Tag: Holland Cooke

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Podcasting and Broadcasting

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

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Listeners now expect what-they-want when-they-want-it. And advertisers want their attention wherever they can get it. So, yes, archiving on-air programming for on-demand consumption has value. Respecting how scarce attention is, this tip: In addition to whole-hour airchecks, offer short, single-topic show excerpts, and title them as obviously as possible. Don’t expect listeners to click-click-click through or sit-through an hour-long aircheck for three great minutes about “How to keep Alexa from spying on you.” So post-and-Tweet that.  Otherwise, understand how broadcasting and podcasting are cousins, not siblings.

How podcasting is unlike radio: AM/FM broadcasters’ content is mass-appeal, and locally-oriented. But the best podcast topics are “narrowcast” stuff. And you’re on what we used to call “the Worldwide Web.” So going real narrow is opportune. Example?

Do a podcast about gardening, and you’ll get lost-in-the-weeds. Do one about growing vegetables year-round in a vertical hydroponic garden in a closet and you’ll click.

 

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How successful podcasts are like radio: You’re asking for attention. And with so much competition for it now, that’s a big ask.

That’s where professional broadcasters have an advantage over amateurish podcasters. Best practices that radio has spent 100 years proving are techniques that can earn you habitual listening.

More, including what TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison considers the #1 success factor in podcasting, here: http://getonthenet.com/podcasting.html

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “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

Monday Memo: “I Want to Be Seduced.”

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

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Remember that song, by campy Leon Redbone?

If you’re doing a broadcast radio show, in this crowded audio arena, that’s your mission statement.

Tip: Round-off teases.

• I try not to scoff when I hear well-intentioned hosts dutifully plug something-coming-up “in seven minutes” or “at three fifty-three,” as though listeners were taking notes.

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• Do make an appointment with listeners for what’s coming up. But simply, creatively, say that it’s “coming up.” Spare busy motorists the math with non-round numbers. When life’s a blur, nobody thinks they can wait seven minutes.

• Yesterday, a voice-tracking DJ on a 60s/70s/80s station sounded lots less robotic when he said “Years before ‘yadda-yadda-yadda,’ there was ‘Obladi Oblada,’ and the Beatles will sing it right after Fleetwood Mac” into “Say You Love Me.” He owned me for the next seven minutes.

Talking: Ditto. Tell me how I’ll be rewarded for not wandering-off. Especially effective: a question which includes “you” and/or “your,” the Magic Words.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “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

Monday Memo: Podcasting? Don’t Tweet Like Trump

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imX – which most people I hear still call “Twitter” – is a great way to attract new ears.

Tips:

— Write a stack of Tweets for each episode, and post at intervals, so you’re not further-down readers’ feeds then they are scrolling.

— Use # and @ to attract those with affinity to your subject and/or guest.

 

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And don’t Tweet like Trump

4 reasons why:

— Relentless negativity gets old quickly. We all know, and seek to avoid, someone whose glass is ALWAYS half-empty. Don’t be him or her.

— Bellicose braggadocio gets old even quicker. And “I,” “I,” “I,” “me,” “me,” “me” emulates an unfortunate talk radio caricature podcasters want to avoid.

— Millennials – heavy podcast consumers — are repelled by acrimony and seek consensus.

— Once it’s out there, you can’t take it back… even if you delete-the-Tweet. The Library of Congress archives all Tweets, and they’re not the only ones. Those who don’t wish you well may have screen-grabbed what you posted… something politicians learn the hard way when their words show up on opponents’ campaign commercials. And we’ve all read radio trade press reports of DJs and talkers who’ve been fired for social media faux pas.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “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

Monday Memo: Worst Promo I Hear Most Often?

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

im“If you missed Biff & Bev in-the-Morning, you missed…”  It’s a donut: produced open and close, with an aircheck clip in the middle.

— I don’t think I have ever heard such a promo that caused me remorse for missing the show being touted. Often the clip makes the personalities sound self-amused.

