Fred Jacobs is President of Jacobs Media, a media research and consulting firm. Jacobs Media clients have included CBS Radio, Premiere Radio Networks, Citadel, Greater Media, MTV Networks, Playboy, Amazon, Electronic Arts, NPR, Sylvan Learning Centers, and Taubman Malls. Learn more about the company here.
In the all-important lexicon of how best to report one's news and views, Twitter has made a left turn perhaps into the right place to maximize its ability to rapidly spread the word to networks of users.
But for the rest of us, this question tends toward responses like "Having my nails done," "Running errands," or my favorite, "Waiting for the big game."
While Twitter's rapid growth is impressive, one of the reasons why many tire of the service is that it is self-indulgent, to the point where it is hard to care about the mundane activities of people's lives (much less your own).
But Facebook, realizing the power of "now," changed its home page to "What's on your mind?" - a similar but different way to engage its rapidly expanding membership. As Facebook users know only too well, however, this change has spawned many of the same insignificance from its users, cluttering pages with useless, tiresome information about the boring intricacies of the lives of their "friends."
As founder Biz Stone notes, "Twitter helps you share and discover what's happening now among all the things, people and events you care about."
Let's hope so, because if this service is going to provide users with real information and not just a lot of philosophical blathering and self-gratifying comments, the Twitter lens needs to show us something we don't know but ought to care about.
The new technology era has been challenging and often frustrating to radio people. Many struggle with ways to integrate different platforms, like mobile and streaming. Others grapple with how to utilize social networking tools, like Facebook or Twitter.
It is somewhat understandable that the radio industry hasn't found those "best practices" that would enable it to take advantage of new digital tools, rather than to be passed by or left behind by new media and technology.
And like many of you, my email box was loaded with great deals, from Apple to Barnes & Noble to the NBA to the Detroit Tigers to my local car dealer. (I have "decorated" this blog with just a few of the tantalizing offers I received.)
But despite belonging to umpteen radio station email clubs, I did not get a single email about a sale on station branded items and related merch. Instead, I received station emails about special programming weekends, and the typical email blast tactics.
Radio continues to let its best brands wallow. While many whine about the lack of outside marketing, most broadcasters aren't utilizing many of their existing assets and tools. Somehow sales and management haven't connected the dots about the power and potential of radio's expansive email databases. To most, those thousands of connections with loyal listeners are simply PD activities, and seemingly have no sales implications.
This is small potatoes in the big picture of radio's need to redefine itself. But it is indicative and telling about the disconnect between the industry and the rest of the world. We continue to sell and market radio like it's 1978.
PS. After this blog was written & posted, I received an email from KSEG/Sacramento, urging me to take advantage of their special holiday discount in their "Half Off Sacramento" program. I'm sure there must have been a few others, but they were not in my email box.
This is a story about reinvention. It's about taking stock of your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It's about facing up to reality, and responding with creativity and courage. Many former radio employees are facing this tough task right now, as they face months of being out of work, with few prospects ahead.
The difference is that after a decade of obscurity, Rucker turned his career around, addresessed his negatives and his opportunities, and created a Second Life in country music. In thanking the CMA, he commented, "To the fans, thank y'all for accepting me. And I think most importantly, to country radio, you took a chance on a pop singer from Charleston, South Carolina. Thank you so much for that!"
Finally, Al Gore. We all know the narrative. As Bill Clinton's VP, he was perfectly positioned to win the Presidency in 2000, only to be bested by George W. Bush, following the Florida vote-counting debacle. Despite winning the popular vote, Gore was branded a wimp and loser by pundits.
Most former Presidents and Vice Presidents end up playing golf or becoming expensive guest speakers on the circuit. Few make much of an impact after leaving office.
Like Darius Rucker and Rick Ankiel, Al Gore faced some difficult facts, confronted some ugly failure, turned his career around by taking advantage of his innate talents and passions, and in the process, subsequently had more impact on the world than when he was an elected official in Washington, D.C.
