dan Mason “retired” to begin consulting. Perhaps not. Perhaps CBS Radio was just a victim of traditional media losing out to new media. Perhaps not.

The fact Dan Mason is coming back is a good sign for returned CBS Radio growth. Dan’s been there. He’ll debunk myths and move the group forward. He knows what it felt like within Infinity during its “championship” years, its legacy years as radio grew through the 70s, the 80s, and the 90s. And he’s largely consulted new media (such as Sirius) through SaboMason since leaving CBS Radio/Infinity in 2002 (while also consulting CBS Radio).

One of Walter Sabo’s respected strengths is his passionate viewpoints on creativity for radio, regardless of format. No doubt CBS Radio will benefit from Dan’s recent experiences with Sabo.

New ideas and fresh perspective to the table…while also bringing “been there” assets.

Things seem to be looking up for CBS Radio again. And that’s a good thing for all of radio.

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

Brand Building: The Seven Essential Connections

New media has shifted marketing perception suggesting the rules for brand building have dramatically changed.

Actually, the rules haven’t changed — and neither has the end goal. Rather, it’s the methods and choices used to build those brands that have changed the way brands are marketed, with some new powerful tools gaining popularity and other previously-strong tools losing power (or already lost it).

Here’s what remains as true and essential today as always: for significant and meaningful brand building connections and branding engagement, brands have to share common ground with the desired customer.

What does this mean?

The relationship between brand and customer must represent something real to the customer; otherwise, the brand doesn’t matter in the customer’s world. Miss this connection and you certainly won’t motivate brand advocates.

Successfully-built brands have to be genuine and based on the real values and vision of the brand. Larger brand audiences and market share dominance happen when the brand links distribution of the brand intention with the brands perception.

It’s the bedrock of trust and common ground, allowing the relationship between brand and consumer to grow and prosper.

What are the Seven Essental Connections for Successful Customer Brand Building? The brand MUST share with the customer:

1) Life values (self-identity)
2) Core “roots” (history, heritage, religion, etc.)
3) Cause (forward-moving purpose)
4) Mutual interests and/or benefits (time spent together)
5) Lifestyle (community)
6) Hobbies (interactivity)
7) Preferences (like and shared dislikes)

Brands that connect with customers on all seven levels consistently are engaged. And yes, bottom line results are important just as it is for owners with brands not fully engaged . Look at some of the biggest successes: Apple, for example. BMW and Toyota (including the new Scions) for cars and Ford for trucks. Even TV shows like American Idol, Lost, Heroes, 24, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Each connect on all seven levels…and deliver financial results and customer buzz.

But not all brands connect on all seven levels.

Why not?

Most brands don’t consciously concentrate on servicing, staffing or budgeting the brand on those 7 levels. Which is too bad; if they did, the brand would earn the cherished “X Factor”…that special extra oomph in brand value making it superior than any competitor.

How well is your brand connecting?

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

Katie Couric brings her legs to the Colbert Report

Last night, Katie Couric brought her famous legs to the Colbert Report. Stephen Colbert kept trying to get a “leg up” on her…but Katie knew how to keep her feet grounded while riding the truthiness train.

Politicians can’t seem to help themselves taking Colbert’s ridiculous bait…but Katie showed she’s got more than just gams. Yep, she showed she can “stand” the threat down; she won’t be put On Notice (for now).

As for the ratings…well…

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

Music Sales Continue To Tumble

Music album sales continue to tumble for the record industry…but downloaded music single purchases remained hot — and growing as a trend.

Nielsen Soundscan released new music sales figures yesterday, saying 89 million CDs were sold from the start of the year through March 18 as compared with 112 million CDs sold during the same period in 2006 — a 21% decline in CD sales.

Purchases of digitized albums online failed to make up the difference — instead they dropped from 119 million during that time period in 2006 to 99 million during the first three months of this year, SoundScan reported.

