GEOmetric Media Blog

Microsoft Has A Future Vision...What's Yours?

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:44:00 +0000

While you are still working on your current vision for 2009, Microsoft is focused on their future vision for 2019. Already, it's time to think ahead.

[View video]

Happy New Year from Alicia and Geometric Media Consulting!

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:31:00 +0000

Here's a special New Year's message from Alicia Keys!

[Click here to view]

Well said, Alicia!

From the Geometric Media Consulting Team, we hope 2009 is a year of inspiration, insights and incredible success for you and yours!

I.G.N.I.T.E. Sales Tip: 10 Ways To WinWin Selling

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:39:00 +0000

Sell on the basis of WinWin

Both parties must benefit from the transaction, your company and the customer. Think act and communicate on the basis of WinWin.

Be enthusiastic

Enthusiasm transforms being into living and is the magic spark, which gets people’s support without your ever having to ask for it.

Be positively different

Your company competes in competitive markets and this gives us many opportunities to be different. So often the order goes to the salesperson who goes that extra bit further. It can often be as simple as:

Spelling the customer’s name right
Showing genuine interest in his or her needs
Giving a little extra.

To put it in a nutshell: give customers a little more than they pay for.

Be stimulating to talk to

Customers only buy from salespeople when they are motivated to do so. Salespeople who recognise the importance of phrasing their discussion in the buyer’s interest and responding in a cheerful, positive manner will succeed where many others will fail.

Show you really care

The ability to communicate a genuine “I care” attitude will never be forgotten by customers - provided they see it as sincere and not an underhanded sales technique.

Demonstrate integrity

More than any other quality, the one most appreciated by customers is integrity. If your solution will not satisfy the buyer’s need - don’t sell it. If you do, you won’t get the chance to repeat the experience.

Be an achiever

Develop a sincere desire for the things you want out of life, set your goals for today, tomorrow and the future. If you are ever lacking in enthusiasm or drive, have a look at your goals - therein lies the solution. In selling terms this means planning your work and working your plan.

Have plenty of deals operating at once

Too many salespeople depend too much on the big kill, only to be sorely disappointed when it fails to materialize. Separate the “suspects” from the “prospects” and meet as many new buyers as possible.

Use your imagination

The most influential element of success or failure is what you tell yourself. If you think you are beaten, you are. You will never succeed if you are constantly saying to yourself, “I’ll try” or “I can’t”. Train your imagination to constantly think in terms of “I will” and “I can”.

Don’t be afraid to fail

If you are afraid to fail then inevitably you will avoid success. Every failure is a learning experience and an opportunity to capitalize on your mistakes - by not repeating them.

[more at WinWin Selling]

The Talent Secret

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:09:00 +0000

Now more than ever, the key to a successful station lies with your talent’s ability to engage the audience. And morning show consultant Steve Reynolds shares “The Secret”:

If this is what you put out there…

Authenticity
Relevance
Innovation
Humor/Emotion

…this is what you get back…

MORE AUDIENCE!!!

The Truth About YOU

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:55:00 +0000

Management guru and best-selling author Marcus Buckingham continues to expand his strengths message—that is, changing the way the world approaches life and work—with his new book, “The Truth About You: Your Secret To Success.” The book outlines five principles that Buckingham views as the best advice you’ll ever get.

Performance is always the point - So don’t expect your organization ever to know you like you do.
Your strengths aren’t what you’re good at, and your weaknesses aren’t what you’re bad at - So you’d better find out what your real strengths are.
When it comes to your job, the “What” is always trumps the “Why” and the “Who” - So always ask: “What will be paid to do?”
You’ll never find the perfect job - So every week, for the rest of your life, write your Strong Week Plan.
You’ll never turn your weaknesses into strengths - So fess up to your weaknesses, then neutralize them.

I.G.N.I.T.E. Sales Tip: 15 Ideas To Modernize Your Sales Department

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:46:00 +0000

You can change the way advertisers and decision-makers perceive your sales department. Your reward will be a higher level of buyer confidence and that can only mean one thing...more revenue! Here are Gregg Murray’s Top 15 Ideas to Modernize Your Sales Department:

Create a dedicated sales/marketing website that will help advertisers learn more about radio, advertising, and your station’s unique selling propositions.
Build an eMarketing system so you can share business building etips and sales opportunities to all your clients and prospects.
Distribute a monthly (print) newsletter with helpful business tips for advertisers.
Have sellers distribute when they’re seeing clients/prospects.
Contract a graphic designer to help create and maintain the most professional media kits and sales materials in your market.
Be certain all your sales collateral materials maintain a consistent look.
Use your invoices and statements each month to include a flyer with upcoming sales opportunities.
Bring in a PowerPoint/Word sales expert to train your sales staff on how to create sales packages that are designed to sell.
Develop creative promos to run on air that stress the benefits of radio and your audience to local advertising decision makers.
Promote radio and your sales department through banner ads on websites of interest to the local business community – start with the Chamber of Commerce.
Collect audio testimonials whenever and however you can. Then, use them on air to help create interest from new prospects.
Utilize professionally printed note cards for thank you’s and special messages to prospects and clients.
Make sure all sales materials that go out the door have your station’s contact information.
Don't just fax or email media kits/coverage maps to out-of-market prospects. Instead, have them available online so you can build your relationship on the phone while they’re viewing and printing (and you’re discussing) what they need.
Watch out for common sales package mistakes: center spacing all the text, overusing exclamation points, or using clip art and decorative/fancy fonts (stick to Arial, Tahoma, or Verdana).
Try to stop using the titles “salespeople” and “sales managers” in the public domain. Consider them “advertising executives” and “advertising managers” to the business community.

The Lost Benefits Of Cause Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:04:00 +0000

At the 2008 DNC Convention in Denver, Barack Obama officially became the Democrats’ nominee for president and he electrified an 85,000 plus crowd at Invesco Field with his acceptance speech. It was a moment of historic significance reminiscent of the precedent setting “I Have A Dream” speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the National Mall 45 years ago. That history, both past and present, was recognized by radio as 38 Clear Channel stations from multiple formats joined forces with the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial for the “Build The Dream” Radiothon. It was especially symbolic, indeed significant, that Barack Obama’s historic speech coincided with the 45th anniversary Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream Speech.” In-sync with the mood of the day, the “Build The Dream” Radiothon not only celebrated the legacy of Dr. King, but it also amplified the reflections and hopes of many leading up to Barack’s historic night.

Spearheaded by SVP of Urban Programming Doc Wynter, Clear Channel Radio had the foresight and commitment to take up the King cause creating the largest radiothon in the company’s history. At a time when the broadcasting industry as a whole is experiencing financial and competitive pressures, this cause marketing effort demonstrates one thing we tend to forget:

Radio is always at its best when it remains committed to positively impacting the communities that it serves, and supporting cause marketing campaigns, like the “Build A Dream” Radiothon, improves the station’s image in the community and creates exposure that’s more cost-effective and more memorable than advertising.

With the current negative advertising environment, station marketing and promotions budgets are becoming increasingly tighter. Every line item is under more scrutiny, including the advertising and research dollars used to attract, understand, manage and grow cume. More than ever, radio executives are seeking creative and efficient ways to reach and engage their audiences. And stepping up cause marketing efforts can help in a major way.

Before the consolidation era, the FCC required stations to do “ascertainment” studies to uncover and address issues and needs impacting their communities. As that responsibility was lifted, many stations – and I might add, to the detriment of their ratings performance, revenues and relationships in the community – no longer took their commitment to community seriously, removing their focus from the true issues and concerns of people they were licensed to serve.

If you’re broadcasting on the public airwaves, how can you gain your profits from the community, but choose not to reinvest those profits into your relationship with the people and causes in your community? While some have forgotten, stations that impact the community and win in the ratings have always known the answer:

Good business and community goodwill go hand in hand—if you resolve to make money AND make a difference.

Winning stations are all about community because they know their relationship with the community empowers their success. By continually replenishing the reservoir of goodwill they create in the community, winning stations make themselves big in the hearts and minds of consumers. In turn, that goodwill enables those difference-making stations to be sustained by their communities as the stations navigate through industry inflection points, economic downturns, increasing competition and down ratings books.

When your station is committed to making your community better, your brand will benefit because cause marketing connects you to your audience in a relevant and meaningful way. It amplifies your station’s core values and beliefs within your brand experience allowing your listeners to better relate to each other and your brand.

To further the case for cause marketing and quickly remind you of why it can be so beneficial to you and your station, here are ten reasons to get more involved and resolve to make a difference.

You’re helping an organization that you truly believe in.
You have a direct hand in helping others.
Many times it can be fun and you learn more about your community.
You strengthen in the public eye, the image of your station and employees.
It is great publicity for the cause and your station, cluster or corporate organization.
Cause marketing generates a feeling of goodwill towards non-profits and your station.
Cause marketing often allows you to meet decision-makers, influencers and local celebrities in your community.
It is a great way to encourage employees to share and give back to others.
There are tax benefits of donating money, products or services.
Oftentimes the exposure and feedback from alliances with community-based organizations is more cost effective and memorable than advertising.