New successes are possible, but not by continuing down the same bankrupt paths. Clearly, Rucker could have tried releasing more rock/pop songs, Ankiel could have attempted to find his pitching prowess, and Gore could have run for office yet again.
Sometimes you have to face facts, make a tough assessment, and turn things on their sides in order to get back on a winning path.
The radio industry - and many of its former employees - could take some degree of solace from these stories. But only if investments in time, money, and honesty are made.
Not every comeback, mash-up, or reinvention will succeed. But driving around the same cul-de-sac is a sad and predictable recipe for failure.
In his ongoing efforts to separate the sales wheat from the chaff, Paul Jacobs chimes in with a timely blog about why advertisers need to take stock of their goals at this tumultuous time for our business.
What is a canard? It is a groundless, fabricated story that may look and sound like it is based in truth.
Over the past several months, there have been too many articles to count in media and advertising trades about the bright shiny object known as social networks and other new media platforms. If the pattern holds, marketing dollars allocated to these platforms are going to surge in 2010, and we know where that budget will come from - traditional media outlets.
The hysteria may have reached a new level recently when Volkswagen announced that they going to cut out all traditional ad dollars for the introduction of their new GTI. Where is the money going? It's all going into an iPhone app.
No television. No newspaper. No radio. Just an iPhone app.
Now it's no secret that we're bullish about iPhone apps. But come on. Get real. Even if VW's demographic has a propensity to buy cool mobile devices, that's not a viable national media plan.
And now Splenda is trumpeting a story that truly embodies the definition of a canard. They are claiming "better than expected results" with the introduction of Splenda Mist, utilizing Facebook to find friends and send out samples of the new product. They're sending out press releases hailing their big success - 16,000 samples were distributed to "friends" via Facebook in two weeks!!!!!
Break out the Addy nominations - Splenda just put on a campaign that attracted the equivalent of the AQH of a typical radio station in St. Louis. And they're sending press releases out for this?
Let's face it - social networks, smartphone apps, and other digital platforms are great as complements to "big box" media that can really drive audience.
Every radio station needs to create solutions for clients that integrate these platforms into a comprehensive media plan.
But what good is a Facebook campaign without the huge cume that a great radio station can provide? Radio provides reach in the hundreds of thousands or millions, coupled with engaging personalities, and substantial databases that can move a mouse and attract lots of eyeballs.
Radio can also provide significant sampling opportunities at the point of purchase. It can offer live read endorsements from credible personalities. And many radio station Facebook pages have more friends than Splenda.
Wouldn't a two-week campaign on a good radio station have generated at least equivalent results? And what might have happened if they bought a couple of key stations in each of the top 25 markets? My bet is Splenda would have had 16,000 friends in the first day of the campaign.
So, here's the question: Are advertising agencies so down on traditional media that they are willing to invest in and champion significantly smaller results?
And a follow-up question: Is the state of traditional media sales so mediocre that despite what radio and TV offer, advertisers are willing to accept these smaller results because they're on the Internet?
Marketers keep clamoring about the value of metrics, but in the case of Splenda and even Volkswagen, they've traded off the certainty of knowing the number of friends and app downloads for the metric that really matters - success.
When are the clients going to see through these canards?
Here’s a guest post from Jacobs Media’s talent guru, Keith Cunningham, with some observations about a new celebrity phenomenon.
Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver, Chad Ochocinco is at it again. But this time he’s not changing his name, hilariously trash-talking with opponents, catching touchdowns, or racing thoroughbred horses – he’s on the way to becoming a media monster.
After all, who has the best access to what really happens in the locker room? As Ochocinco promises, “"If I break it, you might as well believe it."
While it’s early in the game for the OCNN, this is another sign that traditional media is being challenged on every level. When you think that it was TMZ that broke Michael Jackson’s death – not CNN or NBC – Ochocinco’s concept doesn’t sound so crazy. It’s also proof that anyone with motivation, creativity, access, and resources has the ability to participate in, or even change, the entertainment and news landscape.
