Quick Marketing and Promotional Checklist

As you finish putting together your spring marketing and promotional plans, try running your ideas through these eight filters:

You know exactly who are you trying to reach (you may have multiple targets) and what the desired outcome from your efforts is for each target.  

All aspects of your plan have a positive (or at least neutral) effect on your overall brand strategy; any aspects that could have a negative impact have been reworked or eliminated. 

From your target’s perspective, you’ve identified your most powerful attraction(s) and that what you’ve chosen has the greatest chance of stimulating the desired behavior.

From your target’s perspective, your product and message are perfectly aligned. 

Your efforts are brand-saturated. That is, your marketing/promotional effort won’t easily be confused with a competitor and thus benefit them as well. 

Your efforts have ‘stand-out-ability.’

You have multi-platform exposure and, if necessary, a calendar for launching different efforts at different times.

The staff is fully informed of your plan, goals and, if applicable, their role.

Have some additional filters you’d like to share? Love to hear them.

A Very Worthwhile Way to Spend Four Hours this Tuesday

“What is important to a radio station in 2012?”

That was the key question we used for building Albright& O’Malley’s annual pre-CRS seminar which happens Tuesday, February 21 from 12:30-4:30 at the Country Radio Hall of Fame’s Ford Theater in Nashville (get a last minute invitation below).

This year’s conference is called “Winning Tactics and Truths” and there are plenty of both.  Here are the topics we have in store for you:

Mapping the country audience

For seven years, A&O’s online research study “Roadmap” has been trending listeners’ music lane preferences, format and station satisfaction, social and competitive media usage, and more. This year’s data from nearly 6,000 country listeners includes a shift in music lane preferences.  We’ll share that and a whole lot more.

Differentiating your brand

We’ve got a musical take from the BDS team and a non-musical look from the incredible Tim DuBois who speaks about unique brand characteristics that can inspire brand loyalty and passion.

Making digital dollars

A programming and sales win-win with members from the Federated Media/Ft. Wayne team presenting two turn-key events that you can take home.

Growing ratings with social media

The team from DMR Interactive shares a remarkable case study.

Talent development

Cliff Dumas and Randy Lane from the Randy Lane Company share the three universal principles that great shows have in common and the two words that will transform any show tomorrow.

Online Analysis

Becky Brenner reports on social media as a business model and radio’s advantages.

Another A&O conference tradition is an ‘up close and personal’ performance and meet and greet with a hot new performer. This year we’re thrilled to have our sponsor, Broken Bow Records, present the terrific Dustin Lynch who’ll perform at 2pm.

To those who have already RSVP’d, we are so looking forward to spending a great afternoon with you. Feel free to Tweet your experiences #aopcrs.

If you haven’t reserved a seat yet, please email Jaye, Becky or me. There’s no charge and the sessions are open not only to clients but also to stations in non-competitive markets.

And if you need info on CRS 2012, you can get it here.

Can’t wait to see you Tuesday afternoon!

The "Super Gesture" and Your Station's Content Filters

Yesterday my partner Jaye Albright wrote a timely piece about the M.I.A. “Super Gesture” on Sunday and the number of country songs with PG13 lyrics (20+ according to her Google search).

A number of readers weighted in (accurately) on "the way it used to be" in country.

But Country’s cume composition is dramatically different than in our not too distant past. Anecdotally A&O sees many markets where 18-24 or 25-34 is the top cume cell – even if 45-54 is still the top AQH cell.

The "safe for the whole family" position belongs to Contemporary Christian radio and has for years now. If you're trying to "out-safe" that format, you really need a new filter.

Filters ('tests' that content has to 'pass through' before getting on the air) will vary by station of course, but one you might consider is, “Would this make it to network TV before 9pm?” Or maybe you prefer multiple demographic filters like "What's the appeal for both 18-34 and 35-54?"

And of course one of my favorites, "Who will care about this?"

What are your filters?