As a part of your pre-Fall Book planning, make sure your checklist includes reevaluating or reestablishing your station’s cause marketing programs. The tremendous goodwill and exposure gained from your station participating in a good cause marketing campaign is priceless - and oftentimes free – if you’re willing to commit innovative ideas and people power to the cause.

As soon as you can, arrange an ideation session with your product and promotions teams to identify cause marketing opportunities that your station/cluster/company can link to: Opportunities that will not only increase your involvement and goodwill in the community, but also aid in the increase of your ratings and revenues this Fall.

By partnering with the right community organizations and clients to get behind the causes that are most relevant to your audience, you can extend your station’s reach into the community and ignite more intimacy and affinity between your brand and your listeners.

Back To Basics: Personality 101 Primer

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:29:00 +0000

If you are a good dj today and you want to break through the clutter to become a great personality tomorrow - and succeed in a digital world - it’s time to UPGRADE. You can no longer afford to think of yourself just a “dj.” YOU ARE A BRAND: a multi-dimensional, multi-sensory, multi-media personality.

Now faced with the challenges of the PPM, shifting media consumption patterns and other issues impacting your ability to capture and hold the attention of time-squeezed (and time-shifting) listeners/users, you must commit to doing whatever you can to develop yourself (with the help of your OM/PD/Consultant) into an IE: “innovative entertainer.” As an innovative entertainer you must think “live” and “on-demand” when creating your content. And you must consider how that content will delivered and exist on-air, online, on the streets and on-device. Everything you do must be creative and compelling because ENGAGEMENT=RATINGS and REVENUE.

If you’re wondering where to begin, just start at the beginning. As with anything, it’s important to get back to basics before you move forward. Make sure you’ve mastered key personality fundamentals to ensure that you are building your brand on a solid foundation for the future. To help, here’s your PERSONALITY PRIMER 101:

1. Credibility is everything…keep it real. The most important quality to cutting through the clutter and succeeding today is to develop a trusting relationship with listeners. They must perceive that you tell the truth, that you tell it like it really is. "Jocking" or announcing is formula. It is being on automatic pilot without any feeling or emotion. Feeling it involves intention and emotion. No feeling, no emotion, no intention equals no communication. Even "coming up next" can either be read or communicated with meaning.

2. Finding your voice, your ‘Comic Perspective’… (Outside of current PPM markets) Arbitron is still a game of memory and recall. Breakthrough talents combine credibility with strong characterization, which means expressing yourself with your own vision of the world around you and establishing the essence of your relatability; to people listening who either are like you or your opposite.

Some examples include:

Observational Everyman (normal guy/woman with wacked out people around him/her)
People pleaser
Cynic
Perennially single female

3. The secret to mastering any performance skill is not trying too hard. Trying too hard usually means thinking too much about what you’re doing during performance. The time to think is when you’re planning the show before you go on the air and during songs and commercials. While you’re on the air be alert and completely in the moment. Being a great listener is a major part of being aware and being focused in the present moment.

4. Prep. Prep. Prep. Highly revered basketball coach John Wooden said it best, "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." Avoid reading or memorizing. Master the material with the goal being spontaneity and sincerity.

5. Pay attention to what’s important. Distractions keep talent from being in the moment and focused on the message, caller or break. Instant Messaging, request lines, sales people, and friends in the studio are just some of the distractions that will keep talent from connecting with listeners.

6. Know the selling priorities. For example with promotions, in a Lil Wayne and T-Pain contest that involved giving away their CD collaboration and a trip to see them perform together live in Miami, the trip is obviously the most enticing part of the giveaway to listeners. The following is a useful guide:

Attention: Think from the listeners perspective and lead with the biggest listener benefit, a headline or hook to get their attention. Using the example above: "Wanna fly to Miami to see Lil Wayne and T-Pain?"

Interest: Make it enticing, alluring to capture their interest…"South Beach, celebrities and the hottest performers in the game today!"

Detail: Use only bottom line, need-to-know information on live sells leaving details to produced promos. "When you hear Lil Wayne and T-Pain back-to-back call to win their new T-Wayne CD and a shot at the Miami Fly Away, we’ll tell you all about in just a few minutes on WGEO-FM.

Action: Urge them to take action…"Listen for Lil Wayne and T-Pain’s new song in the next 20 minutes to win a trip to South Beach...."

7. Sell the call letters/station name with pride and enthusiasm and say them a lot. Say the station calls/name often as you can work it in to conversation and to make it stand out. Look for new and different ways to highlight the station/name. It’s been proven in Arbitron over and over that the stations with the most name mentions tend to have higher recall and therefore cume. (This will change when your market is measured by PPM...right now---you're still in a diary-recall world!)

