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Industry Views

Monday Memo: Calculating Taylor Swift

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imNow that every single thing is a political argument, the angry social media conversation about Taylor Swift is unsurprising. And with the Super Bowl looming, the decibel level amps-up.

So, kudos to SiriusXM and CNN host Michael Smerconish. I’ve previously cited him here as technique worth emulating when it comes to:

– Polling the audience on an ongoing basis (a sponsored feature on smart radio stations)
– Leveraging social media to give audience ownership of the show; and
– Genuine curiosity. His centrist approach earns him scorn from both sides in this Cold Civil War we’re living through. I can relate. When I managed WTOP, Washington, the quickest way to make the phone explode was to announce a crowd estimate for an abortion rally. Both sides jammed the lines to damn the number.

This preposterous Swift kerfuffle had been all heat until Smerconish shed light on it this past weekend. Noting rumors shared by FOX News that she would photobomb the Super Bowl with a Joe Biden endorsement, his poll question was “Could Taylor Swift determine the outcome of the presidential election?”

im

Just now, you answered that question in your own mind. But – for our purposes – the more useful approach is to consider information Smerconish curated unfiltered by personal politics:

– Swift has 279 million Instagram followers
– She has (so far) sold 4.35 million pricey tickets for The Eras Tour. Its “record-shattering revenue” (so far) is $1 billion+
– $200 million (so far) in tour merchandise. Her gray $45 T-shirt is now sold-out in all but 3XL and 4XL.
– 26 billion+ Spotify streams in 2023.
– SSRS polling: 59% of USA adults identify as Swift fans, 63% of women; and her fans are evenly divided 50/50 between Democrat or Dem-leaning and Republican or GOP-leaning.
– On her urging, several hundred thousand Americans younger than 25 have registered to vote.

Add it all up? “Taylor knows your social media interactions, where you saw her on tour, how much merch’ you’ve bought from her website, she knows the size of your T-shirt, the number of downloads you’ve made. We’re embarking on an election cycle which will be (a) the most expensive in history, and (b) will see much of the money spent on ‘micro-targeting,’ the use of online data to tailor – pun intended – advertising messages to individuals based on the identification of recipients’ personal vulnerabilities and interests. In order to target effectively, data is essential. And Taylor’s got lots and lots of it, and on a demographic that is exactly what the Biden team needs the most: disproportionally female, young, and passionate. With truly the touch of a button Taylor Swift is uniquely situated to use the data at her disposal to impact the presidential race.”

Leave it to your nerdy consultant to ask: Are WE using OUR listener data to OUR benefit?

Bigger-picture issues:

– Privacy: We have all volunteered LOTS of information about ourselves. Look what pops up in your email and your social media.
– Vulnerability of the Electoral vote process: The last two Republican presidents took office after losing the popular vote. Taylor Swift is my coastal Rhode Island neighbor, and if she votes here, neither of us matter. Our state has four electoral votes. Just 40 thousand-some popular votes in three key states gave Biden his 2020 win.
– Tone: The measurable appeal of Swift’s sunny disposition vs. “I am your retribution.”

Good for us. News/talk radio is in the suspense business. “What JUST happened??? What happens NEXT???” So, we should wish Nikki Haley well.

Inquisitive Smerconish sounds like dispassionate Mr. Spock: “What [Swift detractors on the right] should be worried about is her data.”

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Close Like Crazy: Local Direct Leads, Pitches & Specs That Earned the Benjamins” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Do You Know?

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imI’m no expert, but I do have a theory.

The American media business is the most competitive and advanced in the world. Many other countries directly or indirectly control their airwaves and print publications. Not here, no way, not as long as the First Amendment protects freedom of the press. Yet with that historic, awesome guarantee in place, why are newspapers failing, magazines gutting staff and many of the newer dot coms hitting the wall?

It is inevitable that daily print publications like the LA Times and the Washington Post cut back. We’ve come a long way since Guttenberg, but low-tech printing presses, paper and ink are just not fast enough to keep up with the 24/7 information cycle. I can understand the financial woes caused by bloated staffs at Buzzfeed, Vice and most recently at Business Insider. But when Sports Illustrated gave notice to its writing crew, now you are messing with arguably the most successful sports magazine of all time.

S.I. knew how to attract great writers delivering iconic story lines. We’re talking writers like Rick Reilly, the late Frank Deford, J.F.K. – yes, the late president – Carl Sandburg and one of my favorite characters of all time the late cigar chomping New York Daily News columnist Jimmy Breslin. Martha Stewart on the cover, not for me.

What happened here? The simple answers are: Too much debt, too much overhead, and too slow to recognize and act on shifting dynamics.

Yet People magazine, which has been around for 50 years and if you believe Statista, now reaches over 82 million readers a month! Can you name the last time People won a Pulitzer for a story? Yet we can all learn a critical lesson from the continued success of People. Even those of us in management in the radio/audio business.

Here comes my big theory which you can apply to content, sales, sales management, and everything else important in life.

1) Know your audience. People is focused on celebrities and rarely gets a story wrong.

2) Keep it simple. People is about pictures and easy to understand storylines.

3) The original target was women 18-34. As the target demo shifted and lifestyles changed, the content of People adjusted.

Let’s connect the dots in our programming, sales, and sales management world.

1) Are you in step with your audience? Listeners, and advertisers are all part of a dynamic environment. What’s in your planner that forces you to know the “audience” you sell or market to?

2) Do you keep your proposals simple and easy to understand? Fast and focused is the name of the game.

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com.

Features

Remembering Charles Osgood

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Mike Kinosian
TALKERS magazine
Managing Editor

imDespite his seemingly nonchalant, bad boy on-air persona, David Letterman is exceptionally respectful of broadcasting and its history.

An easily discernable gleam could be seen in the late-night talk host’s eyes when – in 1993 – he formally announced he was jumping to CBS-TV.

One would be naïve not to think that the astonishingly lucrative payday played a significant part in his exhilaration, but Letterman was genuinely enthusiastic about joining the “Tiffany Network.” The entertainment division helped sculpt that vaulted reputation, but the Eye Network’s image was also greatly enhanced by its stellar news department.

Names of those who’ve graced CBS news broadcasts read like a veritable “Who’s Who” of the industry, with the incomparable Walter Cronkite at the very top.

