Politics

Every decade or so, as generations shift, new programmers come to country radio from contemporary formats.

That's how I got into country four decades ago, and I'd bet it's how you came to the format as well.

And, as usual, country has a way of growing on the newcomers, ingraining itself into their sensibilities just as they help to add contemporary flair, ideas, approaches and style to keep country growing with the young end of our target.

Recently I was surprised to hear one of the former-CHR programmers who is now doing country say that he now feels that the process of music decision-making is the "most political" of all radio formats.

If true, that's too bad, because until the early-1990's when the country boom took country music revenues to heights never seen previously and then after consolidation Jacor's Randy Michaels tried to work through Tri-State Promotions as they acquired more and more stations, opening the door for Jeff McCluskey, who in 1999 paid Cumulus a reported $1 million to influence the growing groups' music programmers, independent promotion in country music radio meant folks who only attempted to build relationships with music directors and sell music to them with creative ideas and seldom any financial incentives.

If things are more political now, I'd call Clear Channel's Doug Montgomery and Clay Hunnicutt the "Mitt Romney" of our business with their position of incumbency grown over the past two decades since those initiatives, which brought other aggressive promotional indies from contemporary and rock formats to country radio and Cumulus' Jan Jeffries and Mike McVay the Rick Santorum of the competition between radio's largest conglomerates as they strive to trim playlists, pay down debt and yet send a message to the music community that they remain open to doing business with them.

CBS' Jeff Garrison may be the Barack Obama of the threesome, working to grow artist relations for the company (which once owned 18 country stations in the top 20 markets and had higher cume for their country stations than anyone before they sold off a few of them several years ago, hoping the economy treats them better in '12 than it has in '10 and '11) has to be feeling the pressure of those other two breathing down his neck in the race for promotions ownership, as Nashville labels, managers, indies and publishers start to feel increasingly like influential think tanks, lobbysts and SuperPACs as they attempt to mold coalitions with everyone, trying to seem friendly with all, even as their revenues slide precipitously.

For them, the stakes are even higher than ever, since listener research continues to show, for example in A&O's 2012 Roadmap country perceptual study, despite attempts at new media marketing direct to music consumers, that terrestrial radio exposure remains the most effective mass sales driver of music sales.

Other group owners let alone stand-alone mom and pop stations in medium and small markets must feel a bit like Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich, with their passionate and loyal fans, hoping that's enough to "win the popular vote" so even if they can't possibly "win in the Electoral College" due to the tools available to the big guys, they can at least get a piece of the pie during "a brokered convention" when - at the very least - a new album is released or a concert comes to town.

Call me naive, but in spite of all that level of perceived politics in our business today I, along with those small guys, hold onto the belief that a great song, a true artist, a pair of ears and a responsive audience who still responds to an undeniable hit can still make an unknown into a superstar starting at any radio station in any size market.

Hopefully, the music promotion community won't forget that, and will continue to support little guys too as we all work together to create excitement for country music.

"Build Connections to People Not Things"

As politics really heats up and 2012 dawns, I've been reminded of some tips given to A&O clients based on his experience doing political research from Larry Rosin:

• Listeners are more loyal to DJs than "XX in a rows;" sell personal aspects of the station including the people who work there.
• Sell beyond quantity, mix. Use Symbolism - attach yourself to positives, your opponent to negatives. Don't put listeners in the middle of the battle between you.
  
• Use Powerful Words: verbs not adjectives drive action.
• Avoid clichés like “the best music” and use action and specifics, “we’re playing more Blake.”
• Press The Flesh. It's incredibly powerful; people remember where you go. In politics, the chance of someone voting for a candidate skyrockets if that person has met the candidate.
• Work Grassroots Organizations. Charity work feels good to do, of course, but it's also helpful for this reason too.
  
• As ARB and BBM struggle to reach younger demos, the type of people who can be reached by their current methodology drive the rating results, just like elections. With so few voting, get those who’ll vote for you to do so (analogous with working heavy users, motivating the core to vote for you). It's useless if your biggest fans won't participate in radio ratings surveys. Encourage them, reward them for giving their opinions.
• Database management is increasingly important; don’t just complain about returns, act on them. It takes excellent organization and execution to win.
  
• Play “Retail Politics:” service the constituents; cater to heavy users. Make sure they know that you know their name.
  
• Research: uncover deeply held values and key issues and act on them.

Things We Simply Couldn't Do 15 Years Ago

An article in Bloomberg Business Week on the Obama campaign "geeks," whose job is to write software that can make sense of the reams of voter data the campaign collects, searching for information that will enable a not-so-popular President running in a lousy economy to wring out every last vote he can provides another way radio stations today can "campaign" for new listeners, a lot like politicians do.