8. Focus on getting more TSL. The best talent are focused on ONE mission -- stretching TSL. Talent can press the flesh to build cume, but on air there is really only one thing they can do to increase ratings: convince that moment’s audience to keep listening or tune in again another time. Lead with something great that will get listener’s attention and keep them listening, or tease upcoming content to generate another listening occasion.

9. Talking in music sweeps: make a song-to-song segue by hitting the second song at full volume, let it establish for approximately one second, and then talk over the song intro. The exception to this guideline would be with cold/no intro songs, and then it is acceptable to talk on the back fade of the song quickly. Avoid ‘bridging two songs’, where the jock starts talking on the fade of one song and then starts the second song under the rap. Forward momentum and energy is increased when you hit the next song and deliver your quick message. Note: It is important to totally respect the music in some formats where its policy not to talk over the music at all. If there is any talk in music sweeps it’s done between songs.

10. Avoid letting songs fade too long. Take the song out at the point that the song starts to fade, in other words, before there is any noticeable fade on the air. Hit the next song at slightly higher volume and pull the previous song volume down. Of course you don’t want to cut the song in the middle of a word, which would make it obvious to listeners, but you can exit on the end of a refrain or phrase while the song is still hot.

11. Avoid talking over any vocals on song intros. It sounds fine to talk between any vocal intros, as long as it’s not vocal-over-vocal. And remember the cardinal rule of good delivery: just because it’s a 60 second ramp, doesn’t mean you HAVE to chat it up for 60 seconds.

12. Focus on one main thought/theme per talk break. By doing this you increase the chance of your message or content being remembered by listeners. The typical listener is listening with something less than 20% of their consciousness. To have a chance at delivering a message that gets through, it needs to be focused on one important thing they care about. Multiple thought breaks and laundry lists of upcoming content obscure the important message and detract from memorability.

13. Pot up low level intros all the way to full volume so there is no drop on the air. Keeping the audio levels consistent is good for TSL. Constantly changing audio levels is annoying and a cause of tune-out.

14. The voice-to-music ratio when talking over song intros should be similar to that of a lead singer’s voice in a song. Listeners will ideally hear the voice being slightly dominant over the music, yet both clearly audible -- you don’t want to be buried by the music nor have the voice to be so dominant that it obscures the music. The exact right place to be in the music and your distance from the microphone are two variables to play with. Listen to tapes of your show with different settings and see how it sounds without headphones on. Headphones can make things sound very different from car speakers in rush hour.

15. Make music beds repetitive and consistent without a lot of distracting musical changes. Avoid horns and vocals. The main purpose of using beds is to lift the energy level of conversations and fill in dead spaces. Listeners shouldn’t notice beds unless they’re used for staging to get listeners’ attention.

16. Be quick- but don’t hurry. There’s a difference between being efficient and succinct and rushing through conversations. If you hurry, you’re more likely to make mistakes, but if you’re not quick, you won’t get things done and you will bore your listener. The bottom line is to be a good self-editor. This is particularly important for set ups. The set up to any bit, interview, feature, etc. is critical to its success.

17. Set Ups: Clearly and enthusiastically set up a feature, bit or conversation to get listeners’ attention and pique their interest. Listeners make a mental decision on whether to listen to something after the first sentence of introduction.

18. Exits: Don’t miss the exit on the freeway -- remember to get out at an impact point. Develop a sense for when to end a conversation, bit, etc. Leave the listeners on a high note with something strong and memorable.

19. Branding. Get ownership of your content by attaching the station and/or show name to all features. Creative and entertaining produced intros and outros help you brand content.

20. Teasing. Teasing upcoming content is the absolute best way to fuel TSL. This also adds to people feeling like they’re going to miss something if they don’t listen every day or listen longer. TV entertainment shows and newscasts have made an absolute science out of enticing billboarding and teasing to create momentum and build longer viewing. They devote 25% of content time to previewing! Talent who ‘get’ the art of teasing will consistently outperform talent who don’t.

(Special thanks to morning show consultant Randy Lane)

7 Habits Of Highly Effective Email Marketers (And Programmers)

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:09:00 +0000

David Baker, VP of Email Solutions at Avenue A/Razorfish, applies Stephen Covey’s core principles of the “7 Habits” to create more effective email marketing – and YOU should too!

Habit 1: Be Proactive.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Habit 3: Put First Things First.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood.
Habit 6: Synergize.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw.

Read the entire article here.

Geometric Insight: Is your content highly effective? Not only can Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits” core principles be applied to email marketing, as David Baker demonstrates here, but the”7 Habits” principles and process can be readily applied to content creation and delivery on-air, online, on-site and on-device.

Bonus: For more email insights, click here to view PromoSuite’s Listener Email Study.