— The listener can’t act on this message. This morning’s Biff & Bev show is gone, and don’t count on anyone clicking-as-many-times-as-necessary to find it on the station website.

— You send diary keepers a dangerous subliminal message: that they DIDN’T listen. Heck, we want to fool them into thinking they did listen!

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Instead:

— Talk about the NEXT show.

— Use “you” and/or “your” as-early-as-possible in copy; and “and your calls!” near the end.

— Offer a benefit statement, something listeners will realize from listening, i.e., what they’ll take-away from hearing tomorrow’s guest, what they can call-in-and-win, anticipated topics.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “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

Monday Memo: Don’t Say Goodbye

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

If you’re hosting a weekend ask-the-expert show to attract new clients and customers, DON’T say goodbye at the end of your show.

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Instead, tell ‘em: “THAT’S IT FOR TODAY’S RADIO SHOW. IF YOU MISSED ANY OF IT, YOU CAN LISTEN AT YOUR CONVENIENCE OR DOWNLOAD IT FROM [describe how to find on-demand page on station web site; and/or “ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM”]. AND WE’RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE AT [your business’ web site address]. AND WE’LL TAKE YOUR CALL ANYTIME, AT OUR [store, office, etc.], [phone number, nice-and-slow]. OR EMAIL ME AT [address, something memorable, i.e., AskAndy@yourURL.com].

And ICYMI, there’s more guidance from a previous TALKERS issue here.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “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

Monday Memo: Talking About Abortion

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imMany Americans have been, in the two years since the Supreme Court punted the issue down to the states. For suburban women voters in swing states, it is – by far – the number one issue, per a Wall Street Journal poll. It tipped 2022 midterms and 2023 elections and swung other elections in battleground states.

As the 2024 vote looms, your reporting will likely be criticized, by both sides; and experience recommends a useful posture when listeners question your coverage and threaten to shun your advertisers.

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No local radio market enjoys – or suffers – more politically outspoken listeners than Washington DC. I programmed all-news WTOP there for seven years in the 80s and 90s. Even then – with Roe’ the law of the land – this was a white-hot issue.

The quickest way we could make EVERYONE angry was by reporting crowd estimates for abortion rallies. Half the callers accused us of inflating the numbers, the other half said we low-balled it.

Here, from my files, are an actual complaint letter, and our standard reply.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “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

Monday Memo: Are You Ready?

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imNext month, as the school year begins in so many places, the listeners that local retailers want as customers transition back to their “normal” routines. Their tempo changes and builds to a holiday season climax. And we – and our advertisers – want to be their soundtrack.

WHO ARE “they?” Last week’s column described a useful exercise that fleshes-them-out and tees-up important imaging and content discussions worth having pre-Labor Day.

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Off-air promotion (remember that?) merely says give-us-a-try. When they do, does what they hear deliver? And even with scant (or no) off-air promotion, much of what you can do to become more habit-forming costs nothing. As consultants do, I’m talking about “the fundamentals,” the blocking-and-tackling stuff.

Here’s the checklist of things you want to be listening for right now.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “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

Monday Memo: WHO ARE You Talking To?

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imWe – inside-the-box – live and breathe radio. Listeners have their hands full just living and breathing. Their day is time crunched and financially challenging, and we want to be its soundtrack.

But listening is free, unlike umpteen other purchase decisions they agonize. So, what’s high stakes to us is low stakes to them. We only matter if we matter, and we’ve never had so much audio competition. Accordingly, this exercise, which has been helpful at stations I work with:

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Describe the listener your station targets. Then ask other staffers.

— Is everyone profiling the same person?

— Does your programming content address their needs and wants?

— Is station imaging about the station? Or their needs and wants?

— Do commercials offer solutions? Are you missing categories?

Well worth the investment in conference room pizza.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “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

Monday Memo: Be Like Mike

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imRemember the old Gatorade commercial? The “Be like Mike” jingle accompanied a montage of gravity-defying Michael Jordan dunks.

If you’ve heard Mike Hulvey speak, you know his birthday and blood type, because he told you, in his enthused trademark close: “March 4th and B positive!”