Additionally, there’s Murrow. Sevareid. Collingwood. Rather. Reasoner. Wallace. Edwards. Kuralt. Safer. Mudd. Bradley. Schieffer. Stahl. Rooney. Burdett. Pauley. Hottelet. Chung. Threlkeld. O’Donnell. That just scratches the surface.

Perhaps no one on that – or any similar – list is more erudite, witty and thought provoking than Charles Osgood (Wood).

In a special April 18, 2005 NAB presentation in Las Vegas, the man who did as much for boosting bowtie sales (far pre-dating Tucker Carlson) received the Paul White Award from the RTNDA.

Established in 1956, the recognition carries on the name of CBS’ first news director.

Illustrious company

Past Paul White Award recipients have included Edward R. Murrow, Dan Rather, Bob Schieffer, Ed Bradley, Tom Brokaw, Ted Koppel, Peter Jennings, and Jane Pauley, who succeeded Osgood on CBS-TV’s “Sunday Morning” in 2016. Osgood humbly noted, “I’ve known about the Paul White Award for a long time and have been there to see others get it. It’s obviously a very distinguished company I join. I was there when [former CBS News Division President] Richard Salant [received] it and certainly regard it with a lot of respect. If you hang around long enough, it finally gets to be your turn.”

There’s a parallel with this recognition and Osgood’s 1990 induction to the NAB Hall of Fame. “[Neither] one is the kind of thing you campaign for,” he remarked. “The first I heard about it is when they called and told me it happened. There’s no tension about it and no disappointment that you didn’t get it.”    

Mistaken identity

Rich, God-given voice with which Osgood was blessed became evident at an early age. “My dad was a textile salesman and executive. His name was Charles Osgood Wood – I’m actually Charles Osgood Wood, the third. I’d answer the phone and the person on the other end would [automatically assume they were talking to my father]. He and I talked almost exactly alike.” 

Somewhat of a built-in schizophrenia existed in the famed broadcaster. A friend with whom he’d frequently play tennis noticed that when the multiple Peabody and Emmy Award winner screwed up he’d say, “Come on Osgood.” As a result, “I’d be harder on ‘Osgood’ than I would be on ‘Wood.’ You don’t talk to yourself when you do something right – you just sort of smile.”

Distinctive difference

Understandably, the natural tendency was to automatically link the instantly likable Osgood to CBS for his impeccable long-running role as voice/writer of CBS Radio’s “The Osgood File” and for hosting duties of CBS-TV’s “Sunday Morning.” In addition, he spent six years (1981-1987) as anchor of “The CBS Sunday Night News.”

Many, however, forget that predating those résumé credits, he toiled for ABC.

When he began there, ABC – as luck would have it – already had an announcer named Charles Woods. “In those days, some staff announcers did newscasts,” Osgood explained. “They hired me, but said they didn’t want to have a Charles Woods and a Charles Wood. When they told me to pick a name, I used my middle name as my last name. It’s worked out well and is a little more distinctive and professional.”

Safe haven

Selection of another type made a great impact on his life, as the broadcaster with the industry’s most stylish writing style was an Economics major at New York’s Fordham University. “I never really had an idea that this is what I was cut out to do,” Osgood candidly stated. “As a result, I never took any writing or editing courses. When I started [in broadcasting], I really hung on by my fingernails and just did it the best way I could think of. It took more than a couple of years to get a sense of what I could do. If I’d started the kinds of things in journalism school that I do now, they would have said, ‘No – that’s not how you do it.’ I would have had it drummed out of me early on.” 

Thankfully though, someone realized a broadcaster existed within Osgood and the New York native became actively involved at Fordham’s campus radio station. “That was my locker – the place I’d go between classes,” he pointed out. “At least in those days, regardless of your [declared major], you really majored in Philosophy. You learned things like ethics, logic and cosmology. That really turned out to be pretty useful for what I’m doing.”

Never was there a moment’s regret for the father of five that he didn’t pursue a career in economics. “I’m not even sure I understood what economics was when I decided to make it my major,” Osgood sheepishly admitted. “I knew it had something to do with money and I thought it would be good to know something about that.” 

Sailing with Uncle Walter

As things eventuated, it was immaterial that Osgood never took any college journalism courses. “I went to the best school of broadcast journalism that you could go to, [because] I got to work with Walter Cronkite and a pretty potent lineup of [other] people,” Osgood asserted. “I was often in the same room and could see how Walter’s mind worked and his idea of telling a story. He’s the most centered guy you’re ever going to meet and is very tough.”

Fabled anchorman Cronkite was also managing editor of “The CBS Evening News,” a responsibility he took very seriously. “He was a newsman and kept asking questions of everybody; I have all the respect in the world for him,” Osgood reverently recalled of Cronkite, who was 92 when he died in 2009. “Within a year after I went to work in the CBS newsroom, I found myself sailing in a boat with Walter Cronkite. I felt like I died and went to heaven.” 

Mid-1950s on-air job at Washington, DC classical outlet WGMS enabled Osgood to display his familiarity with – and dexterity to handle –  names like Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakoff. “I really did like that kind of music,” the long time ASCAP member emphasized. “They [eventually] gave me a job that was like the assistant to the GM. It paid all of about $25 a week, but I learned a little bit about station management. WGMS was sold to RKO General and I ended up being program director and, for a time, co-manager.”

Ahead of its time

Also dotting Osgood’s notable vitae is a 1963 stint as general manager of Hartford’s WHCT, the country’s first pay television station. “It was an over-the-air station that CBS owned at one time. It had a mechanism that would encode both picture and sound.”

Subscribers paid $125 for a decoder that needed to be attached to their television set; however, Osgood readily conceded it wasn’t exactly the ideal system. “Color was starting to come on strong, but this only worked in black and white, [so] we had a few strikes against us going in. We were, however, able to play ‘subsequent first-run’ movies – [films] that hadn’t yet been seen in local theaters.”

A tape inside the decoder recorded what a subscriber watched and customers were sent a bill once a month. “The system as an experiment failed, but it was not a bad idea,” Osgood maintained. “Now, of course, we have pay-per-view television, which is essentially the same thing.” 