The Theory Of Branding (And Building A Successful Radio Station)

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:34:00 +0000

KLM’s theory of branding is based on the same principles that apply to building a successful radio station that will stand out from the competition. If you want to win, you must:

Create an identity that stands for a set of values. (What does your station stand for?)
Emblazon your product(s) or service(s) (read: shows, bits and features) with it.
Communicate it consistently. (Remember, frequency sells.)
Grow and change with the marketplace and the consumer (user/listener).
Become a way of life for a loyal franchise of customers (clients) and consumers (users/listeners).
Attract new users (cume) and grow unendingly.

Engaging Emotions Through Effective Radio Ads (+ Content)

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:47:00 +0000

Engaging Emotions Through Effective Radio Ads is the second part of a Radio Ad Lab project originally conducted by Gallup & Robinson (G&R) in 2007 and designed to assess how well Radio ads generate emotional responses and engage with consumers, compared to television ads.

Findings from the study reveal that in effective Radio ads:

Strong beginnings make a difference. An involving point of entry distinguishes some of the most successful Radio ads.
Word selection matters. Words that are sensory-laden, emotional, or empowering have a demonstrable impact on the emotional reactions of consumers.
Audio can be powerful. Audio can generate stronger emotions than visuals, especially when the tonality in the ad is used effectively.
Brand mentions have an impact. The best Radio ads mention the advertiser’s brand multiple times, strategically placed to correlate with moments of high consumer engagement.

The highest scoring and best performing ad in the study exhibited all of the above, a strong indication that Radio commercials are highly engaging to consumers when the creative process follows these patterns.

Download the Full Study
Download the Executive Summary

Geometric Insight: The very elements that help make effective radio ads - strong beginnings, careful and contextual word selection, powerful audio and impactful brand mentions - should be applied to content breaks and imaging as well. Engaging emotions enables you to strengthen the connection and increase the level of interaction consumers (read: users/listeners) have with your brand.

[RAB.com]

Geometric Interactive Insight: How To Use Video To Generate Revenue For Radio

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:27:00 +0000

Did you know that VIDEO is the key to you making money EVERYWHERE on your website?

How?

Existing Web sites that incorporate video see lower bounce rates, higher levels of engagement, and more repeat traffic. This increases the value of the non-video portion of the site, driving up eCPMs for more traditional display advertising.

And that's important because the IDC forecasts that the real market for online ads is emerging and will grow sevenfold by 2012, hitting $3.8 billion domestically. As I’ve stated many times before in articles, blog posts, presentations and meetings: The digital dollars are there. The question is…Are you getting your share? Increasingly, video will contribute to online content generation, but more importantly, REVENUE generation.

Twistage CEO David Wadler shares his insights in a good how-to article outlining points to generate dollars from video on your website at AdAge.com. Not only does he highlight the fact that the inclusive of video on your website helps to lift the revenue you can generate from other display pages, but there are more great tips to help you generate revenue with video too, summarized as follows:

Sponsorship: Offering sponsorships of the player, a series of videos, or perhaps even of the entire video experience can be a compelling option for a brand advertiser.
Focus on the audiences your brand can pinpoint
Balance your zeal for monetization with the quality of the user experience
Create great content. The better your content and the more engaged your audience, the higher eCPMs will be for your videos.

Thanks to Mark Ramsey for sharing this article and his summary with me. Click here to see David’s full article.

13-Point News Checklist

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:45:00 +0000

My friend and fellow consultant Mike McVay shares his suggestions for news. Use this checklist to critique your news department.

1. The call letters or station slogan should be showcased at the front of the news and mentioned again at the end of the news.

2. Timechecks should appear at the beginning of the news, at the spot breaks, and prior to the final outro of the cast.

3. You should promote upcoming news items the same way the you promote ahead with upcoming music; i.e., “traffic and weather are next,” etc. Give the audience a reason to continue listening.

4. Keep the story count HIGH.

5. Use audio ONLY where it makes sense.

6. Do not use the network’s outro on wired actualities

7. Does the content of the news pass the “Who Cares” test?

8. Are stories written in the language of the audience?

9. Does the content include stories from the following interest categories?

Heart
Purse
Health
Relaxation
Local
National

10. The delivery of the newscaster should be natural and believable.

11. Weather forecasts should be prepromoted. Are the forecasts compact and easy to deliver? Do not give more information than the audience cares to know regarding weather; i.e., Monday through Thursday mornings tell today’s weather. Monday through Thursday afternoon, give tonight’s and tomorrow’s weather, Friday and Saturday should contain the forecast for the complete weekend. Sunday should be today, tonight and tomorrow.

