The statistics continue to scream about how agencies are shifting dollars to digital, and the epicenter of that change revolves around mobile devices and the car.
That’s one of the reasons why I’m excited to make the trek to Silicon Valley next month to participate in ConVergence, a conference I’ve grown to appreciate over the years. Eric Rhoads and his team always do a great job of mashing up radio broadcasters with some of the smartest people in the tech sector.
This year will be no exception as the ConVergence lineup is filled with some great sessions, keynotes, and panels. The enigmatic John McAfee, the iconic Norm Pattiz, and the charismatic Adam Carolla are all set to appear, along with some of the best and brightest from broadcasting to technology.
And not surprisingly, Paul Jacobs is heading up a mobile panel, and I’m moderating a session about the “connected car” – “How Radio’s Automotive Dominance Will Change: What You Need to Know to Take Advantage of Changes on the Auto Dashboard.” As Apple and Google enter the fray, it behooves everyone in radio broadcasting to pay close attention to what’s going on in the “center stack.”
That’s a mouthful, but as JacoBLOG readers and DASH attendees well know, changes in the dashboard are impacting how consumers use media – as well as how they interact with it.
And that’s one topic my panelists will be talking about, including Toby Trevarthen, formerly of aha/Harman, and the guy who pioneered that company’s Quizno’s interactive in-car campaign, along with Pandora sales guru Doug Sterne, automotive journalist and talk show host Alan Taylor, who hosts “The Drive” on the Entertainment Radio Network, and Roger Tsai from Gracenote, another content player in the dash.
Part of the emerging story is related to consumers interacting with ads, whether it’s receiving coupons or a new technology pioneered by XAPPmedia now used by NPR. In this model, drivers will be able to “learn more” about a sponsor (or in public radio speak, “underwriter”).
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These technologies that rely on geolocation, voice commands, and consumer interaction may very well reshape the in-car advertising model, and specifically, radio’s ability to reach out to its audiences in different ways. There is no better “local windshield medium” than broadcast radio, and whether consumers have their hands on the wheel or a Google car is doing the driving, the confluence of radio, advertisers, and drivers will continue to focus on the “center stack.”
But beyond the technology – the geolocation, the algorithms, and all that big data – it starts with trust. And that’s something that’s baked into the NPR model because it’s a unique characteristic that is part of that brand’s DNA. A values-based relationship with an audience is what allows NPR (and all of public radio) to form that bond that tells the consumer that it’s OK to interact with a message because it comes from a trusted source. Our company has done a great deal of the research in this area for public radio, identifying the “halo effect” that provides credibility to the commercials – that is, underwriting messages – you hear on public radio stations throughout the U.S.
Commercial radio may find itself in a different situation entirely, driven by decades of mediocre ads, come-on schemes, lousy PI spots, screaming car dealer ads, and other ploys that have alienated consumers from both a quantity and quality standpoint.
It’s notable that veteran research Mike Anthony has just launched ResearchWorks (marketed by Envision Radio Networks) that will provide research to test commercials for effectiveness.
That’s nothing new for WBEB’s Jerry Lee (far left) who has championed the concept of “engaging commercials” for years, going to great lengths to research and create commercials that are effective for advertisers – as well as the station and those who listen to it. It has to do with the creative approach of course, and as Jerry has learned, commercials that keep blaring the price are “non-engaging,” while those that are intimate and use more than one voice have a far better chance of connecting.
Former Detroit DJ icon and agency head Lee Alan (above right) would tell you that especially when it comes to car dealerships, “Creative is everything.” Most of his spots for car dealers over the years have featured multiple voices, as well as humorous twists to engage listeners and remind them of the who, what, and where of car dealerships – without those tedious price points and hyper-fast disclaimers that ruin the end of most of these spots.
And not to be outdone, Nielsen has released a study penned by Randall Beard, their Global Head of Advertiser Solutions. Beard culled through the TV Brand Effect database of more than 250,000 television commercials to better understand the key elements that make a great ad. Their formula? Storytelling, simplicity, relatable situations, humor, and branding. These are all elements that make up the majority of Lee Alan’s car dealer spots, and they share much in common with Jerry Lee’s efforts.
As we learned at DASH last fall, car dealers are reassessing their marketing strategies, and radio’s ability to delivers results in a environment that is increasingly moving to search and on-demand.
But messaging aside, it is about the medium. Trust plays a role in the consumer equation. The XAPPmedia technology, and others that follow, may work even better for brands that already have an understanding with the audiences they serve.
Commercial and public radio have a great deal in common, of course. They live in the same bandwidth neighborhood and rely on the same broadcast technologies. But in many markets, that’s where the similarity ends.
Winning audience trust by respecting the listener a full 60 minutes an hour goes a long way toward opening the doors to new interactive digital technologies that could be revenue generators for years to come.
We’ll talk about it at ConVergence, of course, and I hope to see you there.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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