On Programming Success, Skill Sets and Sharing: RadioInk’s “Five Killer Questions for Five Great Consultants”

A “thank you” to RadioInk for including me in their August 6^th article, “Five Killer Questions for Five Great Consultants.”

It was an honor (and fun) to share pages with Gary Berkowitz, Alan Burns, Fred Jacobs, and Randy Lane...all smart, passionate about what they do, and generous in sharing what they know.

If you don’t know them yet, you should.

With just a bit of editing (particularly on the last question), here are my responses to the questions posed by Radioink’s Editor In Chief Ed Ryan. Feel free to share your thoughts as well.

What does it take to succeed on the programming side today?

From a product standpoint, focus on the user-experience. Spend a lot of time learning everything you can about your listeners. Use your knowledge and creativity to create a station that’s so fun, interesting, uplifting, informative, entertaining, surprising, imaginative, interactive and ‘in the moment’ that listeners want to listen to listen to everyday and every daypart whether they can or not. 

Spend a lot of time with your talent, imaging, music, promotions and listening critically. 

Balance creativity with your overall strategy. 

From a management standpoint, prioritize and do what’s important first. 

List 5 skills PD’s must have in order to win on the air today?

•       Strategic thinking with both a granular and 10,000 foot view of what’s important at/to the station, but also the ability to execute in ways that are creative, fun, timely, and occasionally out of the box

•       The ability to lead and motivate individuals and groups of individuals

•       A coach that really coaches to the benefit of the talent and the overall entertainment value of the station

•       Strong organizational skills to handle/prioritize the many demands of today’s programmer

•       The desire to know and embrace listeners – not only in order to over-deliver satisfaction regardless of platform, but also to anticipate new ways to surprise and delight  

Where can the young go to learn the tools of the PD trade? 

Find a mentor. Ideally that’s someone you work with so you that access is easy, but if not, reach out to those who you respect. You’ll find many eager to share their experiences and ideas.

A tremendous amount of great thinking is available for the taking. And it’s not just great thinking about radio, but great thinking about media, consumers, branding, marketing, technology, demography and more. Thousands of very smart people freely share their thoughts via blogs and Tweets alone everyday.

Identify people on Twitter who can teach you something and follow them. With Twitter it’s easy to quickly determine if someone’s Tweets are meaningful to you and to find others who might contribute to your knowledge base as well.

Spend time with listeners regarding their feelings about your station as well as their other passions.

Deconstruct radio stations and talent that are high achievers to gain insight into why they are successful.

Read a lot. 

Write a lot. Keep a journal of your discoveries, ideas and questions.  Think about how the former could be implemented and the questions could be solved.

How do PD’s program in a PPM world and keep their jobs?

PPM didn’t change how people listen, only how they are measured. Gary Marince said that back in his Arbitron days and it’s valid to this point.

PPM and some terrific researchers and marketers have helped us know so much more about our listeners. We have more information on our audiences than ever and that information is certainly an asset.

However we also know that people like to be engaged, have fun, and simply feel good when they listen.

There’s a lot a PD can’t control - often the most frustrating can be panel-related. But PDs should be charged with - and immersed in - creating a great listening experience, and given the support to make that a reality.

Pick five great PDs the young can look up to and follow.

This was the toughest question for me because there are many PDs – famous and not so famous – doing amazing work in their respective markets. I am privileged to work with some of them.

While I did make a list, I was thinking, why a list just new PDs could follow? And for that matter, why just five people to follow and and why follow just radio people when there is so much great applicable thinking so readily available?

New PD or long-time programmer, now is a time to inspire and be inspired. Make a list if you like, but also aspire to be on a list because everyone wins when we share what we’ve learned.

What if Usain Bolt Was On Your Staff?

Imagine if the Olympics’ Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt was on your staff.

The best at what he does.

Incredibly visible.

Never boring.

Occasionally over the top? Yeah, but most everyone agrees that it’s more than OK.

The WSJ’s outstanding sports columnist Jason Gay (@jasonWSJ) writes about Bolt smashing sport’s "Boring Line" but, with some different examples, the piece could have been about some of radio’s greatest  personalities (insert your favorites here).

Jason writes,

“What's great about Bolt is that he crashes over this line and nobody cares. He's just too good. The finger pointing, the shhhhh, the push-ups, the bow and arrow, the underappreciated somersault he did after the 100 last Sunday—he does all the things you're allegedly not supposed to do. Doesn't matter. Earth loves Bolt.”

It's a good read if you worry about a talent occasionally being too big for the room.

Talent and Listeners: A Paradoxically Strong yet Fragile Bond

You don’t have to look far to find documentation about the bond between listeners and talent.

For the past 6 years, A&O’s Roadmap Study has revealed the significant level of importance listeners place on air talent in their overall listening experience.

Last month a Katz-funded/University of Southern California’s Annembert School for Communications’ study discussed the parasocial relationship (‘illusion of intimacy’ where one party believes they know a lot about someone else) listeners have with talent.