12. Does the newscast include current temperatures?

13. Does the position of the news within the format hour compete with your primary rival or is the news hidden?

Live The Emotion Of Your Brand

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:27:00 +0000

Every station, website, show, personality or feature is a brand. And it’s the emotion of your brand that helps connect you with users/listeners/viewers/clients, moving them to think, feel or act.

With that said, ponder this…

How do we live the emotion of the brand we represent? Do we know what that would look or feel like?

8 Critical Things Every Personality Needs To Know About PPM

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:14:00 +0000

As a student of marketing and media, I believe that inspiration and insight can come from anywhere. Over the years, I have personally programmed, consulted or advised multiple formats. And although I work mostly with contemporary formats like Rhythmic, Top 40, Hip-Hop, Urban, Hot AC, Urban AC and Inspirational, I’ve always had a special affinity for the Country format.

I’m not sure what I find most compelling about Country. It could be the “story-telling” that I hear in the format’s hit songs, the amazing “story-telling” capabilities of country’s top personalities (other personalities take note) or the values and passions promoted by the format (other programmer’s take note).

Maybe, it’s all of the above (or just the fact that my dad had an eclectic record collection).

But one thing I know for sure is, every time that I’ve had the opportunity to talk or interact with Country programming legends like Ed Salamon, Larry Daniels or Jaye Albright, I immediately see how “best practices” in one format can be modified for or applied to another.

In radio, some things are universal - regardless of format – and Country consultant Jaye Albright clearly demonstrates this idea as she reveals “8 Critical Things Every Personality Needs To Know About PPM.” Here they are:

1. No matter what anyone says, there are no experts yet. It's too early. We're all still trying to figure it out.

2. PPM loves music, so your greatest risk of audience loss is opening the microphone. Relevance and engagement are the name of the game. Content must consistently connect.

3. It's almost impossible to make the average listener spend any more time per occasion. Teasing a list of artists 'coming up,' is ineffective. Create events and ride the wave when they gain traction to increase the number of times your most loyal listeners tune to you.

4. There is no such thing as exclusive cume. Fortunately, your cume is much larger than you ever thought it was, based on recall measurement.

5. PPM metrics replicate the behaviors we see in music research, streaming audio audience flow, MediaEKG and other forms of behavioral research data on radio usage. The more you live with the data, the more it looks like reality. For example, you'll know when one of your heavy user households goes away, leaves town on vacation for two weeks.

6. The quality of the sample is a concern, of course, but, due to panel management, it appears to be better and more consistent than the randomness of the diary samples, which are getting worse and worse due to the growth of cell phone only homes.

7. The transmitter may be on the air but if the encoder isn't working, you are functionally off the air. Ditto with your stream and HD side channels too. Some extra meters to read during your shift.

8. You have twice as many competitors for your listeners time as the diary led you to believe. On the other side of the same coin, you get sampling from many more other stations than we previously thought.

Thanks for sharing your tips, Jaye! More from Jaye here.

Geometric Insight: I couldn’t agree with Jaye more. In today’s competitive environment, I tell the personalities all the time that they must evolve into authentic, engaging, multi-media brands now to remain relevant to listeners/users in the future and beyond. Under the PPM, every aspect of your on-air presentation has to be more compelling and seamless each time you open the mic. Everything is an event! And you must create “appointment listening” programming opportunities (read: events) on your station or show to encourage repeat tune-in vertically, along with increased horizontal (day-to-day) tune-in, to move the ratings needle in a PPM world. Let’s be real, you can only stretch time-spent-listening (TSL), or average-time-exposed (ATE), so far as “time-squeezed” listeners encounter more daily distractions amid a plethora of media choices and marketing noise. Are you PPM savvy - and ready?

Avoiding Marketing Mishaps

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:17:00 +0000

"Satire is a lesson, parody is a game."

- Vladimir Nabokov

Here's a lesson in the creative marketing process...and how it can easily go awry!

[View video]

What are you doing to ensure that your creative process remains focused and on track? Don't get lose sight of your goals and objectives. Design your marketing and promotional campaigns for ratings, revenue and client success by effectively managing your creative process.

[via Tom Asacker]

What’s Your O.S.T.?

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:17:00 +0000

If you want to consistently win your share of ratings and revenue you must thoughtfully...

Define your Objectives
Strategy and
Tactics and share them with everyone on your team.

With the Arbitron Spring ratings results rolling now and Summer blazing away, your should begin turning your focus towards the Fall book. What objectives, strategy and tactics are you working on to make sure you have the best Fall ever?

The Web Doesn’t Care

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:06:00 +0000

From Seth Godin:

The web doesn’t care - and here’s why:

[The Net] is the first mass marketing medium ever that isn't supported by ads.

