The Weekend Classic Rock FM

84° - partly sunny at 2:25pm

Good afternoon from Lansing. A stay-home weekend in our plans. Enough traveling for a little while. And its great to have the kids home from their time in Denver.

Surfing around the web during lunch today:

Your Website: McVay Media's Dave Lange blogs today about ways of making your website just a little more sticky. From Dave:

1. Podcasts - Some stations use them but I bet 90% of you have only 1 or no podcasts on your site.

2. You Tube clips - How much as your station or team posted from station events, guest shots on the morning show, or even just a tour of the station with some pranks from the staff.

3. Collections of morning show bits.

4. Replay the phone calls from your afternoon show.

5. How about a new rock pod cast every week that doesn't air on the transmitter but only on the web with comments on new artists and songs.

6. Maybe a place for local bands to showcase their videos and music complete with reviews and chats.

Dave doesn't mention - but msuci on podcasts might involve additional licensing - but still worth exploring. Dave's complete piece - a great read - here. And some of this material could also be used as stopset filler on your internet stream...lots better than another Ad Council PSA or a pesky P.I. ad.

Meanwhile: Mark Ramsey blogs about non-music content - and as part of his piece talks about value - plus something as simple as labeling:

"Is there a market for the entire podcast of your morning show from February 11, 2008 (for example)? Or is that morning's show so much like every other morning's show that the value of any one episode is diminished and not worth sharing or seeking out?"

"And how do you label such a show, anyway? I may want to find Howard Stern's interview with Pamela Anderson, but not "Howard Stern's show from February 11, 2008."

Good thoughts. Of course as Mark points out, the material has to be worth hearing again too! And someone has to be in charge of selecting the material and getting on the web in a timely manner. Read Mark's complete piece here.

More Alan Mason. Alan promised more the other day and delivers. Check out "There's No Instant Brand" here.

More over the weekend.

Starbucks And Radio

59° - sunny at 7:40am

I've read more than a few articles regarding the troubles Starbucks is having these days. Some of those come from the radio bloggers who note similarities to whats happening in the radio business these days.

For example - consultant Harve Alan asks: "How could this be happening to Starbucks--arguably one of the hippest, coolest, well respected brands ever?" Harve then points to a Reuters article that features some choice consumer quotes:

"Starbucks was a cool brand, and then all of a sudden it's not a cool brand," he said. "There's this new global consciousness that is out there that can suddenly shift." "The people that work there are very pleasant, but the stores are devoid of any kind of real charm or personality," he said. "They push a button, and a machine does everything from grinding the beans to brewing the drink."

As Harve comments on his post, that last line hits home. A DJ just pushes a button and a machine does everything. Ouch.

Its my take that Starbucks simply lost its charm. It simply became too big. Uhhh...way too big when you can drive down a street and see location after location within blocks of each other. Instead of being the neighborhood coffee shop, they became McDonald's. And I haven't thought McDonald's was "cool" since I was six years old.

Digressing just a bit - but I think there's a real need for radio to act small in the eyes and ears of its listeners. Being the hometown station. The neighborhood station. Not the corporate franchise.

Think everything from air talent and content down to listener marketing. Low-key or eliminate the corporate identification on the air (what brand truly matters?) Small. Community. Act like a mom and pop with great resources.

No matter how big you might really be.

Monday Monday - Late Edition

64° - clear at 11:31pm

Listening tonight: In the mail today a CD I ordered from Chicago-based country/rock band "Heartsfield" - and their debut album released in 1973. An album I remember playing to death on the radio when it was new.

Haven't heard the album in 30 years but still was able to sing along in my head as if the words were parked in some brain cells long thought dead. Too cool. Heartsfield is a definite Midwest thing.

Remembering Bo Diddley. Got the news today from a listener email from Buffalo's WGRF/97 Rock. Bo's sound will live forever.

Perception vs. Reality. San Francisco's Ben Fong-Torres clears up some consumer confusion over song repetition on KFOG. A good read here. Tipped by Sean Ross.

Earlier today I posted a line from a recent Alan Mason post that I thought were fantastic. Couldn't post more then - but here's more:

"I also understand that without a strategic reason for doing something, which includes clear differentiation, and a brand that will keep the consumer engaged instead of just listening, you’re probably going to fail. One of the secrets is that clear differentiation makes it easier for the consumer to remember you, and use you. Anything less than a brand relationship create as much loyalty as the many gasoline stations you pass. In the new world order, all those gasoline stations have different names, and some slight variations on “mixology,” but when you go out chances are you’re going to go the statin that’s the cheapest or the most convenient. You rarely build a relationship with a gasoline station any more, since they quit being service stations."

"You might be doing the same thing with your radio station. If you’re pushing people to only use you when the price is the lowest (fewest commercials), or when it’s convenient (already recognized stations), there’s very little chance you’re going to cut through the clutter and become a recognized entity. I’ve even seen stations that spent quite a bit on outside marketing and still fail, because they didn’t cut through the clutter."

Alan's complete post here. Bedtime for Bonzo. More tomorrow.

Riff 2: Made In Detroit

75° - overcast at 11:52am

While doing some work this morning for the day job, I stumbled across this video via Google.

I feel its a great image piece that sends a strong connection to its target audience on at least a couple of levels:


Riff2 is a digital brand extension of WRIF...and I've mentioned some of their past efforts here.

Brilliant!

Back To Work...

-5° (minus 5) - light snow at 11:19pm
left: just daydreaming

Up a little after five this morning to shovel three more inches of the white stuff off the driveway and sidewalks; thats about 9 inches of snow since it started falling New Year's Eve.

I can now scratch "exercise" off my 2008 "to do" list...hehe.

Great piece: Consultant Alan Mason has a great blog; I've mentioned that here before. In his latest post - Alan writes of "brand "harmony". Read here.

Think overall concept between your on-air product, your off-air activities - including your web presence? A great piece to include in your first management meeting of the year.

Who decides/approves final concepts? Who approves where your logo appears outside the station? Who approves what outside charity organizations the station gets behind? A few questions to ponder; I'm sure you can come up with a longer list.

And while we're at it: Take this to your next discussion with your webmaster. Seth Godin via Mark Ramsey on "three secrets to web traffic". Nothing you don't know already - but a reminder to help focus priorities in the coming year. Good stuff.

Classic Rock (on) Shuffle? Tuning around the 'net this past weekend - I heard one classic rock station running jockless during primetime driving/shopping hours; promoting itself as "being on shuffle".

Is this a term ("shuffle") a 35+ classic rock listener relates to?

And would you really want it known that "the computer" is playing all the songs - instead of giving the impression of a "handcrafted" music mix put together by an on-air personality? Just asking.

Perhaps the real reason was to give staff time off; great for the staff - but bad for the product. If anything - voice tracking would have been a better choice...my opinion.

Late Nite Additions: Santa wins. Might be old news now - but Christmas music kicks in Philadelphia and Houston in new PPM numbers released on Monday. WBEB/Philadelphia - already #1 - nearly doubles its 6+ numbers going wall-to-wall holiday tunes.

In Houston - KODA enjoys a hefty cume increase with Santa. Survey period was 11/15-12/12.

Late Night TV: Dave, Jay and Conan are back tonight with fresh shows. Dave with writers....Jay and Conan winging it. Hmmm...what to watch?????