It’s hard to stand out in today’s crowded field, but radio personalities should take notice of Chad Ochocinco’s efforts and begin thinking of ways to grow their own personas outside of the traditional airwaves.
Has creative ideas and has the cojones to put them in motion
Could a radio personality pull this off on a local level, or in the case of syndicated shows on a national scale? Keep in mind their advantage in being able to promote initiatives to large audiences each day. In the digital world, a big-thinking personality can do big things.
One of the lessons of the new media world is how category leaders don't own the franchise, and dominance is far from guaranteed. In radio, we have become accustomed to seeing the same radio stations on top of the heap for years - or even decades - KGO in San Francisco, KMOX in St. Louis, and in medium markets, stations like WIVK in Knoxville - all examples of call letters that you always see in that #1 position. (Of course, PPM has had a lot to say about the "new order" in many markets.)
But in the Internet world, the pace is considerably quicker. Today's leaders are tomorrow's losers or also-rans. And reversals of fortune can happen fast.
Even President Obama has felt this pain. He took office with an incredible 78 approval rating, but has watched his poll numbers drop precipitously each quarter. He was walking on water in January, but even strong leaders can never take their constituencies for granted in this fast-paced environment.
Then there's Yahoo. Remember that before Google, that's the service that most of used for various portals and search (along with Lycos and others). Now that Google owns the world, Yahoo is left to try to market its way out of this mess. And they're not doing a great job of it because all the TV advertising in the world isn't going to change the minds of consumers. They know what they know, and all the glitz and glamour of Yahoo's newest effort is just a bunch of marketing noise.
So, what does this mean for your station, your morning show, and your brand? Consumers are all driving much faster than 55 these days, making their way through products, gadgets, restaurants, and brands. To help the filtering process, they have more and better evaluative tools, from online reviews to social networks to good old word of mouth. If a new product or service does not make a good impression, consumers move on. If they've been an existing customer of a brand, but recent experiences have been underwhelming, they don't hang around for long.
If your station has been mailing it in, not researching the target, and just hoping that your audience base will simply stay tuned because they always have, think again. Even in a tough economy where resources are tight, service, quality, and innovation have to do more than hit the minimum standards.
An old Ziebart campaign reminded us that "Rust never sleeps." And it is true that when erosion sets in, it's tough to stop the bleeding. "Trust never sleeps" either, and stations cannot take their relationships with listeners for granted.
There is sure to be a lot of controversy about ABC-TV's new V, which debuted earlier this week. If you haven't tuned in, it's the saga of a charismatic new leader offering the promise of hope and peace. Of course, it's all cleverly disguised and is, in reality, an alien invasion.
Politically, the show raises the idea about questioning what is right in front of everyone's eye, while the media jumps on the excitement bandwagon. Clearly, Obama followers, fans, and pols will not be happy with the tone and messaging on V.
So, when we see radio companies continuing to battle only with one another, while totally missing what's happening outside of our shrinking empire, it is difficult not to wonder why the industry isn't taking a larger strategic inventory of the real competition for radio.
"When we can make money from it, we'll start doing it."
"We'll do it when we can find a way to pay for it."
"When there are more mobile phones out there, we'll look into branded applications."
Westergren must laugh at this because he has all that broadcast radio revenue in his crosshairs. As he explains it to AOL's Daily Finance: "In the last year there has been a big sea change in the infrastructure surrounding radio. That's driven by the ability of cell networks to carry a streaming audio signal. That a phone can now stream Pandora has broken open what until now was a domain occupied only by commercial radio (satellite or broadcast) either in cars or homes. I think this new ubiquitous streaming capability is a hugely disruptive change that will put Internet radio right up alongside broadcast radio."
And in fact, Westergren's goal is to displace broadcast radio, and he's tipping his pitches, telegraphing his passes, and allowing radio into his huddle. And broadcasters still don't realize what's going on.