If a newspaper, a radio station or a TV station doesn't please advertisers, it disappears. It exists to make you (the marketer) happy.

That's the reason the medium (and its rules) exist. To please the advertisers.

But the Net is different.

It wasn't invented by business people, and it doesn't exist to help your company make money.

It's entirely possible it could be used that way, but it doesn't owe you anything. The question to ask isn't, "but how does this help me?" as if you have some sort of say in the matter. You don't get a vote on whether Google succeeds or whether your customers erect spam filters.

The question (for marketers and content creators) to ask is, "How are people (the people I need to reach, interact with and tell stories to) going to use this new power and how can I help them achieve their goals?"

Geometric Insight: More than ever, broadcasters must be consumer-centric. Every decision made about content and services your brand provides--on-air, online, on-site and on-device—should be viewed thorough the lens of the consumer. Does the consumer want or need this? Or will the consumer even care? And if not, why are we doing it?

Now Playing Billboard

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:16:00 +0000

“The Sound experience is about the musical discovery that happens when each song is played on the station… [utilizing technology] we are able to extend that experience into our marketing efforts to offer instant gratification for our consumers.”

-Sammy Simpson, KSWD Director of Marketing/Advertising

Utilizing an advanced “Radio Data System” technology, Los Angeles station KSWD The Sound yesterday launched an innovative “Now Playing” feature on the Clear Channel Digital Outdoor Network, as part of KSWD’s advertising campaign. [Read more]

Is your outdoor this innovative? If not, it's time to GET CREATIVE!!!

Conclave 2008 Pics

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:53:00 +0000

Monday Morning Leadership

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:45:00 +0000

What do real leaders do? Many of them seek out leadership advice and insights from David Cottrell, founder of the CornerStone Leadership Institute and author of “Monday Morning Leadership.” Here are a few jewels from David’s crown of business wisdom.

“A real leader spends his time fixing the problem instead of finding who to blame.”

“The most important thing you do as a leader is to hire the right people.”

“Take the time and energy to manage your boss the same way you manager your career.”

“Don’t stifle your career by limiting your knowledge.”

“Enthusiasm is something you can’t take, and it has a tremendous effect on everyone around you.”

“When it comes to leading people, there is no problem that is unique to you.”

Stay inspired!

For more from David Cottrell, visit CornerStone Leadership Institute.

The Seven Deadly Sins Of Radio Station Imaging

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:01:00 +0000

Clear Channel New York/Director of Creative Services and Z100 legendary production guru Dave Foxx warns against committing the Seven Deadly Sins of Radio Station Imaging.

LUST – Dumping every effect at your disposal into the piece, even though it has nothing to do with the subject at hand.

GLUTTONY – Overusing a favorite effect.

GREED – Allowing your effects to take over the promo. Your effects never should dominate the mix.

SLOTH – Sloppy music edits. A good producer never says, “It's good enough.” If you can’t dance to it, it needs to be fixed.

WRATH – Getting mad about what the competition is doing and letting that affect your promos. (Example: You believe the competition is copying you, so you start adding words such as “original” and “first.”) Those words only invite the listener to check out the competition.

ENVY – Making your work sound like someone else’s. Aspiring to sound as good as Eric Chase, John Frost, Eric Edwards, Dr. Dave, Pat Garrett or Rick Party is healthy...until you start ripping off their work.

PRIDE – Don’t believe your own hype.

Now is a good time to listen and evaluate all of your imaging against the 7 Deadly Sins while planning your creative strategies for Fall. What sins are you and your creative staff indulging in right now? Stop sinning and start winning.

Want to learn more of Dave’s radio imaging secrets? See what he reveals at AskDaveFoxx.com.

>> Bonus: Classic imaging insights! Dave Foxx explains his radio imaging philosophy at NAB/Europe 2004. Check out the YouTube video below or click here to see!

Leadership is...

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:22:00 +0000

Earlier this week, legendary author and organizational development consultant Peter Block spoke at the ASTD conference in San Diego. Here are a couple of his insights on leadership from the session:

"Leadership is the capacity to initiate a future distinct from the past."

"The core task of leadership is to create community."

“What we normally call problems (low performance, high costs, poor morale, unsafe streets, poor health care) are really symptoms of the breakdown of community."

You can check out Peter’s new book, “Community: The Structure of Belonging” here.

The Radio PD Of The Future

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:57:00 +0000

Note: Today's guest blog is by Inside Music Media blogger and USC Music Industry Professor Jerry Del Colliano. In this post, Jerry highlights his future vision for successful radio PDs. Given the challenges facing radio today, now more than ever, it's important for market managers, general managers and operations managers to empower their programmers by giving them the resources, tools and support to create a more compelling product. With that in mind, here's Jerry...

