Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Lund Letter

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

This Week in The Lund Letter:  
>   Find show prep that matters
>   The best branding advice
>   The importance of a tight focus
>   
Talk to the ad and other media trends

Lund Basics: Smart Show Prep

footballpractice.jpgWhether you are an actor memorizing a script, an athlete practicing before a game or a politician rehearsing for a speech, preparation is the key to success.  In radio, it is a universal truth that show prep is essential for the success of air personalities.  Yet many air talents do not know how to do show prep.  Many fall into a routine of reading lists of celebrity birthdays, historic events for “This Day In History,” weird/dumb things people do, “Hollywood gossip” stories, and give lists of what day it is – like “Drowsy Driver Awareness Day,” “Fresh Tomato Day,” “Caramel Popcorn Day.”   This is not the way to approach show prep as it doesn’t engage the audience.

The smart way for a radio personality to do show prep is first find out what’s on the target audience’s “desk top.”  It’s easier to engage them if you are already delivering content that relates to what’s on their mind.  Secondly, you need to define your angle on the story.  It should be consistent with the radio station’s brand and your brand as an on-air talent.  Below is a guide on the smart way to approach your show prep:

>   Know who your target audience is.  This should be your filter.

>   Browse social media and take notes from observational show prep about what’s trending among your target.  Develop content ideas on what they are talking about.

>   Develop a morning map for your show, highlighting each break where you need content.   Plot content for each break.

songfactslogo.png>   Secure a music log for your show. Use show prep sites like SongFacts.com to gather interesting info about the music you play.

>   Check out your local newspaper and local TV station websites to view their top stories.  Find the major events occurring in your community.

>   Search the internet for compelling audio to use for the content you develop.

>   Call experts to enhance your content.

>   Utilize show prep services to be a catalyst for content ideas.

>   Brainstorm what your angle is and what the angle is for other members of your show.  You want to keep the point of view consistent with your role on the show.

socmedlogos.png>   Mine social media and your website for stories to use in your content.  Your own personal stories are opportunities for you to share your point of view; this builds your connectivity with the audience.

>   The most important essential to your show prep is “What Is Your End?”  You need to identify the resolution.

By having a disciplined approach to show prep, you will surpass your competitors who merely read Celebrity Birthdays, Weird Stories and Hollywood Gossip as you will be engaging the audience with what they are interested in most.

Is Your Music Perfect?

musicscheduling18.jpgPlaying the right songs and managing your software controls are vital to a station’s success.  Lund Media can assist you with a comprehensive music review and software tune-up. We’ll conduct a complete analysis of your active playlist, songs that don’t research well as well as ones that should be played but aren’t, along with rotation levels.  All recommended changes are detailed via email and the phone.

Capitalize on the very thing listeners want most – the best researched music played in the best rotation for your target demo.  For a complete music software analysis and tune-up, contact John Lund.


Lund Marketing:  Branding Essentials

kcbsnewsradio.jpgThere are enough books on branding to fill a library.  Some of the best advice we’ve seen boils the topic down to four points for radio:

1.   Follow the basic tenets of positioning (your message must be unique, credible, and beneficial to the user), and be dramatically different so that the unique angle is graphically clear to the listener.

2.   Keep it simple.  Think about the brands that had staying power in this business like The Wolf, Kix Country, Dependable WOWO, Newsradio KCBS, etc.  If your brand requires an asterisk and explanation, start over!

3.   Get emotional.  It’s the emotional bond with the customer that works.  Think about the users of Apple, Amazon, Google, and Starbucks.  They all make an emotional connection stronger than “today’s hits and yesterday’s favorites.”

4.   Blow up the status quo.  Question the typical radio format slogans and make sure the brand approach connects the target listener to your station.

Be The Brand

goldbrand.jpgDo your listeners and advertisers have a clear image of your stations? Part of Lund Media’s job as consultants is to clarify the message and the programming that supports it. Brand your station and its key benefits to listeners.  Our Branding & Marketing Guide can help.  Right now enjoy special pricing!  Order your copy here.


Lund Case Study

focus19.pngWhen Lund Media first began working with one adult contemporary client, the manager said the primary goal was to reverse the declining ratings.  We interviewed the program director who told us “variety” made his station unique.  His 1200+ song library included several hundred songs in each major category.  But the goal of “variety” was defeated by top researched songs not being played often enough.  When the most popular songs aren’t heard often enough, variety is no longer a strength.  That “logic” results in a declining cume and TSL.

We pointed out that stations with the largest libraries rotating evenly tend to have the lowest ratings.  We worked with the program director and manager to chart a new course – and took a cleaver to the library eliminating half the titles.  As a result, the audience got what it wanted.  Every time someone tuned in they heard a consistent product they knew and loved.  As a result, ratings growth was substantial.  Listeners don’t want a huge playlist populated by stiffs and secondary hits; they want to hear a great variety of their favorite songs.

You gain more listeners with a sharp focus on the product – and how to make it better.  We work with every client to create the best opportunities for growth.  Because each station has a unique situation, we build from that base to create stronger ratings for their market.  There are no cookie cutter formulas, just radio done right!  Contact us at 650-692-7777 or email John Lund.  Let’s discuss how we can help you.

  
Lund’s Top 3:  Becoming (or Staying) Number One!
  
Top3B.jpgYou have a mission! The ratings are on, so becoming #1 (or staying there) is Job One. Here’s what’s needed:

1.   Music is Perfect!  Play familiar music known and loved by the target audience. Own the music imagery position with core listeners and make your station brand unique. Carefully program the music software and hand-edit the music logs daily. Talents talk about the artists and illustrate a shared passion for the music.

