Spotted By A&O&B: At Sears Fine Foods in San Francisco

 

Because the customer has a need, we have a job to do.

Because the customer has a choice, we must be the better choice.

Because the customer has sensibilities, we must be considerate.

Because the customer has an urgency, we must be quick.

Because the customer is unique, we must be flexible.

Because the customer has high expectations, we must excel.

Because the customer has influence, we have the hope of more customers.

Because of the customer, we exist.

Small wonder it has been an Institution since 1938.

Send This Message To Your Team Now

"Today would be a good day to listen to competitors, listen to their music (pull Media Monitors, BDS or Mediabase for last week), listen to their imaging, contesting, commercials and how their clocks are set up.

"Take a look at their websites and take a listen to their streaming product as well.

"Are you winning in all aspects?

"The Spring ARB starts in 14 days."

-- An email sent by one of the sharpest market managers I work with to his proramming and marketing people yesterday.

Getting Younger Listeners To Pay Attention

1. Tight production. Treat the station like a CHR or Hot AC in terms of production value. But, today's contemporary - authentic and organic - not like 80's or 90's Top 40.
2. Music elements. Use contemporary music as backgrounds or as "hooks" for feature stories. Use music beds, when appropriate, but beat beds which distract from the content don't work. Keep it simple, real.
3. Hipness factor. Saying you don't know how to pronounce "Kanye" or "Bieber" says 'you are old.' If you can't pronounce it, don't say it.
   
4. Pop culture references provide context for your content.
5. No "interviews with water commissioners," even in newscasts and public affairs shows. Tell stories, engage. Begin each narrative with "what's in it for me."
6. Less clutter. Stick to commercial limits. Shorten newscasts or eliminate formal "newscasts" and make everything you talk about be a reflection of what's happening right now.
7. Less "traffic report" mentality. More human "news you can use."
8. Faster pacing. Convey a "sense of urgency."

Impediments to younger demo growth:

1. An "old" reputation gets in the way.
2. Prehistoric production values.
3. Hype.

In fact, let's change that headline to "getting ALL listeners to pay attention."

Plan Now To Have A Hot Summer And Strong Fall

1. PROGRAM DIRECTOR PERSONAL
Goals:
- Demonstrating the knowledge and management skills necessary to run the Department
- Using the available tools and strategies, creating the plan to get ... to the next level
- Using interpersonal skills to create the passion and winning attitude among staff
- Train XXX to handle Asst PD (and XXX) to handle Music responsibilities

2. TO SHARE WITH THE AIR STAFF
Goals:
- Focus all talent with regular one on one aircheck sessions (Full & Part-time)
- Concentrate on Morning show:
- Continue thinking "out of the box"
- Focus, focus, focus
- Get "XXX" (YOU KNOW WHO!) more "in the game" (or explore options)
- Keep "high profile" in media (Goal: at least 1 media coverage event monthly)

- Build Afternoon show profile:
- Take the show out on the streets occasionally
- Become more "listener driven"
- More "stunts" to get people talking

- Have all personalities know, understand and sign job descriptions
- Airstaff meeting at least 1x monthly

3. BUDGETS/BONUSES
Goals:
- Review budget projections for possible areas of savings
- Develop personality bonus structure

4. PROMOTIONAL FORECASTING
Goals:
- Keep "ahead of the game" by advance planning
- Topical promotions:
Memorial Day, Flag Day, Canada Day, July 4th, etc
- Work with Promotions Dept. on Email/Social Network Attacks:
- Up to twice a month, then once a week, then daily with quality appointments
- Use viral ideas to build TSL (and maybe pick up a little more cume too!) through creative contesting
- Get Midday "at work" TSL/TSE up to at least X:XX through increased occasions
- Share Rating into the low X.0's (be realistic) by the end of 4th Qtr. looking towards an incredibly "hot" Summer as the lever (outline what it would take to do this in terms of AQH and Cume growth)
- Increase "In Your Face" marketing
- Work with promotions, consultant and researcher to develop the "Listener Advisory Board," online, etc - research projects

5. STAY FRESH
Goals:
- Use creative Promo and Liners to continue to position ourselves as fresh, creative and surprising
- Have the plan already in place for when the competition counters the position, use two and three stage thinking when developing any image campaign. Expect them to defend. Have contingencies ready.
- Check budgets for implementing the spring and fall campaign
- Keep sweepers Hip, Hot, Local, Topical, Fun, Self-Deprecating, Never Hype
- Stay focused on original strategy

6. SPECIAL PROGRAMMING
Goals:
- Continue to create exciting weekend programming (2 to 3 per month)
- Brainstorm to build daypart programming that is in synch with the strategy or replace dated elements (or whatever) with the normal format. Is special programming driving the audience you need to succeed?
- more produced on the air
- develop "reason to be there" events