I received a very inspirational email from a long time friend that has prompted me to put together the essential qualities of the next generation of program directors for terrestrial radio.

In doing so I am taking into account that radio today isn’t what it was 15 or 20 years ago and that, like it or not, radio is now consolidated. That many of the CEOs and COOs are clueless about content and even marketing, but still – I think I’ve got the PD of the future for you.

It’s also a lesson on how consolidators should handle a talented program director:

1. Give your PD enough rope to either do some great things or hang him or herself. That’s what a leader does. Budget cutting doesn’t make for great programming that you can monetize and throwing money at programmers is no more of a guarantee. Make the PD sell you the idea as if his or her neck is on the line and then say, “let’s do it”. Keep in mind that in the hey day of radio there really weren’t any budgets. You spent what you thought you had. Sales went and sold and hopefully somewhere expenses and income met without getting the owner too concerned. Somehow it worked better than what we’re seeing today.

2. Demand great ideas that you can use now. It ought to be obvious that programming stations that lose more talent every day and get cut to the bone in resources is not going to ever earn your station a return on investment. No investment is being made. Ask your programmers to present great, actionable ideas – this in contrast to edicts like – get by with no live jock from 10 am to 3 pm. A good PD can come up with great ways to make good radio for the available listening audience if you make them present ideas to you and then fund them.

3. Never disrespect the owner. A manager who has to cut expenses should warn his or her programmers not to get into it with the boss. There are plenty of forums in which to do that. Corporate should give true autonomy to the manager and any complaints go to him or her. George Johns of Fairbanks fame tells a story, “I remember once when Mr. Fairbanks (owner of Fairbanks Broadcasting), after learning that our station had a limited commercial load policy, which of course had been in place for several years, was outraged. He said, ‘you mean to say that we run fewer commercials than the law allows? And not only that but I have just found out we actually turn business away because of it? I want to know what idiot came up with that stupid policy?’”

That “stupid policy” was the work of brilliant programmer Jim Hilliard upon which these items are based.

There was always programming interference in radio – not just now in the wake of consolidation.

There were always budget constraints – as I said, often programmers didn’t actually know the budget.

True, most PDs only programmed one or two stations at the most and the pressure of being a public company was not felt on most radio programmers because there were a lot of Fairbanks-type owners out there.

And George Johns, the outstanding programmer from Canada, who partnered with Hilliard and shared some of this wisdom with me, had another excellent strategy that worked then and I believe would work now.

It was when Fairbanks took over KVIL and inherited the legendary Ron Chapman. But how to get free-wheeling Chapman to do Johns’ format?

Listen to him explain:

“What I had was a tape I had produced in Indianapolis. I had two of our best news guys from WIBC do me some "personality" type news. I had our afternoon jock, and production voice Chuck Riley, who later went on to become one of Americas biggest voice over guys, do some promos and ID's. I had some unbelievable great jingles already cut from Hugh Heller in LA, I had all of WIBC's best commercials and I also had a concept of music that had never been heard in America before. Now the final thing I had was some raw stereo tape of Ron Chapman”.

Johns put it all together laying Ron’s own voice in over the records with the production the way Johns would have it. After a nerve wracking 25 minutes without interruption and played back in perfect stereo in a production studio, Chapman said, “I can't very well say I don't know how to do this kind of radio, because there I was doing it.....Do you want to start it tomorrow?”The magic began immediately between between George and Ron, the station and Dallas.

So, the next suggestion:

4. Illustrate and demonstrate your ideas. This one is on today’s PDs. Too frequently they ask for money from serial budget cutters without going through the pain (and George Johns will confirm how hard it was to pull off the Chapman project) necessary to win support. Budget cutters above all need to hear it, see it and feel it. Hey, they still may be on a mission to cut at all costs, but where that’s not the case, demonstrating your programming ideas in a way they can actually hear is a necessary investment in winning support.

There is no doubt that it was easier to do good radio before consolidation. Bottom lines and good programming don’t always go well together.

While radio has changed, one thing hasn’t – the tried and true obligations and responsibilities that come with managing and programming a terrestrial radio station to today’s available audience.

Thanks for sharing your insights, Jerry. For more, check out Inside Music Media.

What Is A Brand?

noreply@blogger.com (George "Geo" Cook) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:24:00 +0000

“What is a brand? I’ve heard it described as a promise to the consumer, but I think that’s putting it too strongly. A brand is more probability than promise – a consumer
calculus that is built-up, torn down, or left unchanged by each encounter.”

– Steve O’Keefe, The Beautiful Plan