Among the study’s observations (see results and methodology here) was social media’s power to give listeners a feeling of connectivity with the talent.

Over 70% of the respondents indicated they followed their favorite personality via social media including more than half (55%) who said they did so “to make them feel like they know the host better.” These encounters led listeners to perceive the talent as real, trustworthy, and ‘one of us.’

This is powerful of course, but not impervious to self-inflicted damage.

Case in point: A wonderfully creative talent whose tweets were typically character-reflective, fun, and often filled contained ‘behind the curtain’ content began delivering a non-stop pitch for a limited appeal sales promotion.

While tolerable initially, the push became increasingly disappointing and finally annoying as the days passed.

It was if my friend next door was suddenly and relentlessly trying to sell me insurance every time he could catch my eye.

In the process, my social media relationship with this talent changed from one of anticipation to one of avoidance. And now, although the subject matter has returned to what it once was, I'm left with some residue of suspicion.

Bonds that take years to build and appear to be/are in fact strong, are still fragile enough to unravel quickly when trust and expectations are violated.

How Did Your Website Celebrate the 4th?

We talk a lot about engaging our audience so I loved this idea from Starbucks.

It made me wonder what other coffee vendors might be doing so I checked three of the larger chains. While there were plugs for summer products, I didn’t see anything as 4th of July specific (let alone engaging) as this.

Later, while booking airline tickets I checked four major US carriers to see if their websites were celebrating the 4th. None of them were but Southwest was with this that played nicely off their brand.

I checked on our industry by randomly (unscientifically) visiting 25 radio station sites.

About half had nothing. That was disappointing but no worse than the coffee or airline industries -- and better than the fast food (six chains, nothing for the 4th) and auto industries (among the Big 3 plus three imports, one displayed a 4th of July sale).

For stations that did have July 4th-specific content, locations for viewing fireworks was the most common with some also listing special events.

In searching for something a little different to share, here are three sites that caught my attention.

While some stations were showcasing special programming; I thought this from Philadelphia's WMMR was locally, graphically and date-clever.

And I liked this – nearly a whole page - from Washington's WTOP which looks like the station sounds.

I thought this content on New Jersey 101.5 was varied and visual with four of their five flippers this morning devoted to the day while reflecting the station's personality.

And then this afternoon, this was added:

If your station (or business) had a great website up for the 4th I hope you'll share it.

If you're newly inspired to create something engaging, that's even better!

Hope you had a great day celebrating America!

Does Asking, "Is That Country?" Matter?

I got in a discussion this week about Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away” and was asked if I thought the song was “country” (my answer is at the bottom).

“What’s the definition of a country song?” is an interesting question.

Recently I watched the Garage Boys – a pretty good cover band by anyone’s definition – get a demo-diverse crowd into their music.  At one point they answered a request saying, “Here’s a country song for you” and played “Mama Tried.”

No argument. “Mama Tried” is a country song. But so is “Dirt Road Anthem.”

We might argue over a couple of songs or descriptions, but I broke out this week’s top 40 country songs as follows:

·         12 mainstream titles (Drunk on You)
·         12 twangers (6 ‘new twangers,’ 6 'traditional twangers')
·         8 rock leaning titles (You Don’t Know Her Like I Do)
·         8 pop-leaning titles ((Kissed You) Goodnight).

Given how demographically broad the cuming of the format is, it’s totally logical that we see multiple genres having appeal and getting airplay. And interestingly, these 40 songs were evenly distributed across the classifications that I drew up before hand (again, granted, my definitions and my interpretations).

Studying the format’s audience composition over the years I've seen, anecdotally and in the last two years in particular, a good number of markets where 18-24 and/or 25-34 are the leading cume cells for the format. In some markets head-to-head country competitors share a similar audience composition while in other markets each station has it's own relatively well-defined, younger or older cume profile.

With country’s cume and music each as wide as they are today, spending time making sure your station is reflecting listeners' tastes and, importantly, presenting them with a balanced music ‘diet’ to me seems more valuable and have more relevance to than debating, “Is this a country song?”

Play to the heart of your audience; if they say it’s a country song then it is.  Know the center point of your music and deliver on those expectations, but also know how far you can stretch.

So do I think “Blown Away” is a country song? Yes, including the fact that “country” is a core component of Carrie’s brand to the majority of our cume.

But again I think that’s the wrong question.  

A more actionable question is, “Is my music an appropriately balanced reflection of my audiences’ varied music passions?”

A 6-Point Slogan Filter (Inspired by a Porta-Potty)

What do you make of this as a slogan/positioning statement for a portable restroom? 

Posted inside the door, I wasn’t sure what my takeaway for “Experience the Difference” was supposed to be.

I’m sure it made sense to the company but, as an end (no pun intended) user, I’m left uncertain.

Perhaps an extended stay or repeat trips would have helped me to understand. But often, as in this case, there was only one, quick chance to make an impact.