Shared versus singular responsibilities

Each Osgood-fronted “Sunday Morning” broadcast concluded with the affable host reminding viewers that he would, “See you on the radio,” which was his way of reinforcing that radio is a visual medium. “You create pictures in your own mind and those are much richer than the ones that can be shown on television,” Osgood contended. “On television, what you see is what you get and [that medium] is very pre-occupied with the picture. There’s often wonderful writing there, but television people don’t tend to think about that or the sound at all.”

Images are their main focus and having had vast experience in each medium, Osgood opined that radio is a much more individual effort. “You decide what you’re going to do; you write it; and you do it. You can take all the credit or blame for whatever you do on radio. Television is a collaborative process. There are producers, writers and photographers. One person really can’t take any bows.”

Demanding schedule

One hour separated each of his four daily “Osgood File” features. The general rule was that Osgood didn’t start writing the next one until he finished delivering the last. “If it takes more than an hour, I’m in a lot of trouble,” he deadpanned. “I have to write it in somewhat less than an hour.”

Preparation for that Monday through Friday workday ritual began at the petrifying time of 2:30 am. “It somehow always feels like a horrible mistake when the alarm goes off then,” Osgood declared in his perfectly inflected trademark delivery. “I’m usually in the office at 4:30 am. I have to get my ducks in a row before [doing the first piece] so I know what I’m going to do the rest of the morning. You spend part of that time reading to see what’s there in the way of tape and to see what news stories are of interest that morning.” 

Newspapers, wire sources and the internet provided plenty of possibilities, so Osgood didn’t start worrying about what he was going to put on paper until he arrived at the office. “The news is a constantly refreshing source of material,” he commented. “If you’re doing something that has to last for a long time, you have a different problem. It’s just a question of what you can get your teeth into.”

Road to Sunday Morning

Four-year tour of duty (1967 – 1971) as morning anchor/reporter at New York City’s all-news WCBS-AM got Osgood accustomed to getting up early; he had the luxury of sleeping in until 4:30 am each Sunday. “You have no idea how much later 4:30 am is than 2:30 am,” he convincingly put forth. “I don’t have to get up early on Saturdays. There are [‘Osgood File’] shows, but they’re repeats of things that were done during the week. It’s a great delight to wake up on a Saturday and then realize I can go back to sleep, but it’s still never that late. I get up by 7:00 am.”

Energetic Osgood actually preferred a slow news day when it came to doing his 90-minute Sunday television broadcast. “I’m certain I’m the only network TV anchor who hopes there’s no news. We’ve worked on the show all week and want to do the broadcast that was planned. Some of our shows have themes or, at least, have connections between the pieces. If there’s a big story, you might have to throw something out and that may – or may not – hold up the following week.”                                                    

Succeeding Charles Kuralt as host of “Sunday Morning” nearly 30 years ago (4/10/1994) was a tough act for Osgood to follow, especially since he viewed “On The Road” legend Kuralt as a great personal hero. “He was one of the best who ever came along,” Osgood succinctly stressed. “Charles was a country boy with that wonderful North Carolina accent and had a way of using the language. I thought he was simply terrific. He taught me a lot, [including] not to imitate or copy what you hear. He was in control of every sentence he put down and had an idea of how he wanted to come across to the audience; he was really brilliant.”

Admiration for his predecessor

No advance notice was given to Osgood that his colleague – who would die of complications from lupus in 1997 at just 62 – was planning to leave the Sunday morning show. “I remember getting up one day at the usual hour and putting on my socks in a dark room,” Osgood recollected. “I had the radio on and heard Charlie had announced his retirement. That was terrible news and it never even occurred to me that CBS might ask me to replace him. For one thing, I was older than Charles [by approximately 20 months]. You don’t replace a person who retires with someone older, but that’s what happened. The real reason I got the job was they needed someone whose first name is Charles.”       

Sunday’s audience was conditioned to expect a high-level broadcast, and Osgood acknowledged that made the transition much easier. “As long as I didn’t try to be Charles and try to do an imitation of him, I thought I’d be okay [provided] the audience would put up with me long enough to get used to me.”

Certain things about the CBS-TV show were the same every week. “When we change something, the audience usually doesn’t like it at first,” Osgood contended. “It was especially daunting for me at the beginning because [Kuralt] was so terrific.” 

All tied up

Play a visual word association game about Osgood and “bowtie” will invariably be the first response, but he viewed that fashion statement as a relatively new choice. “I’ve only been doing it for 20 years,” he quipped tongue-in-cheek.

It all began when he wore a clip-on bowtie to work one day. CBS-TV “Evening News” writer John Mosedale admonished Osgood to never wear a clip-on. “He actually walked me into the men’s room and taught me how to tie a bowtie. When you teach an old dog a new trick, he wants to keep doing it. I wear a bowtie when I do speaking dates or television. The excuse I use for my attire is that I get dressed in the dark.”

Write stuff

This author of six books (the last one, 2004’s “Defending Baltimore Against Enemy Attack”) also formerly wrote a “USA Weekend” column and a King Features’ syndicated column. Moreover, he had a full plate with four daily CBS Radio shows (via Westwood One) and a weekly morning television show. “I always have a book that I’m either thinking about or actually in the process of writing,” CBS’ “Poet In Residence’ disclosed. “I’ve been talking with publishers about several book ideas, but they’re not far enough along to really [discuss] at this point. The [leisure time] thing I do more than anything else is fooling around at the piano; I like doing that.”

Unexpected situations like receiving the Paul White Award; being inducted into the NAB Hall Of Fame; and replacing Charles Kuralt as host of CBS Sunday Morning seemed to be the norm for the 1999 International Radio & Television Society Foundation award winner for Significant Achievement.

Long-range plans

With that as a backdrop, it was noteworthy that Osgood never considered himself to be a permanent replacement for Dan Rather on the “CBS Evening News” – a job that would eventually go to Katie Couric in 2006. “I’m not a candidate for anything,” Osgood vehemently insisted to me in our conversation, “[although] I do think it’s important that the ‘CBS Evening News’ be our flagship show. When they asked Bob Schieffer what he thought about doing ‘The Evening News,’ he said it was something to keep him busy until he was old enough to be on ‘60 Minutes.’”   