Meanwhile, sales of individual songs in digital format on the Internet rose from 242 million tracks during those months last year to 288 million this year, according to SoundScan.

Consumers are sending a message to artists that “while you may have put a lot of thought into the sequence of the album, I only like these three songs,” said digital music industry analyst Michael McGuire of Gartner Research.

“It comes back to consumers being in complete control of their media experience, and that is not going backwards,” Gartner told AFP while discussing the drop in album sales and the rise in single-song track purchases.

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

Hannity & Colmes Confirm "It’s A Purple Nation"

Last Spring, New York magazine and other magazines wrote that Purple Politics was a new political trend view.

Instead of media’s focus on extreme political splits of left vs right, liberal vs conservative, democrat vs republican…Americans were really more of a “blue” and “red” blending.

A centrist “Purple” nation.

The 2006 mid-term elections results supports this thinking; Congress is far less red and much more “purple” now.

Looks like Fox Noise noticed and read the memo: Time to blend the red and blue to be more purple!

First a Fox News Channel threat down against Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and Colbert Report called The 1/2 Hour News Hour (which some think is 30 minutes too long). Waitaminute…fake news on Fox News?

Now this: Hannity & Colmes debuted a new look that would make Prince proud, broadcasting their dueling neoconservative Republican and moderately Democratic viewpoints from a brand-new purple set.

How fashionable! Is it an extreme makeover? Well, no. The look has changed…but the FNC’s noise content remains the same. Hey, we can report, too…and let you decide.

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

Viewpoints on HD Radio: Where’s The Buzz?

As a new media consumer product, HD Radio remains mostly “unheard“.

Research reports awareness to be “up”…but consumer buy-in is still low, waiting to catch fire.

The buzz — so far — is not exactly “high def”.

Sure, the announcement earlier this month that Wal-mart will start selling HD Radio receivers is a big boost for potential viability. And the radio industry continues to push it forward upgrading their transmitters and launching new stations.

Last year’s national promo campaign to raise consumer awareness was backed by most of the leading radio groups, including Clear Channel and CBS Radio, and continues on…but those promos are airing less often now. While retail distribution deals with Sharper Image (HD Radio was its February consumer catalog cover product), RadioShack, Crutchfield and BMW help make HD Radio more available for purchase, the marketplace reaction remains stiffly lukewarm, despite tech producer iBiquity’s buzz-building efforts.

What is HD Radio?…and what are the problems? Is it the future of radio?

Part of the problem is the perceived lack of need. Consumers have so many options for listening to music. HD Radio doesn’t seem to fill a demand gap. Standard pre-installed radio in stereo systems seems sufficient to most radio users.

Another problem is radio’s hesitation to offer these special HD radio partner channels for online streaming. If these “unique” channels are so great (commercial-free, no added agency/VO talent/copywriting royalty fees, etc.), why aren’t they mass-streamed online and given prime exposure on the “mother” radio station’s websites and other Internet locations?

Update 3/22 at noon: FCC approves new open HD Radio rules for streaming. The decision gives a green light to multicasting, so broadcasters no longer need to apply for experimental authority to multicast, including for HD Radio. All the commissioners called the digital radio vote historic — let’s hope it creates historic good results.

While HD radio offers better audio quality than conventional/analog AM/FM, the radio industry’s embrace of this new tech option is perceived as partial, not full. There may be more than 1200 HD radio stations now…but who is really listening?

The technology for HD Radio was available back in the mid-90s when the U.S. standard was accepted. But the radio industry waited…until after mp3s, internet downloading and streaming, the iPod and satellite radio. Consumers weren’t able to hear HD Radio programming or buy the receivers until just a few years ago.

The fact radio is doing “something” HD or digital is better than not at all; the problem is, “something” is not good enough. After a major 15-month push, HD Radio remains sub-optimal in terms of consumer response.

Heck, according to Technorati, even the media and tech gadget blogs rarely write about HD Radio (about 60-to-75 post references a day, on average; satellite radio, in comparison, gets 10 times that amount daily) — and when they do, support is mixed. Not a good buzz-building indicator.