Before he recently hit-the-ground-running as Radio Advertising Bureau CEO and president, Mike was my longtime client when he ran Neuhoff Media. I consulted his news/talk/sports WSOY, Decatur and trained news people at other stations in the group. And the company’s “Media Made Locally” mantra was more than a slogan: “Nothing makes us happier than knowing that while our big corporate competitors are abandoning all the things we think make local media special – we’re doubling down.”

With broadcasters now so challenged by non-AM/FM audio competitors – and coping with cost cuts – the “Core Values” that clicked in these small Midwest markets seem like a prescription for stations everywhere:

1. Grit: “Stick with it.”
2. Community: “Give back.”
3. Innovation: “Think different.”
4. Excellence: “Be exceptional.”

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In too many places now, a legacy call letter station is referred to as “the AM” within multi-station clusters and is bundled with music stations’ inventory… not the best sales model in Mike’s estimation: “The news/talk format offers endless opportunities to local clients.” Offered properly, these stations have “unique attributes and programming that lend itself to customize sponsorship and marketing extensions in any size market;” with otherwise “hidden gems that create opportunities for naming rights inside local sports and benchmark sponsorships as the local expert,” creating what he calls “lean-in listening that benefits advertisers.”

Live-N-local 24/7 seems quaint now, so we leverage imported programming, to make it sound more like part of the station’s own on-air family, rather than sounding like we’re an affiliate plugged-into the bird. The day Mike first introduced me at WSOY, I told the morning host: “We’ve got to get your voice in Rush Limbaugh and the Cardinals games more.”

Back to the future: With Monday-Friday syndicated talk programming mostly political, I asked Mike, “Could the sort of non-political shows that were such weekday winners for the late-great KGO and Buckley-owned WOR make a comeback?” His take: “I say yes. I believe that great locally targeted content is still a winning formula of success. While we as consumers have more choices than ever, we still crave information about where we live, work, and raise our families. While national political content has a very loud voice in the market, listeners appreciate those locally ‘world famous’ voices from where they live.”

Evidence, from the vault: 2-minute video, Mike explaining how winning radio is a relationship: https://youtu.be/wcsqrN7R7Ic

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “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

Monday Memo: NOW What?

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

Cost cuts continue. If you’re still working, it is, unfortunately, only prudent to wonder for-how-long. If your position is safe, are you being given additional responsibility without additional compensation? And/or have you had-it-up-to-here with the hours?

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The skill set you have accrued working on-air can open lots of doors elsewhere, especially because you are a local brand. Here are 18 options, most of which I, personally, have exploited. Which of these fit you?

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “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

Monday Memo: “Cart This Up”

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

Talk host: Hot-key this SFX: stopwatch – TV’s iconic “60 Minutes” sound – 60 seconds of tick-tick-tick, then some sort of time’s-up sound. Play it underneath callers who vehemently disagree with you, or each other.

By giving them uninterrupted time, you will seem more welcoming than rude controlling caricature hosts. (The most compelling shows are those that sound nearly-out-of-control.)

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If the caller’s beef is with you, you’ll likely “win,” because even the most PO’d caller can’t fill the allotted :60.

Another SFX: tap dancing. Play this underneath callers or sound bites of newsmakers who sound like they’re on-the-spot… or under interviews that sound humorously all spin.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “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

Monday Memo: Behold the Radio Unicorn!

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imGot young local radio news talent? CONGRATULATIONS, for five reasons:

1. They’re young, which our 100-year-old medium NEEDS.
2. Streaming and satellite competitors don’t do local.
3. Radio is still #1 in-car. And in-home again, via smart speakers.
4. As listeners wonder “What NEXT?” news has their back.
5. Talent is acquired. Hire attitude, train skills.