More than satisfied to have carried on with his radio and television assignments, Osgood – who had a summer residence in France – didn’t look forward to retirement. “I like vacations, but I like them because they are vacations. It’s nice to get away from work, but that’s only if you’re working. I hope they realize I intend to continue to do this for a long time. If it stops being fun, that’s when it’s time to hang it up.”

Mike Kinosian can be emailed at Mike.Kinosian@gmail.com

Industry Views

Pending Business: One Billion and Counting

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communucations Corp
President

imLet’s talk streaming because I don’t get what is happening. Maybe you do.

Talk shows place decent cameras in the radio studio, maybe one in the control room, possibly a third at a “producer’s” desk, a flat screen or two with cool visuals in the background to fulfill the coolness quotient, push the video stream to YouTube or another platform and wait for the throngs of followers to find the talk radio show, view, subscribe and stay with it until the numbers are staggering.

Sometimes the video stream is promoted on air or your station’s website and the expectation is the online audience will skyrocket. After several months, the viewer numbers don’t skyrocket, or maybe the numbers develop modestly, but sales becomes the art of packaging. Because the scale necessary to move the sales needle is still not happening.

This is not a hypothetical. This is happening today at some of the best radio stations delivering high-level radio programming in markets of all sizes around the country. Why do we struggle with how to turn the best radio programming in the world into competitive online video content?

The short answer is great talk radio programming is just that: great radio programming. But herein lies the dilemma. Great talk radio talent, in any format, are natural masters of the foundational elements that can make their YouTube, Rumble, and other social media video platforms gain audience and successfully generate revenue.

Let’s identify the most important reason why:

1. Authentic. Show me one successful talk radio host in any talk radio format who does not exude “authentic.” Agree or disagree with the host on politics, sports, finances or fishing, great talk show hosts are authentic, and their audience can sense the passion coming through in every show. Now, let’s identify the nasty four-letter word, stopping many great talk talents and their content from performing competitively on current social media video platforms. That four-letter word?

2. Show. Most great talk radio talents understand what it takes to put on a great “show.” Mechanics, formatics, and unique skills are developed over time designed to maximize Nielsen performance. But often, many of these – forgive me here – old media “show” skills are not relevant to the huge audience now consuming 1 billion hours of YouTube video every day. Yet we persist and video stream the radio “show” with the expectation an online audience will skyrocket, sales will explode, and the future is as easy as hitting the send button. It just does not work that way.

The radio industry has developed many of the greatest “authentic” talents in the world. How will we plan for a future that has billions of hours of consumption?

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com.

Industry News

NAB Releases AM Radio Report

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

The National Association of Broadcasters today released a report detailing the public safety importance of AM radio, which serves as the backbone of the Emergency Alert System. NAB is releasingim the report as momentum grows in Congress for legislation to ensure AM radio is accessible to the public in all vehicles. NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt states, “When disaster strikes, AM radio has proven time and again its invaluable role as a source of factual, authoritative, up-to-the-minute information that saves lives. It is also a home to a diversity of programming that is often unavailable on other mediums and particularly important to otherwise underserved communities. It is critical that Congress address the need for AM radio capability in vehicles to ensure Americans can turn to local AM stations when they need them the most.” See the report here.

Industry News

Comrex Offers Free Gagl Trial

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Comrex – the company that has been making innovative tools that allow broadcasters and content creators worldwide to connect with their audiences from anywhere – is offering free 30-day Gagl accounts to make it easy for broadcasters from around the world to share each other’s programming, join in on live talk shows, and demonstrate the power of radio in celebration of World Radio Day onim February 13. Comrex says, “Tens of thousands of Comrex customers go ‘live and local’ every day to bring radio to life for their listeners. Customers that already have a Comrex IP audio codec can use Gagl to connect to their existing hardware. Broadcasters in the US that don’t have a Comrex ACCESS or BRIC-Link IP audio codec can even request free demo hardware if they would like to participate. Restrictions apply.” Comrex adds that using Gagl is as simple as clicking a link from an email. It opens a web browser on a phone or computer and connects with up to five other users. As long as the broadcasters are using headphones, everyone hears each other and the host back in the studio. Audio quality is much better than most web conferencing applications, and there is no complicated setup. For more information, contact Comrex at 800-237-1776 or email info@comrex.com.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Cold Calling

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imLet’s take a minute to welcome back an old reliable that has been part of our sales and marketing world since Adam pitched Eve and got the first “yes” on the original cold call. No telling how cold that call really was.

But seriously, here come two shoutouts that should motivate you to re-evaluate the one strategy that has worked since the very early days of sales. Imagine knocking on 3,000,000 doors, making 3,000,000 cold calls. How many sales would you expect? According to The New York Times, a super PAC has knocked on all those doors nationwide, nearly 1,000,000 or one-third in Iowa alone, asking for the order. That’s a lot of cold calling and leave it to Iowa weather to put the “cold” back into cold calling.

Everyone reading this column would argue, TV, radio – especially r-a-d-i-o – and social media ads are more impactful, more efficient, and often more emotionally compelling than old school cold calling. Only time and results will tell if the boots-on-the-ground technique succeeded over the millions in media spend. No, this isn’t about modern-day political marketing strategy, this is about recognizing an old, proven technique that still has a role in today’s modern, hyper-speed, tech-driven world.

Do you remember the cold-calling contests that ended on a Friday with your team turning in the business cards that proved you met with those brand-new decision makers? Business cards in hand, you were well on your way to winning that weekly cold-calling contest. Talk about cold-call champions! All those business cards represented follow up opportunities that often led to long-term relationships netting many sellers nice commission checks.

Now comes the selfie, the modern-day version of those business cards, documenting proof positive you met the brand-new decision maker on the way to developing that newfound business relationship. Suddenly the old school cold-call strategy has a new world spin showing everyone on the team you are out and about in front of new business prospects, setting appointments and with newly fueled positive energy writing business and achieving your goals.

Hard to believe we are all connected to Adam’s very first sale, the 3,000,000 nationwide cold calls and the political strategists who earn big sums while still advising candidates to make sure they are getting out there, shaking hands and making those cold calls.

What’s on your planner this week?

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com.

Industry News

Comrex Launches “Tech Talk Live!”