The idea is to take the now-standard practice of “microtargeting”—where a campaign repeatedly pesters supporters with phone calls, volunteer visits, and fundraising e-mails—one step further by tailoring their message to the concerns of individual voters. A woman who tells an Obama volunteer she’s standing with the President may receive an appeal for a donation a few days later. But the software will warn fundraisers to avoid hitting up that woman’s unemployed next-door neighbor for even the smallest amount of money, which could sour him on Obama for good. Instead, they’ll try to convince him that Obama is on his side. The campaign has come up with a friendly term for this kind of data manipulation: “microlistening.”

Larry Rosin’s 1996 suggestion to A&O clients that radio needs to be more aggressive in its attack marketing shocked some in the room back then.

Here’s the key point that some seemed to miss: do the majority of your negative advertising and attacks OFF THE AIR - on media appropriate to the message, television with humor (when appropriate) or direct mail/telemarketing with specifically-targeted verbiage designed to secretly reposition your opponent on the key strategic issues that are important to ‘swing voters’ in carefully-selected areas.

It is best to take the high road on your own air! Why build negatives among people who already consume your station, when your current listeners probably don’t need to be sold in the same direct, comparative way that “their” listeners do?

Bill Clinton managed to survive in the 90's by understanding this.

Keep yourself above the attack on the air.

Carefully focus any negative message directly at the listener - where they live, work and listen - who will find it credible and understandable.

Listeners of the other station who may be dissatisfied with what they hear do not yet know you present a viable alternative.

You would be wasting energy to sling mud on your own station and could even irritate your already-loyal listener.

Learning From The Politicians

Arbitron, Pandora, Edison Research and Ando Media are all playing "the game" well, right now.

What can you learn from it all?

1. Negative Advertising

• Show a meaningful comparison or reinforce existing negative opinions of your opponent (“proving someone’s dislike”)
• Use no unwarranted personal attacks
• Use humor to soften the blow
• Use candidates’ own words to associate them with negatives (you must aggressively monitor your competitors to do this)
• Use a “High/low” approach - talk about your positives while you attack a competitor’s position

2. Position Your Opponent Before He Positions You

• Don’t ignore a new competitor; they’re going to be noticed as soon as they start to market; act first
• One of the most powerful attacks for a new competitor is to hang the old/out of touch handle on you
• Respond rapidly. Unanswered advertising works (see don’t ignore new competitor)
• Whoever quits marketing first will suffer (Ross Perot was considerably stronger where he continued market after others quit)

3. Steal Their Issues

• Steal anything they do that is good
• Muddy the waters
• Shade the product towards the attacker to dilute their uniqueness

4, Conduct Opposition Research

• Dig up facts on competition; not only is it fodder for attacks, it helps foster an understanding of where they are likely to go
• Monitor everything they do

-- Larry Rosen, Edison Media Research, Applying Political Strategies to Radio (from a 1996 presentation to A&O's Pre-CRS client seminar)

Applying Political Strategies to Radio

Members in The U.S. House Of Representatives just sent a message to all of us this morning, in case anybody forgot that 2012 is an election year.

Which reminded me of a presentation Edison Research's Larry Rosin did for A&O clients at our Pre-CRS seminar in 1996. Back then, Larry was just starting to do research in the political realm and he shared this advice based on what he was learning:

"Meet regularly to discuss strategies and tactics; politicians meet every morning. Think of yourself as a campaign manager; there are two battlefields: your station vs. other stations and your station vs. listeners’ votes. Be good at being both an attacker and an incumbent. Radio is usually better at attacking. We wait too long to respond to attacks by clinging to a “we’ll wait till we see what the book says” attitude."

Today, Edison conducts exit polling for all the major networks and Larry appears on media often, acknowledged as an expert on opinion research which drives election result.

My notes from his client presentation 15 years ago, like that quote above, hold up very well with time and I'll share highlights of them over the next few days.

Why We Fight

As nearly two-thirds of Canadians say that the Afgan mission has become too costly, the poem, titled Why We Fight, was written in Afghanistan in 2006 by Cpl. Andrew Grenon of Windsor, Ont., one of three Canadian soldiers who died Wednesday during an ambush in the volatile Zhari district. It was released Thursday by members of Grenon's family.

I've often asked myself why we are here. Why my government actually agreed to send troops to this God-forsaken place. There are no natural resources. No oil, gold, or silver. Just people.

People who have been at war for the last 40 plus years. People who want nothing more than their children to be safe. People who will do anything for money; even give their own life.