Just DOING local news makes you special, especially if your AM/FM competitors don’t. Six tips for taking it to the next level, and making your station more habit forming:

— Make this hour’s newscast sound different than last hour’s. A particularly clever turn-of-phrase can come back to haunt you the second time a listener hears that version. The little voice in their head says, “I already heard that.”
— Lead with the latest. Avoid telling the story in chronological order. Is there some detail that can top this hour’s version? “A third shift of state troopers has joined the search for little Sarah Johnson…”
— Write as though you were telling the listener face-to-face. The police posted: “Anyone who has seen a car matching that description is asked to contact the police.” Rewrite to say, “If you see that car, call the police.”

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— Less is more. Long sentences can make it difficult for the listener to follow the story and understand the information. Emulate your network’s writing style. Write for the ear. Avoid using too many adjectives and adverbs.
— But don’t leave out verbs! “The woman’s husband arrested the wounded man taken to the hospital.” Huh?
— Highly recommended: “Writing Broadcast News Shorter, Sharper, Stronger” by Mervin Block (expensive on Amazon, FREE on Google Books).

Time Spent Listening is still the ballgame. Specifically, we want to add occasions of tune-in, which is easier than extending duration-per-occasion. Translation: There is very little we can do to keep someone in a parked car with the key on Accessories.

So be known for knowing. Benefit-laden imaging will earn you the information reputation that keeps listeners coming back again and again, “for a quick update.” And user-friendly copy points will be more effective than the boastful station-centric way many news promos sound.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up” and “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

Monday Memo: Double-Check Baseball Sponsors’ In-Game Copy

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

Spots that crow “Baseball is back!” were real welcome in April… and sound real OLD by now.Even if that’s not a copy point, can you freshen the client’s pitch? Simply asking sends-the-message that you’re on-the-ball… and you didn’t wander away once the deal closed.

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And buy ‘em some peanuts and Cracker Jack. Every time we’ve taken advertisers up to the radio booth in a Major League Baseball park, they felt like VIPs. Do selfies with the announce team and that breathtaking view in the background, and they’ll show EVERYONE.

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  “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn

Industry Views

Severe Weather is The New Normal

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

imToday, consultant Holland Cooke writes, “With 850-plus confirmed 2024 tornadoes – just halfway through the season – each night’s network TV newscast can make you “thankful that we don’t live THERE…”  And with more gnarly weather on the way this week across much of the USA, he reckons that, “regardless of your format, your station can be the weather button that listeners will push, and advertisers can sponsor.” And he suggests a tactic proven over 80 years ago. Read it here.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: WHY Are You Podcasting?

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imBecause you can? Because you aren’t doing AM/FM radio? Because you are on radio, but can’t-do-there what you can-do podcasting? Because you are making money podcasting?

Podcasters I help must first survive a conversation about WHY. “It’s a success…if…” WHAT?

Wired magazine co-founder Kevin Kelly reckons that “a creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, video maker, or author – in other words, anyone producing works of art – needs to acquire only 1,000 true fans to make a living.”

Devour these four pages he wrote – a genuine whack-on-the-side-of-the-head – and the structure for my coaching: http://getonthenet.com/1000TrueFans.pdf

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What you read there may change how you approach the podcast you’re doing… or nudge you into podcasting if you don’t. As does the Edison Research 2024 Infinite Dial survey. Here’s that download, and a cautionary video from TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison: http://getonthenet.com/podcasting.html

Next Monday is Memorial Day here in the USA, so I’ll be back here on “…the third of June.” If you work mornings, this is my last column you will see before your show that day, so make a note in your bumper file: Bobbie Gentry, “Ode to Billy Joe.”

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “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

Monday Memo: A.I. Cannot Do This Commercial

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imActor Hugh Grant’s Tweet called it “The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley.” He was reacting to Apple’s TV commercial depicting a hydraulic press crushing a piano, a record player, paint, books, cameras, and other creative tools Artificial Intelligence emulates, via the new iPad Pro.

With many now fearful that technology will obsolete their jobs, Apple yanked the spot: “We missed the mark with this video and we’re sorry.”

Following my recent column cautioning how ChatGPT-generated ads can be cliché-riddled, several TALKERS readers have sent me even more of the cringe-worthy catch-phrases (“And much more!”) that reduce too many ads to blah-blah-blah.