7. CUME/TSL MATRIX
Goals:
- Develop CUME/TSL Matrix to track progress
- Cross reference with on-air/outside promotions to determine which were "hot buttons"

8. CONSULTANT VISITS
Goals:
- Schedule at least one visit to town by Jaye Albright or Mike O’Malley during 3rd Qtr.
- Discuss strategies to reach next level
- Include air staff in a meeting with (try to get one on one time with as much of the staff as possible)

9. BRAG
Goals:
- Let A&O know both when you need ideas and when you hit home runs
- Press releases to local media and the trades

Can You Watch This Video And Replace The Word "Starbucks" With Your Brand Name?

Go to your nearest Starbucks and ask for a free copy of this book.

Then, watch this video and let me know what communications tools you use to get your team to execute the strategy this well!

“That’s Great! .. BUT...”

“How did they do it?” a client PD asked me last week.

“Do what?” I innocently inquired.

“How did those folks at WAXX, Eau Claire, get more than 600 of their listeners to do the questionnaire and we’re a bigger market but we only had just over 300.”

A&O client stations are competitive. I suppose that’s one reason why they hire us.

They want to have the latest intelligence and access to cutting-edge strategies and tactics. They love winning.

Rarely, however, do they have a chance to compete with each other and have every other client see the ‘score.’

And, I didn’t even know that this was a competition!

So far, more than 17,000 listeners across the U.S. and Canada have completed the “Roadmap ’08” national perceptual study (highlights of which will be unveiled at our Pre-CRS client seminar) a preliminary report on the results of the study went out to all of the stations who participated the other day.

It includes P-1 listener tracking data on more than 40 areas, from music style and genre preferences, content, information, new media usage, overall satisfaction and HD radio.

I was surprised to find that almost everyone who received it turned past the product and usage-related responses to the pages which detailed the sample sizes for each market which will allow us to break local data for out every station with at least 200 respondents. Everyone seemed to want to see how many of their listeners completed the 20 minute questionnaire compared to other cities of similar size.

The PD who made the statement’s station ranks #1 12+ and 25-54 in a situation where an aggressive direct format competitor ranks #5 in the Fall ARB survey, so I have long considered this programmer a winner and a big success I often point with pride to.

But, in his mind, he still needs to do better.

“We do contests and they do well for us, but then I see how the great Lincoln Financial Media team at KSON, San Diego, made “Double Your Paycheck” more than just a contest. They turned it into a statement of values the station stands for,” he started.

“Then, Pattison’s CJJR, Vancouver, “Tripled Your Pay” last Fall and had a terrific BBM.

“We also do a St. Jude’s Radiothon and raised lots of money for the great cause again this year, but then I saw how the Bonneville/Cincinnati crew at B-105 had their listeners pledge $415,361,” he continued.

“I look at loyalty rewards marketing stars like Larche Media/Barrie’s KICX, Morris Radio’s WIBW-FM, Topeka and Astral’s CFQX, Winnipeg driving thousands of new database signups. We, of course, do a similar program, yet I seem to run into the same 40 people who come to every remote broadcast for their ‘word on the street.’

“CBS Radio’s KMPS, Seattle, continues to dominate their market by innovating. I love their new “Yes.com” social network where they invite listeners to vote for their favorite songs and network with other listeners. How did they do that?”

Sensing that this very competitive programmer didn’t just want me to pat him on the back and say “hey, you’re #1, you’re clearly aware of those things other clients are doing and that’s a good thing, perhaps a bit of healthy sibling rivalry.

“You’re holding yourself to too high a standard, take it easy on yourself. You are really, really good at lots of things, but you can’t possibly be the absolute best at everything..,” so instead, I decided to simply remind him of the “Seven Magic Words,” which by the very questions he’s been asking me, whether he knows it or not, already show that he’s living them.

Being competitive myself, I wish I could say that they were my invention, but Mike O’Malley coined this useful seven word phrase years ago, when we did our first air personality seminar on the Boardwalk in Atlanta City. We called that session “Barnumizing Your Radio Station And Your Show.”

We taught attendees and still encourage our client stations to use the principles of P. T. Barnum. Never forget we’re in show business. Whatever you do, don’t just amplify it.

Explode it.

Plan each community service event, prep each content break, build each promotion, create each stunt, communicate each strategy and just when you feel that it’s your best, before finalizing it use the Seven Magic Words and see how far you can go with whatever you’re doing.

The words?

“Great! .. but what else could we do?”

Use them the next time your team brainstorms. Pretty soon, you’ll be the envy of your siblings too.