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Comrex announces the debut of a new, live web series called, “Tech Talk Live!” featuring Chris Crump, senior director of sales & marketing, as the host. The inaugural episode of “Tech Talk Live!” will be Friday (1/19) 11:00 am ET. Andy Mikutta, sales director from Yellowtec, will discuss new developments andim TALKERS founder Michael Harrison will talk about UNESCO’s World Radio Day. “Tech Talk Live!” can be streamed on YouTube Live, LinkedIn Live, Riverside.fm or the Comrex Facebook page. Comrex says, “We are excited to regularly share tech tidbits, unfamiliar product features, some of the inner workings of the industry, and more. ‘Tech Talk Live!’ will feature a new episode monthly with each episode comprising four segments: ‘Ask a Techie’ – featuring a member of the Comrex technical support team to discuss a common problem customers run into and how to fix it; ‘Feature Focus’ – a dive into lesser known features of Comrex products that provide even more functionality and ease of use; ‘The Insiders’ – featuring a guest industry expert to chat about a product/service they offer that is complementary to Comrex codecs and how it makes the job of the end user easier; and ‘Nerd Alert’ – exploring different products, features, happenings and more that may interest those with a more technical background.” Get more information on “Tech Talk Live!” via email at ttl@comrex.com and find out more about Comrex here.

Industry News

13 Ideas to Celebrate World Radio Day 2024

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Michael Harrison
Founder
TALKERS

imThe United Nations and its specialized agency, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have given the radio industry all around the globe an invaluable gift. It’s called “World Radio Day 2024.” Now in its 13th installment, WRD takes place annually on February 13 with the purpose of spotlighting the accomplishments, importance, and ongoing relevance of the radio medium as it evolves deeper into the 21st century. This year’s WRD theme is “Radio: A Century Informing, Educating and Entertaining.” By officially designating the platform as worthy of its own officially sanctioned UN International Day, the august world body has recognized, spotlighted, and endorsed radio’s continuing relevance and potential for being a vital force for the betterment of humanity.

On a global level, the scope of radio is huge. However, we, practitioners of radio in America, face formidable challenges keeping the spirit and uniqueness of the platform viable as both a business and iconic connector as it faces stifling debt, exotic competition, a generational divide, creeping censorship, and the growing risk of simply getting lost in the noise and distractions of the ceaselessly evolving digital era. I strongly encourage my American colleagues to embrace WRD 2024 for the fabulous opportunity it offers our industry to make a compelling and inspiring case for the ongoing importance and positive impact of radio to inform, educate and entertain.

Please read and consider any or all of the “13 Ideas to Celebrate World Radio Day 2024” posted on the UNESCO website and in this edition of TALKERS magazine. To see the list of 13 ideas, please click here.       

Michael Harrison can be contacted directly via email at michael@talkers.com.

Industry News

13 Ideas to Celebrate World Radio Day 2024

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Michael Harrison
Founder
TALKERS

imThe United Nations and its specialized agency, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have given the radio industry all around the globe an invaluable gift. It’s called “World Radio Day 2024.” Now in its 13th installment, WRD takes place annually on February 13 with the purpose of spotlighting the accomplishments, importance, and ongoing relevance of the radio medium as it evolves deeper into the 21st century. This year’s theme is “Radio: A Century Informing, Educating and Entertaining.” By officially designating the platform as worthy of its own officially sanctioned UN International Day, the august world body has recognized, spotlighted, and endorsed radio’s continuing relevance and potential for being a vital force for the betterment of humanity.

On a global level, the scope of radio is huge. However, we, practitioners of radio in America, face formidable challenges keeping the spirit and uniqueness of the platform viable as both a business and iconic connector as it faces the growing risk of simply getting lost in the noise and distractions of the ceaselessly evolving digital era. I strongly encourage my American colleagues to embrace WRD 2024 for the fabulous opportunity it offers our industry to make a compelling case for the ongoing importance and positive impact of radio to inform, educate and entertain.

Please read and consider any or all of the following “13 Ideas to Celebrate World Radio Day 2024” posted on the UNESCO website and in TALKERS magazine.

1. World Radio Day Minutes. Air the UNESCO package of 20 pre-produced “World Radio Day Minutes”. They are 60-second audios discussing interesting aspects of the radio medium during its first 100 years of service to humanity. The texts figure in their descriptions so that you have the option of producing your own episodes in other languages. These short-form audios can be programmed on a schedule of your choosing leading up to and on February 13, World Radio Day (WRD). You can run them as non-commercial announcements or offer them for local sponsorships.

2. Talk Shows Celebrating Radio. Program (pre-produced or live) talk shows with local and national experts talking about the importance of radio for quality information, highlighting its 100-year history and continuing relevance. Recruit legendary and retired radio personalities known to your audience to participate in these programs supplemented by real clips from the past to be aired leading up to or on February 13.

3. World Radio Day 2024 Live Event.  Schedule a live indoor or outdoor event (depending upon climate) on February 13 celebrating World Radio Day 2024. Invite listeners free (or charge admission in conjunction with a charity). Feature a panel discussion about the relevance of the entire audio sector in a changing media world as well as local legends telling stories about their service to the public through radio. Supplement it with display tables presenting local businesses and sponsors. Consider holding it on a local college or university campus in conjunction with the school’s communication department. Organize a group of diverse stations (either under one corporate umbrella/cluster or actual competing ones) to join forces in support of information, entertainment and education through radio in general. The results will be beneficial for everyone involved.

4. World Radio Day 2024 Sponsorship with Local Consumer Electronics Store/Chain. Arrange a sales promotion with a local store or chain of stores within your market to offer listeners a significant one-day discount (February 13) on all AM/FM radios and radio-related equipment.

5. International Dialogue. Schedule interviews/conversations (either live or prerecorded) with your broadcast colleagues from other countries to compare and contrast the history and strength of radio in their respective countries on or leading up to February 13. These shows can be simulcast on both stations or simply be one host interviewing another.  For Partnership Opportunities, please check here which stations or partners around the world are interested in collaborative programming and you could contact now.

6. The Greatest “Radio Songs” of All Time.   There are songs in almost every pop music format that contain the word “radio” in them or refer to the medium of radio.  Highlight the “Greatest Radio Songs of All Time” into your playlist intermittently or as a “countdown show” on February 13 in commemoration of World Radio Day 2024. This is an easy and simple way to highlight World Radio Day and create a fun and entertaining programming element.

