Who Is Surrounding YOUR Listeners?

Hats off to R&R Marketing/Management/Sales Editor Roger Nadel (rnadel@radioandrecords.com) for a thought-provoking column in the 3/18/05 edition called "Insights from Radio's Biggest Customer."

It's a synopsis of Home Depot VP/Merchandising and Marketing John Costello's keynote speech at February's RAB Managing Sales Conference. Costello says that Home Depot has developed a simple strategy for its media partnerships:

1. Segment. Build strong relationships with your (and their!) most-valued customers.
2. Stand out. Differentiate your brand from others.
3. Surround the customers. Determine how to connect with customers.
4. Do more with less. Make productivity a way of life. It's all about Return On Investment.
5. Choose the best (marketing/promotional/merchandising) partners. Great partnerships equal great results.

Sounds like a system we should be using with ours too!