Beyond Frequency

Follow The Leader - Obama Mobile

I have been extremely vocal from his first speech launching his candidacy of my support for now President Obama. My respect for his jumped up a few more notches over the past few weeks as he fought to keep his Blackberry and succeeded.

To me, it is not just the fact that there is a president who is as tied to technology as I and millions of citizens are, but the fact that his 'need' puts him on a similar mind-frame as us.  I can relate.

For the radio broadcast industry, if the leader of the our country feels strongly enough about his smartphone to force a change in Washington DC, then they should embrace the platform.  Companies like Nobex, Flycast, Pandora, Slacker and others have shown the way so the stations do not even need to build from scratch, just leverage the intellectual property that exists by connecting with theses companies or the many others that pop up.

For the broadcast industry, the Obama campaign, transition and presidency should be nothing short of a public sector slap to their face.  For my entire life, the media has always led the government in innovative ways to communicate with and inspire the public.  It is safe to say that Obama's team created a platform that simply blows the radio broadcasters out of the water when all of the components are put together.

Mobile media, SMS, social networks, YouTube were all employed by the Obama team but not just as props; as integral pieces of a communications strategy that relied on the feedback of the participants in order to work.  It invested the users directly in the process and, as a result, made a resilient, expansive, cost-effective grass roots movement that will now help the team govern.

My friend Mark Ramsey has gone into impressive detail over the years about the future potential of radio.  I am as optomistic as he is, but unless the broadcasters look at the environment holistically and not as a bunch of gagets; until they truly involve the listeners in the communication process and not just engage in one-sided dialogue, the assets will end up a part of the "bad bank" or just paper in the trash can.

Interactive Radio & Mobile Phones - The Road We Are On

Wired recently posted an interesting article in their blog network.

Some key points from it include:

AOL Radio, imeem, Flycast, Last.fm, Omnifone, Pandora,  SeeqPod,  Shoutcast, Slacker and others already deliver interactive radio to the cellphone that's so good, it's finally a feasible replacement for the occasionally tedious task of keeping your portable music collection fresh.

That's one reason why, in the immediate future, interactive radio will have a better chance of taking over mobile music market share than on-demand streaming or over-the-air download services. Another is that after ten or so years of moving away from programmed music, people are happy to let someone else do the work for a change. We could be moving towards a future when finding music in an online music store or file sharing network, downloading it, then sideloading it onto a portable will be come to seen as a waste of time.

With that in mind, here are five ways the cellphone will change the way you listen to music:

1.      Yes, interactive radio on your phone can replace your MP3 player on some days

2.      You'll pay for music in subtle ways

3.      The streaming services you customize for your phone will spread to other areas of your home

4.      You'll still use an MP3 player from time to time, but it will have cellphone-like features

5.      Music blogs will program internet radio stations

Broadcast radio has a large opportunity in this space because they do have the content and the personalities; but that opportunity is quickly disappearing to more nimble companies with a better view of the listener-programmer relationship.

I am not sure that I agree with all of the points below exactly as Mr. Van Buskirk writes, but #1 and #5 certainly resonate with me.  Take, for example, the quick playlist that I put together below, compiled from existing songs played at low levels on radio.

 

The decision to play or not play songs should, frankly, not solely be in the hands of the program directors and music directors but directly incorporate social feedback from the listeners.  When I see growing networks like Blip.FM (Twitter meets Last.FM), I see the future of programming and feedback. 

The fact is that broadcast radio can be a platform for future entertainment if the owners, programmers and managers allow their view of programming to change and expand. I have spent years staring at radio data (music & ads) and seen that consumers are losing their connection to the local brands simply because those brands have lost touch with them.

Indie 103.1 Going Online Only - Bad Indicator For Broadcast Radio

I am one who believes that the distinction between broadcast radio, internet radio and mobile radio will disappear in the near future.  From a consumer point of view, the purpose is the experience the best content possible where, when and how they want.

It is with that in mind that the statements from LA-based Indie 103.1 host Steve Jones about the the complete lack of originality on the LA airwaves should send a strong message to the industry; not that they need one given the direction of revenue. 

