Wednesday, September 25, 2019

30 Sep Wednesday, September 25, 2019

This Week in The Lund Letter:  
>   Worst to First…another case study
>   Become a marketing master
>   Precision pumping
>   Nobody watched the Emmys
>   Podcasts are flying… and other Trends

Lund Case Study: Reversing Lost Audience

The GM called to say his station was in a funk; ratings were declining and advertisers were leaving.  “Doctor” Lund gave the station a physical exam – analyzed the format, music, and talent execution – and made these seven enhancements to spike ratings… making the jump from worst to first:

1.   Became #1 midday with a contest rewarding those who listen at work.  Repackaged programming to be more at-work friendly.  Nielsen’s longest daypart is 8 AM to 5 PM!  Workers have more opportunities to tune to radio, and most people who listen to the radio at work listen all day.

2.   Embraced digital, promoted streaming, developed Amazon Echo and Google Home “how to” videos for the website, launched a new app that allows interaction, and conducted email and texting contesting with geo-fencing.

3.   Cut the music playlist in half, played only the top hits, and cut talent chatter to grow time spent listening.  The easiest way to get more AQH listening is expanding the TSL.  We set this announcer goal: Keep core listeners happy and listening longer.  We set listening appointments by giving listeners reasons to tune in (or tune back in) more frequently.

4.   Stopped calling attention to stopsets with “punch out lines” that gave listeners a reason to tune out, like “We’ll be right back” or “Back in two minutes.”  Created transitions that are seamless and forward-moving.

5.   Constantly said the station name and dial position, 30-40 times an hour, to impact the diary keeper.  Repetition builds recognition.

6.   Reshaped the morning show to be fun, funny, and locally oriented.

7.   Focused on talent basics throughout the day so they can hone their profession.  Worked on interesting content, brevity, idle chatter, and planning ahead.  We improved talent enthusiasm, energy, flow, listener interaction, and content.

In radio royalty, Content is King, Execution is Queen, and Getting Attention (with marketing) is Currency.

Considering a Format Change?

The fall book is in progress. If you’re not satisfied with the format or execution, the Lund team provides a cost efficient evaluation of your station.  We take these steps to derive your best plan of action:

>   Music:  We review your music library, clocks and rotations within your music software, and we conduct a music audit of key competitors.

>   Talent Coaching:  We aircheck your talents and produce coaching reviews.  These focus on format, music, talent performance, energy, formatics, imaging, and station “uniqueness” (Stationality).

>   Action Plan: You receive a comprehensive report, executive summary and Plan of Action.

This Lund Strategic Programming Evaluation provides you with a detailed road map to increased audience.  Contact John Lund for more info!

Lund Programming Clinic: Rules of Great Programming, Part XI

Your station needs cume to generate AQH ratings, and marketing generates cume.  Marketing is both internal (promoting ahead to lengthen TSL) and external (advertising to expand cume).

Here is the conclusion of our marketing and branding rules (continued from last week)…

Marketing Rule #18: Internal marketing is second nature. Effective on-air marketing requires the station maintain contemporary basics.  The station is built on a strong foundation of programming elements like frequent station name mentions, formatics, positioning, presentation, promoting ahead and recycling.  Delivering the station name is habitual, natural, and continuous.

Marketing Rule #19:  Keep the Heat On. On and off the air, the radio station continually works to attract attention and garner new cume.  On the air, the station is a promotion specialist where every contest and promotion has three definite phases:

+   Pre-promotion — Telling the audience that something terrific is coming up.
+   Doing it — Actually staging the promotion, contest, or event.
+   Post promotion – Telling the listener the station did it!  This may be the most important phase, letting everyone know how big, fun, and great the event turned out to be.  In fact, pre-promotion and post-promotion may be more memorable than doing the actual event!

Marketing Rule #20: The station is marketing-oriented. It’s marketed externally to build cume trial, and internally to build reported recall of call letters or station name.  Programming “mechanics” are slick and memorable.  The programming is unique and production sets the station apart from the competition.  The station is highly visible throughout the community and continually gets involved with the audience utilizing “seize the moment” promotions and email blitzes.  Marketing is innovative and aggressive.

We’re in Dallas!

Are you going to the NAB Radio Show in Dallas this week?  So are we!  Let’s set up a brief meeting to further discuss one of the many topics we cover in the Lund Letter that might impact your station, market, or group of stations.  Lund Media provides radio stations with consulting services to grow ratings and listeners in addition to a complete menu of research products including market studies, focus groups, music analysis and guidance.  Contact John Lund for more information. 

