Hype is everywhere in this day and age of constant bombardment of advertising. Radio stations are as guilty of it as anyone else. But why not go the other direction and be frank and honest with your audience? Listeners often respond better to respect from a station and its jocks, rather than feeling like they’re being sold to constantly. Dave Beasing looks at ways to accomplish this goal.
Dave Beasing
By Dave Beasing
If this FMQB article were a radio station, that headline is probably how it would be promoted. You’re reading this, so one might argue that the headline was effective. Then again, tell me you didn’t approach this column with some skepticism. You probably thought, “World’s greatest article? Yeah, right, prove it.”
That was David Letterman’s attitude back in the ‘80s when he took his cameras around New York City to tease all the restaurants that claimed to have the “Best Coffee.” If Letterman and his audience weren’t buying empty words like “the best,” “the most,” and “the biggest” twenty years ago, why do radio stations think anyone believes them now?
Imagine an online dating ad that said, “The Best Guy in this City!” While that might get some interesting responses, most people would probably doubt this person’s sanity and sincerity. So if grandiose self-important superlatives aren’t always effective, can they really hurt? Yes.
I’ll admit that I was cynical when I first saw researcher John Parikhal pass out a stack of magazines, scissors and glue to his focus groups. His instructions were to construct two collages – one illustrating how they felt about a radio station and the other depicting how that station felt about them. “What a waste of time!” I thought. On the contrary, what this exercise brought to light was a basic component of any human relationship — how each party treats the other. Simply asking about a station’s music blend or DJ’s is like a marriage counselor asking, “Do you like how your spouse takes out the trash and washes the car?” Those practical concerns pale in comparison to the need for mutual respect.
What some participants of John’s focus groups said was that a radio station views them as “a demographic,” “a number,” “sheep to be herded.” By underestimating the audience’s intelligence – and obvious attempts to manipulate them – that reaction can be well-deserved.
The DJ’s on too many stations are required to be incessant pitchmen and women worthy of a slot on QVC. Long ago, they were asked to stop entertaining and start selling – giveaways, programs, weekends, concerts, whatever. As a listener, would you rather hang out with a friend or a salesman?
Voiceover Artist Nick Michaels cautions his radio clients against using what he refers to as “doggy commands.” Sit. Roll over. Fetch. Enter now. Listen tonight. See them in concert.
National Public Radio – one of our industry’s most trusted brands – takes a different approach, and they even require that their financial supporters adhere to it. NPR has one simple rule for their underwriting messages: No call to action. So rather than say, “Get your tickets now,” a billboard on NPR might say, “Tickets are available.” Instead of “See how much Insurance Company can save you,” they might say, “Insurance Company may be able to save on your premiums.” That subtle difference helps to foster a less commercial, less pushy, more respectful image for NPR. It treats their listeners like intelligent adults and valued friends.
One major market programmer recently experimented with the subject lines of his database emails. He discovered that words like “Win” and “Free” were actually less effective at getting his listeners to open station emails than simply, “WXXX Newsletter.” His listeners’ interest in the station was greater if the subject line avoided hype and showed a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
So before you write the next listener email, promo or liner…
1. Determine the goal of your relationship with your audience. How do you want to be perceived – as a friend, a celebrity, a leader, a used car salesman?
2. Brainstorm the qualities associated with that role.
3. Describe the personality of that person.
4. Be that person. Every promo, every DJ break, every piece of marketing should pass through that filter.
P.T. Barnum supposedly said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” If you follow his 150 year-old approach to marketing and communicating, your audience will think that’s your attitude, too.
Dave Beasing has explored listener attitudes about radio by moderating hundreds of focus groups as a researcher and consultant. Dave is now program director of Bonneville’s KSWD “100.3 The Sound” in Los Angeles.