The fact is that Indie 103.1 was the most original commercial radio station in the market and they felt that the outdated, antiquated method of measuring audience combined with the fear from PDs and MDs in the market to play anything more than Brittany and Puffy has brought the market down.

I agree. 

So they went online where originality could survive, which brings down the industry a little bit more.

Take a look at the table below where we show the top 30 songs played on 103.1 over the past 4 weeks...few of the other stations in the market even touch that music.  

With the obvious exception of KCRW which exists at its own level of excellence, the stations are losing listeners because their content simply does not capture the listeners, nor do the station allow the listeners to truly interact with each other or the station.  It is amazing ot me that they all cry poverty because the listeners are going elsewhere followed by the advertising dollars when the trends are just so obvious that a better connection to music discover and a more inclusive methodology can help. 

The listeners know where to find original music and stations willing to play it...online, which is now where they will find KDLE/KDLD.

The connection between dwindling revenue and static content is clear. Stations need to listen to the listeners and get them involved in the process of music selection and direct interaction so you are playing what they want.  Otherwise, the floor will continue to drop.

Vacations & Getaways - Get Radio & Travel In Sync

Mediaguide calls the Philadelphia region home and I was fortunate enough to be invited to a marketing strategy session hosted by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism & Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) yesterday.  They gathered leaders of hotels and hotel associations from the city and region as well as a few marketing and advertising professionals to discuss 'who' and 'where' ideas for attracting visitors to our city. 

It was a very interesting session with some extremely talented people and it was great to see a quasi-public entity and the private businesses working together to address city and regional issues.

One of the topics we discussed centered around the difference between a 'vacation' and a 'getaway'.  The difference is a matter of perspective.  Baltimore or New York may be a 'getaway' for a Philadelphia-resident like me, but would probably be a 'vacation' for a family who lives in Phoenix or San Francisco.

With that in mind, the fact that the hotel & gaming industry revenue has dropped by 5-25% over the past year depending on the market and our current economic near future is in crisis; making both 'vacations' and 'getaways' more elusive, I was curious as to where various industries within the Travel category advertised on radio in 2008.

I looked at 4 segments of the Travel Category for 2008, Hotels/General Resorts, Tourism Promotion, Bed & Breakfasts and Casinos.

Except for the Bed & Breakfast category, the Top 10 markets receive the smallest share of radio advertising.  I would attribute this to the fact that those in the travel industy believe that regardless of whether a large US city is a 'vacation' or a 'getaway', it is an interesting destination for citizens in smaller cities. 

That may be true, but it should not mean those of us in larger cities would not want to visit other larger cities and would like to know what is there to do that is different than home. 

I would argue that in a down economy the local radio advertising in each of these categories should be more evenly split and the creatives should really drive us to websites for deeper information on the unique attributes of the city, large or small. 

With both the travel and radio industries looking for revenue, creating ad packages that offer a clear connection between radio-based introductions and web-based information with high-value offers for local travel could benefit everyone.

Mediaguide On Marketing Charts - Weekly Top 10 Brands On Radio

Mediaguide Supports Griffin For Interactive Radio On iPhone & IPod

Griffin Technology Announces FM Radio Experience for iPhone and iPod

Navigate Inline Controller Receives FM Radio and Allows Users to Control iPhone and iPod While They Are Stored Safely Away

iFM App for iPhone and iPod touch Gives Users Direct Interaction with Radio; Controls FM Radio From Navigate

SAN FRANCISCO, MACWORLD 2009 – JANUARY 6, 2009 – Griffin Technology Inc., creator of all things iPhone and iPod, today announced the availability of its Navigate inline controller and iFM app for iPhone and iPod touch. Navigate delivers FM stereo radio and offers a remote control for any recent-generation iPod or iPhone model. The iFM app can be used as a companion to any FM radio to display song titles, program information, etc.

Griffin’s Navigate and iFM App work wonderfully as standalone products, but when paired together, iPhone and iPod touch enthusiasts have an unparalleled FM radio experience. The iFM app works as a touchscreen interface for Navigate’s FM radio tuner and displays detailed song information.