Various vendors are offering – and, increasingly, stations are using – Artificial Intelligence apps to script, and even voice, commercials. It’s a time-saver alright, but is the output compelling?

In some cases, there’s a fill-in-the-blanks form. Other apps crawl the prospect’s website for copy points. When I’m given demonstrations, I suggest a business I’m familiar with. And I’ve yet to hear a script that captures what makes the business special.

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For one such demo,’ I chose a restaurant we frequent often, here on Block Island. The copy generated was painfully generic. So – to make the point – I went old-school, using the method that has consistently produced results for client stations and in my freelance work.

My video describing the process “Radio Advertising, In Their Own Words” includes several examples… and here’s another.

The AI robot cannot possibly feel-the-feel anyone who has dined there knows… and can’t spot this opportunity: The chef himself is a story, as entertained customers discover: http://getonthenet.com/TheBarn-BrianHebert-1.mp3

And here’s The Free Prize Inside: People tell advertisers who appear in their spots, “I heard you on the radio!”

More work than simply plugging-into an AI app? You bet. The interview from which I excerpted the sound bites you’ll hear took all of five minutes, and I voiced and assembled the spot in under half an hour.

Everything we do is storytelling.

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  “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: Cliché Alert!

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imRatings – and advertisers’ results – reward what listeners remember, what sticks-out, not clichés that blend-in. So, avoid blah-blah-blah such as…

“on tap for…”

Instead of “…and more sunshine on tap for Sunday,” say “…and more sunshine Sunday!” 

“The best _____ around” or “the best _____ in town.”

Commercial copy Styrofoam. “The best wings?” Say WHY, in a way that makes the listener salivate.

“conveniently located”

Zzzz… 

“weaponized”

The word itself has been weaponized. It’s talking-about-talking.

“spot-on”

Translation: What you expressed affirms my predisposition. Talk radio is more interesting, and habit-forming, when sparks fly. So, pique curiosity. Have your screener move callers who disagree to the head of the line.

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“Too clever by half.”

Measured how? Not self-explanatory, this is distracting. And it always sounds condescending. 

“all-important”

As in “let’s check that all-important forecast,” often heard when weather is severe or changing quickly. Rookie stuff. If it’s important, get right to it.

“In this day and age…”

‘Makes you sound like an immigrant from the 20th Century, speaking with an accent. 

“THAT’S the $64,000 question.”

From a TV show in the 1950s, when $64K was big money. 

“shuttered.”

If something closed, say “closed.”  Listeners don’t say “shuttered” in conversation…which is where we want to end up.

“unmitigated gall”

“in any way, shape, or form”

And on THAT note…kidding…

“Period, full-stop.”

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “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

Monday Memo: It’s Artificial Intelligence

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imI asked ChatGPT: “Vendors are now offering radio stations a service that delivers advertising commercial copy generated by AI. Because AI draws from what’s already been done, this risks sound-alike scripts. Is there a list of commercial clichés users should instruct AI to exclude?”

Instantly, the robot replied: “While there isn’t a definitive list of commercial clichés, as they can vary depending on industry, audience, and cultural context, here are some common examples to consider instructing AI to avoid:

1. Don’t miss out!

2. Limited time offer!

3. One-of-a-kind deal!

4. Act now!

5. For a limited time only!

6. Unbeatable prices!

7. Revolutionary product!

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8. Best in class!

9. Cutting-edge technology!

10. Guaranteed satisfaction!

11. Change your life today!

12. Once in a lifetime opportunity!

13. Hurry, while supplies last!

14. Get yours today!

15. New and improved!

These are just a few examples, and there are many more clichés that could be included in such a list. It’s also important to consider the specific audience and context when identifying and excluding cliches from AI-generated advertising commercial copy.”

Skynet has become self-aware. 

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  “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn.

Industry News

NAB Show: Navigating the Podcast Advertising Landscape

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imYesterday’s column outlined techniques that will make podcast interviews click. And here are my notes from another NAB Show session, about podcast advertising. Panelists included agency people who spend LOT$ advertising in podcasts.