With less confusing communication as the goal, here’s my six-point filter for slogans, positioning statements and phrases to connect products with prospects:

“A simple (don’t expect me to figure it out), differentiating statement (of something unique and important to me) that cuts through (reaches and resonates), is attributable (won’t be confused with another brand), makes sense (is believable) to the target, and has stickiness (memorability).” 

Back to my “porta-position.” How about, “(Company) always has a great seat just when you need it.”

Too much?

A Cure for "Talking Without Saying Anything"

It’s all too common to hear shows or stretches of shows where the talent doesn’t say anything of consequence. 

Sure, they may tell me about a blood drive, where to go to sign up for a contest, or how to listen online (BTW, do I really need instructions for that?). But none of this is why I tuned in. In fact, from a non-musical standpoint, it's the opposite of why I tuned in.

I recall a blog from my partner Jaye that included this quote from the late Jay Trachman about the consequences of non-connective talk as a substitute for content: 

"Ultimately, a survey-taker comes along and asks people what they like least about the station, and they'll reply, "The DJs talk too much!" They don't talk too much - they don't say anything worth hearing!

Back in February when Albright &O'Malley presented Roadmap 2012 (our annual online perceptual study), we noted again the importance of the connection between the country audience and the talent. In fact, mood enhancement ("makes me feel good when I listen") and talent were second only to music quality in station appeal.

Jacobs Media’sTechsurvey8 found similar results for radio overall as well as for country fans.

So what's required of a skilled conversationalist? How about:

• Well-informed
• Sympathetic
• Interested in life
• Has a sense of the dramatic
• Moderate
• Can draw out the other person
• Attentive
• Always in good humour
• Has a sense of proportion
• Doesn't preach
• Doesn't take himself too seriously
• Not argumentative
• Original
• Broad-minded
• Charitable
• Unselfish
• Considerate
• Flexible
• Poised
• Enthusiastic
• A trifle whimsical

This isn't my list, it's Milton Wright's. He wrote this in “The Art of Conversation” ... in 1936.

We could argue over some of these of course, but for the most part, these comprise a pretty good skill set if your goal is connecting with listeners - or just being a good conversationalist. 

Try putting three of Milton's qualities together like "interested in life," "original" and "sense of the dramatic." Or "well-informed," "a sense of proportion" and "a trifle whimsical."

What an antidote for "talks too much while not saying anything."

  

Thanks, Rusty

I have no idea of how many people Rusty Walker influenced during his lifetime.  

Directly or indirectly it no doubt was well into the thousands – probably more likely the tens-of-thousands. 

I consider myself fortunate to be among them.

Smart, passionate, funny (sometimes unintentionally), pioneering, and always generous in sharing what he knew, I had the privilege of having Rusty as my Consultant when I programmed WYNY in New York City. 

Rusty connected with you not just on a business or an intellectual level, but on a personal level, too.  A visit from or a conversation with Rusty left you inspired. 

All of us who learned from, worked with, laughed with, or in some way had lives enriched by Rusty Walker are indeed saddened today.

Sincere condolences to Rusty’s family from the many, many people who were fortunate enough to have known him, learned from him, and be touched by him.

Country Artist Discovery Matrix: Who’s “New” Varies by Demo

Scotty McCreery didn’t win Top New Artist at last night’s Billboard Music Awards (Wiz Khalifa did), but his nomination was appropriate enough (Scotty of course was the ACM Best New Artist winner this past April while The Band Perry was the CMA’s New Artist winner in November).  

One of the questions we ask in Albright & O’Malley’s annual online perceptual study ‘Roadmap’ is, “Is there a new country singer or band you’ve discovered in the last 12 months that’s becoming one of your favorites?” This year, 59.9% of respondents answered “Yes” (up from last year’s 56.7%).

Those who answered “Yes” were then asked to name the artist(s) in an open-ended question (top 7 results below).

Not surprisingly, “discovery” varied by demo. 

 

Also not surprising, these ‘discovered’ artists varied by demo as well.

Here are Roadmap 2012’s most frequently mentioned ‘new’ artists by 18-54s with the top demo for each artist highlighted (we asked this question in January of 2012 so the respondents’ frame of reference would be 2011).

Artist	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	18-54
Band Perry	12.4	17.9	13.9	13.1	14.3
Jason Aldean	5.3	11.1	11.8	6.1	8.4
Zac Brown Band	3.2	4.8	10.5	6.9	6.8
Brantley Gilbert	13.4	8.5	6.5	2.9	6.4
Luke Bryan	6.0	6.1	10.5	3.8	6.2
Lady A	5.3	6.5	5.9	5.7	5.9
Scotty McCreery	9.2	5.4	5.5	4.2	5.4

Other artists like Thompson Square and Eric Church had their highest discovery scores 18-24 while the Eli Young Band’s was split 18-24 and 25-34.

An ‘Artist Discovery Matrix’ like this is a good reminder of country’s idverse audience.  

It’s also useful as you consider your overall music-to-target relationship.