More than 200 enthusiastic ADULTS gathered on a cool Monday night at the Palladium theater complex to hear Westergren speak, and to get a T-shirt. How many local stations could have pulled this type of crowd - without cheap drinks or a football game on a big screen TV?
And he did not disappoint. Westergren is a charismatic, folksy, unassuming presenter who comes off as a music fan who just wanted to create a radio station that would play more and better music than what he grew up listening to on the FM band.
So while radio programmers are wrestling with each other in the mud, or rushing to beat each other out for the honor of who will be the first to play "White Christmas," Westergren has a higher mission.
And while our sales departments are running around, giving away inventory and bonus spots, Westergen is creating value for his growing bevy of Pandora sponsors.
Yes, it is easier to charge up the hill on an exciting mission like Pandora than it is to play defense and protect the throne. But if broadcast radio is to succeed in this awful test of finances, innovation, and strategy, it must get serious about the real enemy.
Or maybe it's just that famous quote from Pogo. You have to believe that's what Westergren is banking on.
Volkswagen has always been a car company that has marched to a totally different drummer. From its "Think Small" campaign for the Beetle, to "Fahrvergnügen" (OK, maybe not the best slogan of all time), the German automaker has taken a left-handed approach to marketing.
You have to give them credit for being consistently inconsistent. For the launch of its new GTI, VW will do no traditional advertising. Instead, the entire marketing effort for this vehicle is a new iPhone app they've put together in a partnership with Apple.
As Taylor pointed out to BrandWeek, "This is the entire investment, it is a fraction of the cost for the standard automotive vehicle launch, but we did not do this for financial reasons, we do truly believe that this is one of the new forms of marketing and hyper targeting and digital allows us to do this."
The biggest challenge is driving awareness of the app - something that radio has no problem doing when a station or personality launches their application. We see this in our analytics every week. When stations or DJs consistently promote their app, it absolutely drives awareness and downloads.
For some of our non-radio clients, the app business has proved to more precarious because there are so many apps in the store, with hundreds of new ones coming in every week. Without a media partner, it's not an easy putt.
So perhaps this campaign for the GTI is a test case for advertisers and broadcasters alike. If it works, we will most likely see more efforts that bypass broadcast in favor of digital. If it doesn't, it may serve as a reminder that multi-platform campaigns that combine the best that both broadcast and digital have to offer are the preferred ways to go.
If Apple features the GTI app on iTunes and in the App Store, it will help VW's campaign succeed. But keep in mind that even some of the best, most advanced, coolest, techie, and well-known brands regularly use broadcast media to reinforce awareness and sampling.
In Letterman's case, parents of college-aged young ladies (and young men?) are suffering in kitchens all over America, wondering if their kid will be taken advantage of during a college-supported internship.
OK, perhaps this is a bit of an overreaction and a lot of CYA, but it's a also reminder to those of us in radio about the value of providing a positive, meaningful experience to college students in exchange for getting some cheap and perhaps innovative labor.
Radio needs this infusion of youth and inside-help from local colleges and universities, especially as staffs are depleted and our industry continues to have difficulty attracting smart young people.
Today's college-aged students haven't changed all that much from when we were in school. They are looking for a bona fide media experience, and a chance to test drive a career. Unlike most of us, however, they know quite a bit more about the communications world than we did. In fact, having an infusion of youth would not only help most radio stations - it could cause managers to rethink many "givens" about social networking, digital applications, music consumption, and marketing solutions. Today's college kids can teach us a lot about the real real world.
So, while you may have lost your music director and you're voicetracking at night, there's a viable opportunity to get some help and a little schooling from someone who's still in school. Jump-starting outreach programs to local colleges and universities is a start, and it's something that's well within the capabilities of radio stations everywhere.
And don't just use them for hanging banners at sales remotes. Put them on the air on your HD station, and start growing your bench. Tell them that their challenge is to create awareness of the station and their shows, and then study some of the more innovative tactics they employ. You might just learn a thing or two about how networking and marketing is done in 2009.