2.   Mornings Sound Big. Make the morning show your market’s #1 attraction. It should be unique, fun, and funny with benchmarks that are time markings for listeners to measure their morning routine and progress. Give listeners a reason to smile or laugh with compelling content in every break. You sound local and relatable. Your high profile morning personality stimulates listener talk, gains P1 endorsement, and forces daily listening.

3.   You’re a Marketing Monster!  On- and off-air, work to attract attention, garner new listeners, and recycle old ones to other dayparts (by making appointments). Be a promotion guru with superbly executed contests and promotions. The station is an established brand and frequent users make an emotional connection every time they tune in. Marketing and advertising are ongoing.

Next week – more ways to become (or stay) number one.  Visitwww.lundradio.com for more Top 3’s!

Planning Your State Broadcast Convention?

fullconf.jpgJohn Lund’s positive, fast-moving presentation, “The Science of Radio Programming,” includes training and coaching guidelines, and the basics to grow the audience.  The “Dynamics of Radio News” outlines all the ways to increase local news listenership.  Lund workshops are customized and expanded to meet your members’ needs. Email John Lund for info.


Promotion of the Week: Back-to-School Computer Giveaway

laptop19.jpgTeam up with a computer store to award a PC, Mac or laptop.  A laptop has the best image for students due to mobility.  Ask listeners to go to the store to try their luck at a computer that has a password programmed into it.  Type it in correctly to win; great for on site registration.  You can also consider another device (tablet or smartphone) based on demand in your market.

Do You Need A Great Promotion?

promotionword.jpgOur “Spring & Summer Promotions” Guide outlines every programming and sales promotion you’ll need … for Easter, Mother’s Day, Indy 500, Father’s Day, the Dog Days of Summer, 4th of July, and more.  Over 100 audience-building promotions, contests, sales promotions and show prep ideas will make your stations sizzle right now and through to summer … and help the sales staff lock in new dollars.

Order now and receive this free bonus:  Our new “Promotion & Contest Strategies” with detailed execution guidelines for all of your promotions and contests.   Order here to get both guides.


Lund Trend Watch:


Strong Nostalgia

vinylnostalgia.jpgAlthough streaming increased 9.2% from 2017 to 2018, digital sales of albums and songs fell (18.2% and 28.8%, respectively).  CD sales decreased by 15.3%.  Vinyl sales, however, continued to increase (up 11.9% from two years ago).  Cassette sales also rose; 18.9% over 2017.

Facebook May Pay to Bring You News

facebooknews.jpgA little over a year after Facebook announced it would feature less news (so that people could actually see updates from friends and family in their News Feed), CEO Mark Zuckerberg has let his plans for a “news tab to surface more high-quality news” be known.  Zuckerberg plans to keep it a separate news section and pay contributors for “high quality news.”   The tab would keep the news out of people’s personal feeds and be easy to find for people who want news.  Zuckerberg assures it would be free to users.

Ads Most Receptive at Bedtime

smartphonenight.jpgA survey by mobile ad platform Aki Technologies shows that the activity at the time of viewing has an effect on mobile ad receptivity that varies by generation as well:

+   25% of Generation Z are receptive while shopping; 73% are before going to bed
+   39% of Millennials are receptive while shopping; 63% are before going to bed
+   27% of Generation X are receptive while shopping; 51% are before going to bed
+   15% of Baby Boomers are receptive while shopping; 40% are before going to bed

Talk to the Ad

pandinstreamlogos.pngYou may be able to talk to the ads on Pandora soon.  The streaming company will be testing interactive voice ads later this year.  San Francisco-based ad tech company Instreamatic will run the test.  The voice interactions have two options: skip the ad if it’s not of interest (much like songs on Pandora), or ask for more information about the product being advertised.



Programmer’s Planner:


Through tomorrow: NAB Show in Las Vegascalendargif.gif
Apr 14: Final season of Game of Thrones premieres
Apr 15:  Income Tax Day
Apr 21: Easter
Apr 22: Earth Day
May 1: Billboard Music Awards on NBC
May 5: Cinco De Mayo
May 12: Mother’s Day




Thanks for reading
The Lund Letter
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About Lund Media

The Lund Letter is our way of keeping in touch with professionals in the broadcast community we serve. In it you will find our thinking on a broad range of topics that are as varied as the many services and benefits we provide broadcasters as professional consultants and speakers.

Core Values.  The Lund Letter demonstrates our values.   The basics are the foundation of great radio stations, but we are also experts at digital technology, social media and its benefit to broadcasters, and the science of radio. Producing great radio requires 90% passion and 10% genius; developing superior programming on our clients’ stations (and more audience, ratings, and revenue) is testament to our core beliefs.

The two most important assets of a strategic programming consultant are vision and courage… the vision to see the future and anticipate what must be done, and the courage to stay on course.  We tend to be optimistic because our years of experience consulting and researching media have shown us that what really needs to occur can almost always be done.

Fresh Ideas.  Our mission for each Lund Letter is to share articles that are both interesting and useful to you with the humble hope that you’ll remember us when you have the need for objective and productive assistance.

jclforLL.pngTo oversimplify, we help our clients solve problems. Our clients tell us that we are a valuable and profitable resource. We bring an objective viewpoint, hands-on guidance, and the conviction – born of experience – that great radio can be achieved.

C
all John Lund for more information about how the Lund Media Group can help your stations achieve more listeners, higher ratings, and more revenue.
Phone: 650-692-7777.
Email john@lundradio.com.