Can HD Radio still succeed? Doubtful but somewhat possible…if it tolerates the necessary long-term investment waging a long uphill battle against too many opponents.

Does radio need to be digital? Absolutely…but is HD the answer? Or is it making HD available on the iPod? Right now, the effort consumers have to make to hear HD Radio remains difficult and/or expensive, rendering it unnecessary for most radio users.

What are the current viewpoints of experts watching the HD Radio trends? A selection:

Jerry Del Colliano from his InsideMusicMedia blog: “Can any consulting adult really believe HD is the answer when there is next to no consumer interest in it?”

Tech and digital media consultant David H. Deans: “HD Radio can’t save broadcaster problems.”

Ted Schadler, an analyst with Forrester Research, as reported by BusinessWeek: “The problem for the broadcasters, who continue to see their audience become fragmented and who struggle to boost ad revenues, is that HD radio is not a new offering. It’s a defensive move…It’s better radio, but it’s not a whole lot better radio.”

So what are your thoughts?

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

Broadcasters and Webcasters Challenge New Streaming Copyright Rules

The Associated Press filed a report tonight saying a wide array of broadcasters and online companies announced they were formally challenging this month’s new ruling on copyright royalties which, if allowed, would cripple the emerging business of music broadcasts over the Internet.

“Suit up!”

It’s a good sign broadcasters — big and small — are jointly stepping up with webcasters to defend their positions on streaming and not simply rolling over.

According to AP:

Clear Channel Communications Inc., National Public Radio, and groups representing both large and small companies providing music broadcasts online were among those asking the Copyright Royalty Board to reconsider key parts of its March 2 ruling.

That ruling, the challenging parties say, would greatly increase the amount of royalties that online music broadcasters would have to pay to record labels and performers as well as put unreasonable demands on them to track how many songs were listened to by exactly how many individuals online.

The royalties in question only apply to digital transmissions of music, such as through Web sites, and are paid to the performers of songs and record labels. Webcasters also pay additional royalties to the composers and publishers of music, similar to those also paid by over-the-air broadcasters.

Digital performance rights were originally granted to record companies in 1995, in part with the intention of protecting them against the possibility that digital transmissions could erode the sales of CDs.

That agreement (the Digital Millenium Copyright Act) set today’s Digital Rights Management guidelines.

The new rules, if implemented, threaten the viability of legally-streamed music radio stations over the web — both repeaters from traditional broadcasters as well as pure new media netcasters. Click here to see how you can help “save music streaming“.

Meanwhile, web streamer Kurt Hanson of AccuRadio weighs in on the issue here.

Let’s see what happens…

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

Celebrity-Branded Search Engines

There’s something new bubbling up online. From the D-List.

It’s probably only a fad and not a trend…but it is something unusual. Or, at least, another way for celebrities to lose dignity. Celebrity-branded search engines.

Now, through search services provided by prodege.com (powered by Yahoo! Search) and others, custom search engines are offered with celebrity tie-ins.

Search with Kevin (Federline)! Search with Meatloaf! Search with Wynonna! Search with Hinder! Search with Andrew Dice Clay!

The hook: everytime you search with a branded “celebrity” search engine, you get a chance to win a prize (“enter to win the chance to attend K-Fed’s birthday party!”). And, if you chose to be a site host setting up a customized celeb search engine site, you can also earn money from every search (they say).

Now, I’m not really buying that this idea will take off and overthrow Google. I don’t even see it topping Dogpile or AllTheWeb.

However, there is a nugget of an idea there. Local radio stations could create customized search engines on their own websites featuring their morning shows. Now that might prove more interesting.

Search with Howard Stern! Search with Opie & Anthony! Search with Johnny B! Search with Kevin & Bean! Search with Rush Limbaugh!

Hmmm, check that last radio celeb search idea. I’m not sure I’d want to know Rush’s online search preferences…

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy