It's Sports Mania Season

It happens every Fall when we have 'sports mania' just dominating the viewing and listening habits of many a male.  It's so easy to fall into all the excitement as College Football builds in October with so many teams in the hunt and great rivalries nearly every weekend.  Baseball heading into the World Series with intense match ups of the best teams.  NFL Football in the middle of the season and the race to the playoffs in December building. Then you also have Tiger Woods returning to Golf (and failing again), the start of Hockey, the NASCAR season racing to it's championship moment and if we had NBA they would be opening up their season also.

You can see the impact by just looking at the network ratings from last Saturday night where the Ohio State/Nebraska game and the baseball games combined for 13 million and the rest of the network line up just cracking 6 million.

On Monday (10/10) you could wear out the remote moving from the Lions/Bears game to the Brewers/Cards and the Tigers/Rangers games.

It's also prime time for Sports Radio as they cover and discuss all the games and the ongoing NBA disputes.  Even if your team is out of it the discussion can be even stronger that the play by play - just look at Boston or Philly right now.   Boston is blowing up the Red Sox after wiping out in the playoffs.  Philly doesn't know what to do with the Phillies dream team - pick to win it all in April out of the action.  Or should they worry about the Eagles and all their problems?

Is it any wonder that male leaning music formats like Classic Rock, Active Rock, and Alternative have a tough time keeping the audience engaged.   We often see the shares for the Rock formats drop in the Fall and Sports is a big part of it.  But, do we focus on how we could stand out in this season?  Some stations have gone to teaming up with the teams like WDVE in Pittsburgh.  Others just take their medicine.  Take a close look at the situation in your market.  Are their opportunities?  Could you create more excitement on your own and help pull the audience your way? Can you join in the sports mania and suck in some of the impact?

Whatever opportunities there are you have to have a plan and that takes time to develop.  Now is your opportunity to take a close look at the environment in your market and look at your options. 

2010 Census End of 25-54???

A lot of the data from the 2010 U.S. Census is out and there are some surprises when you step back and look at the big demographic picture of the country.   I have built a comparison spread sheet of the 5 year demos from 2010 (on the left) and 2000 (on the right).  Also broken out are 18 year breakouts that roughly correspond to the 'generations' (Y - X - Boomer-Etc).  You can see that we really have 3 nearly equal segments here.  The under 19s are around 27%, the 20-39s are also close to 27% and the 40-59s are just over 27%.  The under 60 population is nearly equally split.

The Generations are roughly broken out below.  Since we are dealing with 5 year splits on the data some of the definitions fall in the middle and were 'rounded' from the usually defined eras for each generation.

Still the picture is pretty clear here.  The Younger Generation X, Y and the new under 19s that really have yet to be defined are taking up nearly 69% of the pie here.  While the boomers are still strong their percentage is shrinking.  You can see the boomer ages in the boxes for both 2000 and 2010.

So where will marketers target their campaigns and where should we be aiming our demo targets?  It's an interesting question.  The importance of 25-54s started in the 80s.  In 1980 the oldest boomers where 32 and the youngest were 18.  By the end of the decade they were all in their 30s and driving the 25-54 demo. That's why it became 'the standard' for targeting in advertising.  Well we've all had a few too many birthdays over the years and now that boomer demo is between 62 and 48 years old.

On top of that we can see a the X and Y generations at roughly the same percentages of the population.

It still seems like winning 25-54 is still the gold standard - and it still represents 41% of the total population in 2010 vs. 39% in 2000.  It's still a very important demo, but today it is NOT defined by one generation.  There are Gen Y, the Mellennials with there digital world, Gen X with a strong 80s orientation and the Boomers with their 70s era history all in the same demo.  Targeting something that wide in today's highly fragmented world is starting to look like no strategy at all.  We'll have to see what the marketing minds (today's Mad Men) cook up here.  But, we would be wise to take a closer look as we target and lay our programming strategies with the realities of the population.

The Big Goal For Your 2012 Programming Budget

It's budget time for many as we get set for 2012.  Years ago it seemed like budget season was the time to draw up the wish list.  Asking for funds for more research, raises for the air staff, a bigger (or any) promotion budget and maybe a few new toys for the team is probably not an options for any of the Programmers or Brand Builders.  The goal that most have is likely to be - what can I cut out without bleeding too much?  

While you many not be thinking of goals for your 2012 programming budgets there is one that every station should have.  

GET CLOSER TO YOUR AUDIENCE

This goal doesn't have to be fed with lots of budget lines.  It doesn't cost a lot to keep a healthy Twitter and Facebook presence.  It doesn't cost a lot to build and keep a strong presence in the community.  Yes there is staff-power needed for both efforts but I bet if you take the time to lay out a solid strategy and plan as part of your budget season you can reach this goal.   

And with all the competition from so much media hitting the audience building and executing a plan to interact and stay in front of your audience has to be at the top of your list.  

Social Networking - the Nielsen Report

The recent Nielsen Report on social networking is something every PD, Market Manager and Air Talent should take a look at.  While some of the facts are probably obvious when you start looking at the numbers the power, reach and size of social networking is amazing.  You can download the report HERE.

The one slide that really stood out:

Just look at ALL THOSE minutes spent on Facebook!!!   53.5 BILLION minutes in May 2011.  

Maybe We Could All Use A Little Country?

When you look at the various radio formats Country always stands out for its strong relationship with the audience.  It's a very loyal group by any measure with a big bond between the music, the artists and the radio stations.  The more I admire it the more I think it's a formula that every format group could copy and help the format/stations and the artists/music industry.

Looking from a somewhat outside view there are 3 elements that stand out with Country Artists and Country Radio that other formats seem to miss:


1.   The Audience - The artists show up for the audience.  They hold their fans near and dear no matter how big they get.  Yes it can get to a point where the huge stars can't keep up with millions of fans, but at least they shook hands, signed everything, smiled till their lips cracked, and always greeted the fans as guests in their world - happy to play their music for them and eager for their applause.  They toured like a machine hitting both the big and small cities and were ready to play on time and for the most part without any big issues.

2. The Press - Everyday most of us scroll down the news of the day in All Access.  All Access has plenty of space in their website and a seemingly open policy to publish nearly everything in Music and Radio/Media.   It can mean a lot of stories in a day, but just look at the number of Country Artists and Country Format Stories in the mix.  Most days you see 6 or 7 events covered - some of it is pretty small but no other format group of artists manages to have this kind of presence.  The same 'work the room' presence you see on stage for most Country artists is evident in their work ethic for the press also.   They also have some great national exposure channels with a cable network, award shows, and are ready to hit the big TV shows at the drop of a hat.

3. Work Together - Radio and Country's artists work together as if they are in the same Army.  If you have never been to a CRS convention in Nashville you'd be blown away by the closeness between Country Radio and Country Artists.  They all know each other as if it is one huge family reunion.   Ever notice on the award shows how most artists thank radio - then look at other award shows and radio is hardly mentioned.

Part of the success has to go to the annual CRS convention and a strong association between the artists with the CMA.   This is not a world of loaners - everyone is united and works together for the strength of the music and the format.  Yes there are differences and debates, but the success of Country music and radio is the goal and no one forgets it.   Having a national organization that organizes events, encourages collaboration, and sets some standards/examples helps this machine stay on the tracks and running at a healthy speed.

In many ways it may have become a formula.  Country music does seem to follow a number of procedures in producing and promoting the product.  While there are 'bands' the formula is often a singer who may lead a group of musicians.   The band is often pros from the Nashville music world and the songs are often written by another group of pro songwriters.  The production also can seem rather formulaic but in the end there is a pretty high quality of music being cranked out.

What would happen if Rock or AC, Rap or CHR formed into music style associations like we see in Country?   Just dream about it for a minute.

If Rock music could have a union between its artists and radio/media like Country does you would have to wonder if the genre would be in a lot better shape than it is.   The other real opportunity probably lies in CHR or RAP artists.  While there isn't a real organization that stand out for these music styles they are working more together on the artist side.  Look at how Lady GAGA treats her audience and works the stage - she clearly has learned a few Country tricks.   On the RAP side look at all the duets and combo rap songs out there.   It's amazing how many songs the emerging and vet rappers are showing up on.  This is a group that is starting to work together and build a union. If CHR and Rap could get the radio side organized more it could even go further.  But at least there are some seeds growing.  Really ROCK is the one format that seems to be too cool or too hip to follow the example here.  Maybe it's time for a change?   

Imagine if the Big 3 Worked Together

Ford and Toyota just announced a joint project to build Hybrid Truck technology where the 2 auto forces will come together to help develop the technology, lower the costs for consumers and bring it to market faster.  You can read about it here.

It all happened when the 2 CEOs ran into each other in an airport and started chatting.  For those of us in the cut throat and highly competitive radio world this seems sort of weird.  The auto world is very competitive and with something like 700 different car models out there it's a pretty cut throat world.  But somehow 2 of the biggest are getting set to build a pretty big project together.

Can you imagine CBS and Clear Channel or Cumulus or Cox or Townsquare all sitting down to work on potential answers to all the challenges we face in Radio?   It might be hard to imagine, but what if they did?  What could they work on?

• Our National Image - How about a full cooperative program to work on the image of our media.  Too often Radio is viewed as 'yesterday's technology' and even though we see strong Cume and national listening averages we still get stuck with - 'isn't everyone listening to Satellite Radio"  or hasn't the I Pod killed you yet?
• Spreading our Distribution - While many are streaming and there are pure play streaming systems built into the Clear Channel and CBS national streaming products are there more opportunities here?  Could we develop apps that zero in on Broadcast Streamers?  How about making up our own territory here and making it easy to navigate and use.  The new world of streaming with so many options will be tough to navigate at 70mph on the 405 or the Dan Ryan or Mass Turnpike - if we can get our world organized and localized as you drive around it could be a big help to us and the drivers.  
• Working with Social Networks and New Media - Are there money making opportunities if we all banded together here?  Instead of letting Google or someone else develop a system of working with local business' on developing Social Network strategies why can't we use the collective reach of radio to develop a real sell-able opportunity for us and a program to help merchants and service providers get closer to their audience's through ours?  
• New Car Radio Ideas:  Wouldn't it be great if we had an easy way to reprogram your car radio push buttons as you drove from market to market?  Instead of searching for the Rock or CHR or Country stations in Syracuse you could press a button and your car radio would lock them in.  This is one advantage of satellite radio and it will be a web/streaming wifi advantage that we should work on.  

I'm sure these ideas are just the tip of the iceberg - (if you have any more hit the comments and chime in). 

The opportunities to set radio up to be a much stronger media down the road are there.  Yes, we have the NAB and state broadcasting organizations and even the FCC to unite us - but are these organizations really getting to the 'big issues' and challenges that we need to face?   Maybe it would help if the CEOs would end up meeting in the Delta Lounge somewhere someday and decided to build a real actionable plan.  

Appointment Listening - The New Obsession!?

Programmers and the air staff have been adding new 'tricks' or 'techniques' for years to try and improve the performance in delivering audience (ratings).  Recycling the audience to other dayparts with cross promos, billboards to tempt listening through the stop set, big events to build huge tune in, daily features to build certain hours in the day (the Request Lunch), listening locations (at work) and also special programming days (All Music Mondays - 2 Fer Tues).

 

Over the last 5 years the new big tool has been Appointment Listening.  Making a specific appointment with the listener to come back.  While it may be similar to the 'billboard just before the stop set' it really serves a different purpose.  Really this technique stems from the 'Arbitron Listening Fact' that you have an 'average time spent listening' for the station for every time they tune in.   Say the average TSL with the station per tune in is 8 minutes - so they are in the process or already have spent 8 minutes - if you can get them back in 15 minutes you will probably get another 8 minutes.   So your total here is 15-16 minutes.  At the end of the 2nd tune in maybe you can hook them for another 8 minutes and end up with 20+ minutes in a 90 minute period.  

Instead of begging them to stick around through the stop set and hope they will hang for another 8 minutes now we give in to the 'law of averages' and shoot for them to come back later in the hour or maybe later in the daypart (at 12:30 catch the big Concern Announcement for U2).  

It's an effective tool and it has been shown in lots of data analysis to work.  Of course the best way to see it is in tracking the PPM meters where we can see real behavior in real time.  Who knows if any of these techniques is really accurately recorded in a diary?  Hence we now see the Appointment Billboard being the new big standout technique in the jock breaks in PPM markets and also making it's way to diary markets.   It's even bleeding into TV - just watch SportsCenter.    

The key here is to make sure you have real actionable appointments.  Just mentioning that 3 Doors Down's recurrent from last year is coming up in 15 minutes will probably not do much.  Make sure to make it big and newsworthy or entertaining enough to catch the attention of the audience.  

Today's 'Individual' Person

Before the end of 2011, or very early in 2012, we will surpass 7 Billion people on the planet!!!  Right now this seems like we have so many people here, and no doubt more to come with birth rates not really slowing down and the lifespan growing for many countries.  While it would seem logical that with more and more of us around that we would be growing more unified but if you took a look from the outside at us through our interaction on the internet you would probably conclude that the human populations in this world are really becoming a lot more individualistic.  

The web offers tons of tools to become more of an individual - or to at least make you feel that you are a special individual - even on a planet of 7,000,000,000 people.  It's easy to make lots of stuff in your world unique to you.  We can all think of examples from your music collection to the color of your screen saver.  Every product works to make it as 'personal and individual' of an experience as possible.

No one wants wants to be 'wearing the same outfit' in today's world and overall it's pretty easy to become so individualistic in your virtual/web world that even with 7 Billion you are an individual.  

As we go beyond 7 billion next year remember that the audience will be looking for more and more ways to preserve their individuality -- even in the face of the 1 in 7 billion odds.   Something to keep in mind as you program your station and hang with the local audience in your market.