I look into the eyes of these people. I see hate, destruction and depression. I see love, warmth, kindness and appreciation.

Why do we fight? For in this country, there are monsters. Monsters we could easily fight on a different battlefield, at a different time. Monsters that could easily take the fight to us.

Surrounding these mud walls and huts is a country in turmoil. A country that is unable to rebuild itself. A country that cannot guarantee a bright future for its youth.

Why do we fight? Because, if we don't fight today, on THIS battlefield, then our children will be forced to face these monsters on our own battlefield.

I fight because I'm a soldier.

I fight because I'm ordered.

I fight, so my children won't have to.

"Oh, Say Can You.." Hear Trace Adkins?

Yes, you can, if you're listening to the National Anthem on the closing night of the Republican National Convention being held in St. Paul, Minnesota. His performance will take place at approximately 7:30pm ET.

Then, Trace Adkins will soon travel to the Persian Gulf to visit America’s armed forces as part of a USO/Armed Forces entertainment tour. During his week-long trip, Adkins will perform for troops, visit remote forward operating bases, sign autographs and pose for pictures. He will also share personal accounts of how he started out in the music industry, talk one-on-one with troops and extend his heartfelt gratitude to those currently serving overseas in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

John Rich Attracts "A Few Hundred" For McCain

The Washington Posts's Juliet Eilperin was in Panama City, Florida, when Rich kicked off the "Country First" show with "Can I get a yee-haw?"

A few hundred? (And The Show Was FREE!) Look for yourself, the video - wouldn't you know it - is on Fox News and decide if someone needs a new publicist OR the Post reporter was underestimating the crowd.

Are Your Listeners So Loyal They Tell Their Friends About You?

I love this poll from Phil Rist of Big Research in Columbus on the political candidates. It seems like a very good gauge of strong loyalty.

The Net Promoter® Score* (NPS) has been called the “ultimate question” that can determine a company’s future. So what happens when you apply the NPS to the 3 major presidential candidates? BIGresearch did just that by asking more than 8,000 respondents to their April Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey to rank the candidates using the NPS and the results were compelling.

Here is how the NPS works: respondents are asked to rate, on a scale from 0 (Not at all likely) to 10 (Extremely likely), the probability they would recommend a candidate to a friend or coworker. 10 and 9 responses indicate Promoters, 8 and 7 responses are Passives and 0 through 6 are Detractors. NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters.

Here is how each of the major presidential candidates ranks according to their NPS among all consumers and by political party.

Obama Clinton McCain
All -48.8% -52.3% -56.0%
Democrats -13.4% -10.8% -82.2%
Republicans -84.0% -89.3% -9.1%
Independents -51.9% -63.0% -65.5%

Source: BIGresearch, April 08 CIA
*Net Promoter, NPS and Net Promoter Score are trademarks of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain & Company, and Fred Reichheld

Clinton scores better than Obama among Democrats.

Interestingly, McCain has a better score within his own party than either Obama or Clinton do within their party which may be due to the competitive nature of the Democratic primary. McCain also scores better with Democrats than either Obama or Clinton do with Republicans which indicates more Democrats are likely to promote him than Republicans promote Obama or Clinton.

23% of respondents align themselves with the Independent Party, and candidates are aware that these are the votes crucial to their success. Obama is the candidate most likely to be recommended by an Independent. His NPS is considerably higher (-51.9%) when compared to Clinton’s (-63%) or McCain’s (-65.5%).

To view data tables for presidential candidates’ NPS, please click here: http://info.bigresearch.com/

What would your listeners say if they were asked if there's a radio station or personality that they enjoy so much that they tell their friends?

Trace Adkins Talks Politics In New Book, On Hannity & Colmes, But Never On Stage

Trace on why country music leans conservative (click to read the transcript of the entire Thursday night 12/27 interview):

"...it's just .. that blue-collar connection.... It's Americana. It's the working class, working man kind of perspective on things. But I don't represent — I'm not trying to represent country music or anybody other than myself."

TDGA CEO Editorial: "The UN-Fair Elections Act"

"Let's call it "FENA" so the public will know it's another well-intentioned government under-performer"

Candidates are currently charged the lowest unit rate for TV and Radio spots, but the bill would give them an extra 20% discount in the political windows prior to Election Day (Primaries and General). (All the headlines deal with Television, and while that may be the key target of the measure, Radio will be dragged along as an easy add-on although politicians definitely are zeroing on TV as the presumed "pot at the end of the politician's rainbow.")

If your traffic department isn't aware of TGDA, send them this link. They have friends out there.