Glenn Rubenstein, CEO, Adopter Media: “Don’t over-stuff your ad breaks.”

Sean King, SVP/GM Media & Entertainment, Veritone: Ads from radio DON’T work. “Podcast listeners really connect to their hosts. So, these ads are viewed more like recommendations from a friend.”

Saying “ads are content too,” Krystina Rubino, GM Right Side Up spoke of “an inherent, very close relationship between the host and the audience. Don’t over-script the ads. The vast majority of podcast ads that are working are host endorsements.”

In Q+A, I asked “What can podcasters learn from broadcasters?” Krystina noted a podcast faux pas: “reading an ad like they’ve never seen the copy before.” 

MORE on podcasting 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  “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn.

Industry Views

NAB Show: Directing Real People on Camera

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant 

imIf you’re looking to jump-start – or optimize – your video interview technique, this session alone was worth the trip to Las Vegas. Washington-based video content strategist/producer/interviewer Amy DeLouise and cinematographer/gaffer Anne Saul delivered a soup-to-nuts “Boot Camp” session to an overflow crowd.

For the decks, hit AmyDeLouise.com, click Slide Decks then Real People Boot Camp, parts 1 and 2. You can devour an impressive tutorial of production techniques, including specifics about equipment and how-to-use-it.

Even if you’re just doing radio or podcast interviews, Amy offered some useful tips:

“Nervous Speaker Technique”: Before the interview, chat ‘em up, perhaps asking for a personal anecdote, i.e., “Why did you decide to become a _____?” If you are shooting video, do the B-roll and walk-and-talk shots first. Then, when they’ve gotten used to you and the set-up, start the interview. “Worst case: Let them take a break, ‘Go do some emails,’ then resume in 20 minutes.”

“The Contradict Me Technique”: Because “some speakers are very reserved, they won’t show emotion unless they feel they need to correct your misunderstanding.” So, bait them: “Isn’t A.I. just a gimmick?”

“The Shorter Answer Technique”: Some speakers have a LOT to say,’ so Amy says let them get it out of their system, THEN ask “How would I explain this to my children?”

“Two Do-Over Techniques”: If you want to re-ask a question, fib: “The part about X was really great. But we had a little bit of noise, do you mind if I ask you that one more time?” Or “lean in as if you didn’t quite hear the answer, and they will repeat it;” a ploy which “only works for the last part of what they said.”

“The Finish My Sentence Technique”: Amy says “When all else fails, ask ‘Finish this sentence: The biggest value we bring at ABC Company is…’” 

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  “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “Confidential: Negotiation Checklist for Weekend Talk Radio.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn.

Industry Views

Monday Memo: At This Week’s NAB Show?

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imThank me later for these Blackjack tips, based on many convention years’ experience, sometimes painful:

— Loiter, looking for a new shoe, then sit-out the first hand. If no Aces appear, grab a seat.

— If no Aces appear in the second hand, up your bet.

— Decline Insurance, statistically a sucker bet.

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— No matter WHAT the dealer is showing, ALWAYS-ALWAYS split Aces and 8s.

— Stand, Hit, Split, or Double-Down on-the-assumption-that the dealer’s hole card is a 10.

— If you’re dealt a hard 17 or higher – or A,8 or A,9 – or 10-10 – always Stand.

— Those “free” drinks they bring get REAL expensive if you’re losing while waiting for your refill.

— The shoe can be kind… or cruel. Keep playing as long as you’re winning… but DO NOT think of winnings as “playing with their money.” It’s yours. If you lose two consecutive hands, bug-out.

Safest bet in ‘Vegas? DON’T. And DO-tell if you’d like to grab a cuppa cawfee if you’ll be there for NAB.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “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

Monday Memo: The Irresistible Offer

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imHaving written thousands of commercials and promos, I’ve become a copy connoisseur. And, admittedly, a tough grader when it comes to delivery. Sell me and you’re good.

