A major benefit of the long-term relationships we have with so many audio brands is that we get to look at trends. Lots and lots of trends. By measuring things in a consistent manner year after year and study after study, we get unparalleled insights into how the behaviors, tastes, and perceptions of consumers change … Continue reading Tracking Contemporary Music Trends
Read Full Article »A couple of weeks ago, a nasty stomach bug floored me. I pretty much didn’t get out of bed for a few days. My time in quarantine was spent in the room that has the TV without any bells and whistles. No cable, no satellite, not even streaming. I know, the horror. It does, however, … Continue reading How Quantum Leap Can Accelerate Your Show
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You know a good promotion can drive listening to your radio station. But how can you capture the attention of your consumer when, as Barenaked Ladies sang so poignantly in 1998, “It’s All Been Done”? Although radio contesting is tactical in nature, it can have the benefit of strategic image building if executed correctly. That … Continue reading Using Contesting As Strategic Image Building
Read Full Article »Coleman Insights’ Brand-Content Matrix measures brand and content strength. The goal is to be in the upper right quadrant, at the intersection of strong brand and great content. While we generally share examples of where audio brands fall on the Brand-Content Matrix, today we’ll have a little fun. I’ll demonstrate how this tool can be … Continue reading Nobody Likes Kale
Read Full Article »As we pass the one-year point of the COVID-19 pandemic you may have noticed that the Nielsen audience shares of many Gold-based music radio stations have grown. Some suggest this is the result of a downturn in contemporary music. Others point to this as evidence of an increase in the pace with which younger consumers—and … Continue reading Winning by Embracing Nostalgia
Read Full Article »As we approach the one-year anniversary of the COVID lockdown, it seems everyone has hit the wall of “Zoom Fatigue.” Notice I didn’t say “Google Meet Fatigue” or “Microsoft Teams Fatigue” or “GoToMeeting Fatigue.” The pandemic has left a path of brand destruction, while elevating others–and Zoom certainly fits in the “other” category. How did … Continue reading How Zoom’s Brand and Content Won the Pandemic
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For the past 12 years, Z104.3 has served Baltimore with Top 40 music. Prior to that, the frequency had gone through iterations of formats including Modern Rock, Smooth Jazz, Classic Rock, Classic Hits, and Soft AC. Perhaps 104.3 was destined to return to CHR, a format that flourished when B104 ruled the Charm City from … Continue reading Need a Slogan? Bring the Sledgehammer.
Read Full Article »You have an enemy. You may think you don’t, but you do. Not only is this enemy vicious and unrelenting, you are accompanied by the enemy every single day of your life. The enemy shows up in brainstorming sessions. When you’re writing copy. When you’re live on the air or when you’re recording a show. … Continue reading Your Worst Enemy at Work Is…
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In the past, I have used this blog to write about WVBR, the first stop in my radio career. The station, in Ithaca, New York, has a commercial FM license and is owned by a non-profit corporation consisting of students at Cornell University, where I earned my undergraduate degree. I spent four years as an … Continue reading What I’ve Learned After Six Months of Voice Tracking
Read Full Article »Tell me if any of these things sound familiar. Gourmet hamburgers smothered in chili, guacamole, bleu cheese, and bacon. A funky hotel with cheap beer and Frank Sinatra on the jukebox. Alcohol delivered to your door. Gourmet hamburgers? There’s now a restaurant slinging variations of the classic on seemingly every corner. A funky hotel? Boutique … Continue reading The Legend of Jack Falvey
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