7. Visit to a Radio Station. Offer guided tours of your facilities to listeners or local school classes leading up to and on February 13 in celebration of World Radio Day 2024. This will be an effective outreach to a younger generation of new listeners and create community goodwill.

8. Radio and Emergencies. Emphasize radio’s impact as an informational public safety net entering its second century of service. Use World Radio Day 2024 as a reason to talk about and remind listeners of the value of the medium to provide a lifeline to the public when the electricity goes out and the internet goes down. There are numerous examples in just the past year alone to draw from in terms of earthquakes, wildfires, and storms in which radio news helped people in distress in real time. This is also a talking point in the current issue about some automobile manufacturers choosing to not equip new car models with AM radios.

9. Theater of the Mind. Use World Radio Day 2024 as a focal point for radio being the “Theater of the Mind” by producing your own locally produced radio dramas and airing them on February 13. You’ll provide intelligent entertainment, support cultural expression, and stimulate listener interest.

10. Radio, the Original Interactive Mass Medium. Recognize radio’s claim to the title “The Original Interactive Mass Medium” and “The Original Social Media” by using these phrases as often as appropriately possible on February 13. Radio pioneered the concept of taking live calls from listeners on the air to give opinions and receive advice in addition to playing musical requests and announcing dedications in real-time on the air. Highlight the interaction with listeners.

11. Take Me Out to the Stadium. Radio was the first mass medium to provide live, real-time play-by-play coverage of sporting events. The history of radio’s connection to sports is deep and rich. There is a lot of colorful sports broadcasting history to discuss in celebration of World Radio Day 2024 and nourish vibrant conversations.

12. Podcasts. Post several new and timely podcasts featuring quality conversations and panel discussions with experts and leaders in the radio profession from around the world as supplemental World Radio Day 2024 content on your station or network website.  You can also generate your own podcasts and programs about radio for placement on your website or general distribution.

13. Positive and Pro-Active – Accomplishment, Pride and Hope. World Radio Day 2024 provides you with a supportive platform and focal point to pursue business, civic and social relationships within your community, and protect free, independent, pluralistic radio.  WRD 2024 symbolizes radio’s century of accomplishment, pride in the present and hope for the future.  Celebrate World Radio Day 2024 spreading this optimistic perspective leading up to, during and following February 13.

For more information, visit https://www.unesco.org/en/days/world-radio

Michael Harrison is a legendary American broadcaster who has served as executive advisor to UNESCO for World Radio Day 2024. He can be contacted via email at michael@talkers.com.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Calendar Secrets

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imThis column should really be called, “How I got transferred from Buffalo to Tampa.” The storyline will help explain the title and offer you a proven technique that should help you sell and earn more.

Before Zoom, Teams and other video conference platforms that drive today’s daily to-dos, sales teams worked hard to fill the day with “in-person” sales calls. Back then, most managers forgot, or did not account for how weather impacted the number, geography and quality of those money making in-person sales calls, until blizzards, hurricanes and mother nature took her toll on productivity. Those of you who work or have worked in northern markets like Buffalo know all too well what 8 to 12 inches of snow can do to a daily plan. The same holds true for southern markets that experience hurricanes that have devastated communities going back to the hurricanes that nearly destroyed Miami and New Orleans. Now it seems wildfires are becoming a more regular threat in western markets. Having experienced most of the worst, like it or not, weather is an unpredictable yet critical variable in your sales plan.

One of the most destructive blizzards in history hit Buffalo during my first year as a young general manager. Retail contract cancellations, stranded employees, and off-the-air due to frozen antennas were draining revenues. It was December and the calendar was winning. After the ice melted and the snowplows cleared the way, we packaged everything we could before year-end to try and salvage the pacing that was leading to a bonus. The calendar won, annual bonus gone, but the learning curve kicked in.

B.G. (before Google) any research had to be accomplished old school: calls, friends, articles, and experts. We determined the average number of weather impact days, just like the guys in the theme park business. We developed a “real world” budget that accounted for weather days, the accompanying limited staffing, and a set aside percentage of revenues for cancellations.

When we began the year, the “real world” budget was put in place. By November of that year, the radio station had achieved its revenue goal for the full calendar year. The day before Thanksgiving I was summoned to the corporate office and was handed a file with a one-way ticket to Tampa, Florida. Goodbye blizzards, hello hurricanes. As a young manager, the sun was much more inviting than the snow, and I am still in Florida.

The discipline of a sales or planning calendar accompanied by “what if” is a must have.

Oh yes, make sure that pencil has an eraser.

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com.

Industry News

Good Karma Brands Launching Bucks+ Audio

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

The NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and Good Karma Brands are introducing Bucks+ Audio, an audio broadcast platform that will offer exclusive, compelling on-demand content, available for download this spring. Bucks chief sales and marketing officer Dustin Godsey says, “We continue to hear from Bucksim fans worldwide who want more in-depth content about the team and behind-the-scenes access and Bucks+ Audio will provide this with podcasts and on-demand audio. Good Karma Brands Milwaukee market manager Greg Scalzo states, “We are excited to partner with the Milwaukee Bucks and redefine the on-demand listening experience for fans. Bucks+ Audio introduces a new era of immersive sports content, from the episodic allure of ‘Behind the Bucks’ to the passionate ‘Hear District’ and the concise, detailed recaps of ‘Bucks in 6,’ the platform is a perfect audio companion for Bucks and NBA fans.” Additionally, Good Karma Brands is currently seeking an editor-in-chief to oversee content strategy, collaborate with creators, represent the brand, ensure a positive user experience and more for the platform. Learn more here: www.goodkarmabrands.com/careers/. 

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Hello from Las Vegas!

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imThis week, more than a hundred thousand inventors, investors, and techy-nerds from over 150 countries swarm Sin City for CES2024. You’ll be seeing all about it all this week on network newscasts and cable news channels and social media.

And yes, there are square miles of products being introduced here, the “Consumer Electronics” that were the roots of this event. But the big buzz this year will be Artificial Intelligence, at which we-the-legacy-media are looking at over our shoulder, as ChatGPT et al and text-to-speech are augmenting – in some cases displacing – human radio and television talent.

im

After we’ve spent decades learning how to use his software – Bill Gates tells Inc. magazine that – soon – we won’t need to. He describes your “agent,” your A.I. assistant, a constant companion, in your earbud, that has what Gates calls “a rich understanding of your life.” Think Alexa or Siri…on steroids.