So, all four flight attendants caught my ear as I flew to/from a radio conference in Hawaii. The pitch came toward the end of 10+ hours each way nonstop Boston/Honolulu; and aboard the quick hops to/from Kauai.

They sounded neither sing-songy, as though they were reading; nor falsely enthusiastic. That alone impressed me. Thirty years ago, I scripted such announcements – and coached flight attendants – when I programmed 3 live USA Today Sky Radio channels aboard Delta, United, and Northwest Airlines. Back to the future…

They were hawking the Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard, which, already having a wallet full of plastic, I didn’t need. Each dollar spent earns a Hawaiian Mile (double miles for restaurant purchases), which would be tempting if I wanted to visit again. But I wasn’t sold… yet. I had been to Hawaii once before, on vacation, and only went this second time for business. Travelogue here recently explains that we East Coasters have quicker paths to paradise.

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Typically, these affinity cards come with a signing bonus. Another one I have awarded 20,000 points if I used it to make at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days. So, I smiled when these flight attendants emphasized that – using the promo code on applications they were handing out – I could quickly earn 80,000 miles, a bonus “you won’t see if you sign-up online.”

And as an announcement aficionado, I noted how all four recited this line verbatim: Unlike other cards that ask $1,000 or more purchases to qualify, “Just buy a cup of coffee or a pack of gum, and you’ve got 80,000 Hawaiian Miles.”

And they explained that 80K was enough for a free round trip from Boston or New York to Honolulu, or TWO round trips from a West Coast airport… DARN tempting… if I ever want to go back to Hawaii. Still not sold.

The clincher? I can also use those miles on JetBlue, which services my home airport, Providence, and flies to the Bahamas. SOLD. And my first purchase was indeed for a cup of coffee, and I did get the 80,000 miles. So, this is my restaurant card now.

Every time I’ve told this story in a client station sales meeting, at least one rep says, “Spell that all out again?” and starts writing. Successful sellers anticipate and address objections as well as that inflight announcement. Ditto commercial copy you craft for local retailers. Welcome aboard.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “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

Monday Memo: April Fool!

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imPick a day, any day. At least one news item will have the little voice in your head hollering “TELL me you’re kidding!” After recent headlines, and as various plots thicken, that little voice might need a lozenge.

In olden times, DJs’ and hosts’ April 1 on-air shenanigans would amuse and/or upset listeners. Some of these gags cost jesters their jobs. Expect less of that today, as the local talent ranks have thinned. Maybe A.I. DJs will come up with something.

As cutbacks were cascading on April 1, 2008, my gallows humor headline was: “Farid himself now voice-tracking True Oldies, using on-air name Fred Soulman, as staff cuts force management on-air. The Mystery Oldie-of-the-Day winner gets 1,000 shares of Citadel stock or $1,000 cash, whichever is less. APRIL FOOL!”

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Back to the future: Many surviving jocks and talkers and newscasters have something in common, what consultants call “word economy.” It’s never been more important than during these dizzying days, but it’s nothing new. All along, those who took only 7 seconds to make a point seemed to be more successful than those who took 17 seconds. When I was a DJ, I stole a line from WABC’s Dan Ingram, who intro’d the Elton John song, “Someone Shaved My Wife Tonight.”

If you’re spinning the hits, streams are spinning more of ‘em, without eight-unit stopsets. So keep it moving. Doing news? Listeners are wondering “What NEXT?” and if you’re telling them, succinctly, they’ll find you helpful and habit-forming. Hosting a talk show? Understand that every other media experience listeners favor is interactive. Busy caller traffic (something local advertisers notice) lets you own topic du jour.

And whether you’re a DJ, news person, or host: Every…single…minute…someone just got in the car. Reset frequently-enough that they’re up-to-speed.

But don’t take my word for it. Being April Fool’s Day, I’ll let these funsters (some immortal) demonstrate this word economy I preach:

“I saw a bank that said ‘24-hour banking,’ but I don’t have that much time.”

— Comedian Steven Wright, my Block Island neighbor

“When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.”