Lund’s Top 3:  Improve Your Ratings
  
Use promote-aheads and teach listeners to keep coming back to your station.

1.   Build TSL. Make teasing more effective and give the listener a reason to stay tuned.  Watch the front-sells. A laundry list of artists isn’t as effective as selling one upcoming performer.

2.   Tie the format to listener usage at least once per hour. Teach listeners how to “use” the station – getting up, in the car, at work, driving home, and free time on the weekend.

3.   Sell benefits along with feature names. Begin all liners with the benefit (what’s in it for me!).

For more Top 3 lists, check out www.lundradio.com.

Promotion of the Week: Beat The Pump

Weekdays at 7:35am, a designated caller gets to play “Beat The Pump” to win up to X (typically the frequency of the station) gallons of free gasoline. Once the sound of the pump starts to play, a voice is heard announcing different gallon amounts. Once the contestant says “Stop,” he or she is awarded the next amount of gas to be announced.  A fun way to do remotes would be to award gas to those who can stop the pump on a precise amount on the first try.

Need a Fall Promotion?

Stimulate your listeners with a fresh radio contest or promotion geared to fall.
The “Fall Promotions Guide” outlines over 100 radio programming and sales promotions, contests, sales promotions and show prep ideas.  Get topical promotions geared to 4th quarter – from Back To School to Halloween to Thanksgiving.

This Guide will help make your station sizzle through fall … and help the sales staff lock in new dollars. Click here to order your copy.

Lund Trend Watch:

Game Of Thrones Won; The Emmys Lost

More people live in Tennessee than those who watched the Emmys Sunday night!  Fox’s broadcast of the awards drops 33% from last year to an all-time low, according to Hollywood Reporter. Overnight ratings indicate the show had 6.9 million viewers.  Among adults 18-49, the show pulled a 1.6 rating, which represents 1.6% of the US population in that demo.  If the Emmys were a TV series with 1.6 rating, it would be cancelled.  The host-less broadcast was panned by TV reviewers.  For comparison, NBC’s Sunday Night Football telecast had 16.25 million viewers and a 5.4 rating 18-49.

Podcasts Are Getting Travel Friendly

Airlines are adding podcasts to their in-flight entertainment systems. Hilton Hotel guests will be able to stream live radio, artist-based radio, playlists and podcasts directly through their hotel room TV.  This is part of a new iHeartRadio integration into Hilton’s Connected Room guestroom technology platform.

Guests can use either their Hilton Honors app or the in-room remote to access the free content on their guestroom TV. Guests need only open the app on their TV and press play.  iHeartRadio joins Netflix and Showtime on Hilton’s Connected Room technology, but it’s only in 15 of Hilton’s 5,900 hotels this year.

Trending News On Your Phone

Every day across 20+ TV markets in eight states, thousands of people watch a daily news show on their smartphones. The stories are those that are trending across the country. Reporters join in via Skype, Facetime, smartphone cameras or desktop computers. This service was launched last year by Nexstar, a large TV ownership group.  Nexstar’s Newsfeed Now has generated more than 1.3 million viewers according to TV News Check.

The programming is designed to be watchable, enjoyable, and informative for a regional audience.  The show lends itself to a more TMZ-style newscast.  This is a newscast that viewers can’t get at 5, 6 or 10.  Digital only TV news programming is designed for millennials who tend to not watch conventional TV news.  Is any radio station or group doing this innovative style news?


The Science of Radio Programming/Atlanta, GA Sept. 28

What programming/marketing tools are essential in 2020 for programming a great sounding, top rated station?  This Saturday attend John Lund’s workshop focusing on radio programming basics, formatics, digital necessities and developments, and the future of radio at GABCON in Atlanta.  If you program or manage stations, if you are on the air or you coach air talents, or if you want more listeners – this “Science of Radio Programming” session is for you.


Next week in the Lund Letter: Fertilize Your Ratings.

Thanks for reading
The Lund Letter
We welcome your comments.  Email John Lund … and we look forward to seeing you this week at the Radio Show in Dallas and at the Georgia Broadcasters’ GABCON convention in Atlanta.

About Lund Media

For over 20 years, the Lund Media Group has provided programming, music consulting, operational guidance, and research to broadcast stations throughout North America and overseas. With specialists in every format, the Lund Goal is to help stations get more listeners and keep them listening longer.

Call 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.