Want to send an email? Just start talking. You’ll never miss a birthday, and you’ll know about flight delays and weather and traffic tangles without checking. And YOUR agent will know your FRIENDS’ agents. Even Gates admits that these virtual social secretaries could faux pas: “Suppose you want to see a friend. If YOUR agent talks to THEIRS, you DON’T want it to say, ‘she’s seeing other friends Tuesday and you’re not included.’” Oops.

Sure, it’s gadget heaven here. And some of these TVs are so big that I can’t figure out how they’d get through the door at home. But, year after year lately, services upstage things at CES. This year’s keynoters include the CEO of L’Oréal and Hyundai and Best Buy and Walmart and executives from McDonalds and Northwestern Mutual and Walmart, as technology changes almost every aspect of life every day.

How big is CES? Even the sprawling Las Vegas Convention Center isn’t big-enough. There will be exhibits and sessions up and down The Strip, so I’ll be getting-in my steps. And I’m reporting for TALKERS readers, every day this week. Help yourself to today’s report here: http://getonthenet.com/CES2024-Monday.mp3. It can air until Friday. And I’ll be posting daily 60-second reports you can download at HollandCooke.com.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Close Like Crazy: Local Direct Leads, Pitches & Specs That Earned the Benjamins” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke

Industry Views

SABO SEZ: Five Golden Actions for 2024

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Walter Sabo
Consultant, Sabo Media Implementers
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host, “Sterling On Sunday”
Talk Media Network

imResearch shows that readers to trade publications like articles with five bullet points. Here are my five bullet points for 2024. If these were to be deployed, you could be thriving by the end of the year. These actions would increase sales and audience share.

1. Radio should be easy to buy. It’s not. Easy fix: Look at your website. Based on the website how would you buy time on your station? It should be as simple as a realtor’s website. Put up pictures of your salespeople with ALL of their real contact information – not a FORM. Offer their email and cell number. Offer a “tour” of the offerings with information about the talent and the audience. What does the host sell best? How about a very brief audio message from each host to your potential advertiser?
2. Every medium creates its own stars. Example – David Caruso, good on TV, bad in movies. Your hosts, good on radio, lousy at original podcasts.  Sure, edit up the interviews or bits and make them into a podcast. But don’t ask a host to get off the air and make brand new content for a podcast. Engage locals who are good at making original podcasts and offer them a stage.
3. Sell the biggest number. Your morning show probably has more listeners than the “Tonight Show” has viewers in your city. 1010 WINS has more listeners in New York than FOX News has viewers nationwide. Go check. Those are the numbers that put radio in perspective!  Stop selling the smallest number, TIME SPENT LISTENING. Who came up with that!?
4. Don’t make potential advertisers jump through hoops. If you have spent your career in programming, you may not know the tyranny of MEDIA CREDIT. New radio advertiser: Good buy, high rate, longterm business. Sounds great. Not so fast. At most companies, new business still has to go through the gauntlet of a MEDIA CREDIT CHECK. End that.
5. What’s wrong with the hosts? Many hosts use a content formula that MUST generate a diminishing audience size and older and older and older demos.  Repeat. WHY? If you start to trust that what you talk about socially, with your friends, your audience will grow and grow younger. Be more like Bruce Collins, PD at WBAP, Dallas. Bruce just hired James Parker who has been featured for years on “Sterling On Sunday.” James is going to talk about life, fatherhood and funny. He joins “New Jersey 101.5” alumnus, Casey Bartholomew, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon, who talks about life, fatherhood and funny.  It’s working so well that WBAP will now be simulcast on Class C2 FM, KLIF.

Five bullet points. Goals: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Walter Sabo was a founding architect of SiriusXM and began the recruitment of Howard Stern. He has consulted RKO General, PARADE magazine, Hearst Broadcasting, Press Broadcasting, and other premium brands. He launched the first company to engage online video influencers, Hitviews. As an executive, he was EVP of NBC FM RADIO giving Dr. Ruth Westheimer her first media job and fostering the creation of adult contemporary. As VP ABC Radio Networks, Sabo hired Ringo Starr to be a DJ for a 24-hour special.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Welcome to 2024

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imWhat do your New Year’s resolutions look like?

Chances are your resolutions included what I call the old reliable “mores.” Earn more, save more, exercise more, eat more of the healthier foods. Sound familiar? Do you break down the resolutions into daily goals? As in here is what I need to do today to meet my goals and fulfill my resolutions. How about the “less” category? Do you spend any time thinking about what you want to do less often? Let us start with some obvious candidates.

A recent survey by Frequence.com indicated 84% of respondents in marketing and advertising felt stress on the job. Maybe the other 16% had just taken their morning meds. Seriously, can you blame the stressed-out thousands who have spent a career working for companies that stand on the brink of financial peril, delist from the stock exchange, or initiate short-notice personnel cuts? Has anyone in the radio business reading this column ever experienced a fully stress-free experience for over 36 waking hours? If it is not work, maybe it is friends, family, travel issues, or anything else that you simply cannot stop thinking about.

“Less” resolution #1. Less stress on the job, unless you are in the parachute business or an air-traffic controller or emergency room doctor in New York or Chicago, you get where I am going with this.

The same survey showed 72% of respondents work for organizations expecting them to deliver more with less support. The last time I worked for a broadcast company that provided me with my own dedicated assistant, the Cowboys won the Super Bowl in the first ever televised in prime time. Please raise your hand if you are a seller or sales manager with your own dedicated assistant. Anybody? How about in the past 10 years?

“Less” resolution #2. Less is more. The slogan takes on new life in the remote work environment that is a norm for many in the media buyer-seller relationship. Everyone in the chain is being asked to do more, reach increased goals, and perform to a higher standard with less support. You are either on the income money flow line or the expense side. Pick your lane and try your best to deliver measurable results.

Technology is driving change in every corner of the workplace. New strategies and technologies designed to monetize media impressions are part of our culture. Surveys show anywhere from 52-70% of sellers and marketers are challenged with keeping up.