— Rodney Dangerfield

“I was going to have cosmetic surgery until I noticed that the doctor’s office was full of portraits by Picasso.”

— Rita Rudner

“I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.”

— Groucho Marx

“I hate housework. You make the beds, you do the dishes, and six months later, you have to start all over again.”

— Joan Rivers

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “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

Monday Memo: Remember “The Book?”

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imBefore the bound copy arrived – at which point all work stopped – Arbitron would send “Advances.” Even those topline numbers ground things to a halt, and had some PDs doing cartwheels, others out on the ledge. ‘Seems quaint now.

Back to the future: Measurement is continuous in bigger markets; and Nielsen Audio surveys other rated markets twice a year, and that Spring 2024 survey begins Thursday. But don’t tense-up. Nothing changes the day the survey begins. Radio listening is habit, earned before the sample is polled.

So even if your station doesn’t subscribe, figure that we’re all in Continuous Measurement mode, and do the 5 things that play the ratings game by its rules:

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1. Promote off-air, reminding existing listeners to keep coming back; and asking those who don’t to give you a try. It’s common for stations that do still promote off-air to show billboards and run TV spots JUST as “The Book” begins. Smart stations shopped smarter, when media were on-sale in January, inviting the sampling then that could be habit by now.

2. Keep ‘em listening longer each time. Just a few more minutes could earn another Quarter Hour of listening credit, although there’s little we can do to keep someone sitting still in a parked car. So…

3. Get ‘em back more times per day (“vertical maintenance” in consultant-speak); and…

4. Get ‘em back more days per week (“horizontal maintenance”); and…

5. Be more memorable, since ratings are a memory test. It is well-worth every effort to be as helpful and relevant and self-explanatory as possible. Tip: “You” and “your” are magic words. And be considerate. Listeners are mentally busy. Boil-it-down.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “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

Monday Memo: Happy Campers

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

imFor spring break this year, Sarah and I revisited Sandals Grand Bahamian all-inclusive resort – NOT inexpensive, and very worth it. We’ve already booked same-week-next-year, and we think we know who we’ll see there then.

Among those we chatted-up at beach bars: Owner of a HVAC service company in Iowa. He arrived ahead of 16 employees and +ones (“the other 16 are back there keepin’ the heat on”). And get this: He said that, for some, it’s their first airplane travel. And they land in Nassau! WHAT a boss, eh?

Another business owner we met topped that! He had 38 inbound next-day for a long weekend. To qualify for this “President’s Club” trip, those 19 reps each moved a million dollars of product in 2023.

“Selling what?” I had to ask. “All the things nobody wants to buy,” he quipped. His company is a rack jobber, meaning it has agreements with retailers to display and sell products in-store. Think cigarette lighters and the thousand other items you see at gas stations and convenience stores.

Going right into Larry King mode, I learned about those sunglasses that retail for $19.99. He buys ‘em by the palette, 19 cents each. And when I asked “What was HOT 2 years ago, and is NOT now?” he replied, without hesitation, “masks.”

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He caught my ear when he used the term “liberal” to describe regions. In talk radio, that’s a political term. But the way he used it reflects Michael Jordan’s famous quote, “Republicans buy sneakers, too.” Like politics, commerce is regionalized. And he spoke in practical terms: Phone charger cords sold in the northeast are predominantly iPhone-compatible. “Get much-south-of New York,” and Android cords are also popular.

Contributing to inflation: Pre-pandemic, the usual business model was that the store paid for what his company delivered. Some clients were big-enough to change that, to paying-upon-SALE, which bar codes enable. So, the rack jobber is on-the-hook for “inventory shrinkage” (shoplifting and pilferage). But the arm-wrestling continues… and at least 19 reps are winning.

Heading for our final-night-there dinner, we passed the President’s Club reception in a VIP area; and next morning at breakfast, we spotted President’s Club T-shirts. We expect to see more next year, because, as the boss winked, “those wives want to come back!” and they tend to be supportive of long workdays in the meantime. 😉

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of  “The Local Radio Advantage: Your 4-Week Tune-In Tune-Up,” and “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.