“We are presenting broadcast radio to our users in an entirely new way,” said Paul Griffin, founder of Griffin Technology. “Furthermore, by leveraging Mediaguide’s airplay metadata, people can easily attain info for all their favorite audio content.”

“We are pleased to provide Griffin Technology with real-time information within the iFM app,” said Michael Morin, SVP Sales and Business Development for Mediaguide, Inc. “Users can now accurately see on their iPhone or iPod the content playing around the country on 2,550 stations in 150 U.S. markets.”

The iFM app for iPhone and iPod touch brings together radio programming and Internet-accessible metadata to provide a comprehensive media stream. The application identifies a listener’s geographic location to deliver a tuning menu with local radio stations, or the user may select their city from a list – finding available stations while traveling has never been easier. Listeners will even be able to bookmark songs for purchase on the iTunes Music Store.

As a standalone accessory, Navigate – with its built-in FM tuner – works with both iPod and iPhone to deliver Play, Stop, Pause, Forward, Backward and Scan controls, as well as access to album and artist listings, playlists, shuffle modes and EQ settings. It allows users to tuck their music devices out of sight while still retaining access to its controls. The integrated OLED display mirrors info from the iPhone and iPod, so viewing content such as track time and song titles is easy, even with the device placed in a pocket or backpack.

Navigate Inline Controller Key Features

• Compact and lightweight remote control and radio for iPhone and iPod
• FM radio receiver with RDS and station presets for iPod and iPhone
• Built-in two-line OLED display provides content and navigation information
• Integrated clip attaches to straps or belts

iFM Application Key Features

• Provides content information for over 2,550 stations nationwide using Mediaguide’s real-time data
• Displays title, album and artist for audio content currently playing
• When paired with Navigate, iFM works as a touchscreen control interface
• Listeners can bookmark songs for purchase on the iTunes Music Store.

Pricing and Availability

Griffin’s Navigate, $59.99, is now available at major retailers and on Griffin’s website. Griffin’s iFM application will be a free download from the iTunes App Store in March ’09.

About Griffin Technology
Griffin Technology has earned a reputation as the creative leader in ingenious peripherals and accessories for Mac, PC, iPod and iPhone. Find out more about Griffin's entire range of products at www.griffintechnology.com.

About Mediaguide
Mediaguide, which was jointly formed in 2002 by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), has developed, operates and licenses proprietary audio and video fingerprint technology and monitors over 2,700 college, non-commercial and commercial radio stations for music, advertisements and speech. The company provides the most comprehensive, accurate, timely and reliable airplay data products for advertisers, broadcasters and content owners. Learn more about Mediaguide at www.mediaguide.com.

Follow The Leader? Auto & Finance On Radio

As we leave one of the most tumultuous economic years in modern history, I wanted to take a look at the use of radio by two of the hardest hit sectors, Auto and Finance. 

The forces acting up each of these industries is far beyond this blog, but one impact of their turmoil is on advertising and marketing.  As industries that rely heavily on local customers, radio serves as a good indicator of their health but I was curious as to which moved more, how they moved together and which one made changes to their radio efforts first.

Auto and Finance have quite a lot of sub-sectors so for the purpose of this post I am just going to look at Domestic Auto Dealers and Banks & Credit Unions.

The chart below shows an index of radio advertising starting January 1, 2007 through December 15, 2008 by week.  The index compares the number of ad plays for the given week against the average for the entire 102 week period.

This is just a quick visual analysis of our data and you can see though they generally trend together over the 2 years, the Dealers are much more volatile both on the high and low ends.  In fact, it was not until this most recent winter that Banks exceeded the Domestic Dealers at all for any extended period of time.

I guess having bailout money in the bank helps quite a bit on the ad front. 

I am just presenting our data here, not yet addressing the 'Why' behind the movements.  We are always looking for the use of our data in deeper analysis, so if you have an interest in statistics, mathematics, econometrics or other quantitative analysis and have a use for deep radio data please contact us, we look forward to working with you.

Top Ad Categories And Brands In December 2008