“Less” resolution #3. Prioritize your upskilling. Pick the one area that will allow you to hit your most important “more” goals and master it. Never stop learning, just adjust your learning curve to what works best for you.

Here’s to a more productive and prosperous New Year!

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Ad Count

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imHow many times will we research the same subject and come to the same conclusion?

This time it is the podcast. How many ads will the average listener consider “appropriate” in a 60-minute episode?

If you read the recent research from Cumulus/Signal Hill, you know the answer. For the rest of you, survey says under four minutes per 60-minute episode. The same survey says the magic number for a 30-minute episode is under three.

How ironic is that? The typical talk radio hour runs more ads in one break than an entire 60-minute episode of a podcast. Could it be because we have been integrating radio commercials into hour-long broadcast content for over 100 years? Have we conditioned news/talk listeners to accept more commercials per hour? Our TV friends have been at for over 80 years with an even bigger hourly spot load. Anyone ever see audience research that says add more commercials?

Seriously, unless you pay for the ad-free experience of Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Spotify, Pandora, etc., like most consumers of media, you are comfortable with the ad-supported media model.

So, how has the podcast world been so successful with a model that would leave most traditional radio and TV owners, execs, and sellers dumbfounded.

Here is some insight from my experience.

1) CPM is higher in podcast. The hard facts are when you work with higher CPM you can adjust the commercial load. Demand for digital/social media and podcasts with marketable scale is greater than terrestrial radio. The demand curve for podcast advertising is greater than terrestrial radio. Time to wake up, shake up and shout out loud about our 100-year-old sleepy giant!

2) Survey said 62% of podcast listeners prefer the host read. Talk radio sellers should improve this pitch every day. Today, podcast sellers are simply better at it. Podcast sellers get the intimate relationship between host and listener better than most radio sellers get host and audience. Podcast hosts seem more one-on-one savvy. What will Joe Rogan’s next guest say? What will we hear when your talk talent interviews their next guest?

3) Quality. When your local production director is overloaded and needs to get commercials completed on the air yesterday, what wins: quantity or quality? Be honest here. Where is the next audio creative genius like Dick Orkin or Chuck Blore? Do you know those names?

4) Can you really compare ad load levels between the 60- or 30-minute podcast episode to the average three-hour daily talk radio show?

Traditional molds need to be revisited regularly. My experience with YouTube is showing me even newer models for monetization, different from audio podcasts. Does your 2024 planner have any room for innovation?

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com.

Industry Views

What’s a “Bombshell” in a Noisy World?

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Michael Harrison
Founder
TALKERS

imWe live in an increasingly noisy world.  The accelerating advancement of media technology, with its accompanying “everybody is a star” syndrome, combine to make it increasingly difficult to get attention. By that, I mean real attention – the kind of attention that those in the professional media (and related) industries describe as “traction.”

Public conversation, as conducted in today’s media, has fallen victim to the noisy cocktail party syndrome. That’s what happens at social events, catering halls and froofy restaurants where the cruel combination of loud background music, echoey acoustics, and lots of small talk forces attendees to speak louder and louder and louder in order to be heard. The decibel count goes into hyper-inflation. People start screaming at each other saying nothing of consequence. Some folks deal with the inherent discomfort of this scenario by practicing the disingenuous (but extremely useful) art form of faking interest and understanding through confident smiling, eyebrow raising, nodding, grunting and saying innocuous phrases like “ha” and “there ya go” while others just keep on screaming.

Have you noticed how headlines – even when used by the editors of generally reliable platforms – have taken hyperbole to new lows of dishonest click bait in order to get attention?  Beware of two such words that are being spewed through today’s media to cut through the noise only to create even more noise in the process.  In the world of science, it’s “terrifying.”  In the world of politics, it’s “bombshell.”  These ratty words have infested our media sewers and should be avoided unless actually used in an honest and accurate manner.

Michael Harrison is publisher of TALKERS.  He can be contacted directly via email at michael@talkers.com.

Industry Views

Pending Business: When the Package Doesn’t Work

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imIt happens to everyone at least once.

You present your package with every asset at your disposal to make the campaign a winner – host read radio, podcast, X(Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and anything else at your disposal. You work with your manager for pricing, coordinate the digital team for input, and touch base with your business department for the all-clear. Your presentation is an award winner, your enthusiasm is contagious and the deal closes. The campaign launches and to your shock and dismay the feedback from your client is utter disappointment as results are anemic. You verify everything is running properly, digital and social media are coordinated, yet the anticipated tsunami of results is barely a rain shower.

Are you kidding me right now? What in the world happened? A little history and a little reality will help you right the ship.

It’s been 60 years since Marshall McLuhan taught us the “medium is the message” and arguably became the original disruptor. He was so far ahead of his time, Musk, Zuckerberg, and Altman would be challenged. The bottom line is McLuhan got it right as we still stumble our way through the performance side of the ads.

Let us examine how we package and sell 60 years later.

Mistake #1- All creative is the same. In the example above, I listed 6 common platforms many local hosts utilize daily to spread the word.

A) Sellers focus on packaging scale, competitive efficiency and closing the business.
B) Hosts focus on product and content acceptability.
C) Managers focus on deal points.
D) Traffic and business focus on integrating systems.
E) Production is ready to deliver the deadline.
F) STOP!!!! Who is focused on matching the platform or medium with high impact creative messaging? “50% OFF” is an empty value proposition when there is no product sell-in. Who is making sure EVERY asset is delivering the creativity that engages and motivates the listener/viewer for each medium?

Mistake #2. I got this. Wake up! The multi-platform package is more complicated than the beta binomial curve for duplication. Oops, did I lose you? The concept is the radio listener may or may not be the podcast listener who may or may not be the YouTube viewer, who may or may not be the Facebook follower, and so on. You are the sales pro who put this package in motion, yet did you stop to think through: Does each medium have a unique campaign with different frequency, creative updates and feedback loops? Do you have any idea how many daily tweets it takes to sell that product or service? Or are you applying branding metrics to sales goals? And that is just the beginning.

We often forget, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, are barely 20 years old and we are still learning. Yet our terrestrial radio station heritage goes back over 100 years, so you think, “I Got this.” To paraphrase the great Marshall McLuhan, don’t drive into the future using only a rear-view mirror.

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com.