If you need more proof that seemingly everybody wants to do radio, consider this:
The nation’s biggest retailer started their own station a few years ago – and chances are, you’ve never heard of it.
The old days of Muzak in stores – complete with outrageously schmaltzy versions of Steely Dan and Kiss songs, along with pleasant announcements like “Clean-up in aisle 17” or “Price check on register 4” have taken a back seat. These days, it’s about creating just the right in-store ambience for shoppers – and for workers.
If you’re planning on heading into a Walmart over this holiday weekend, take a listen to what’s coming out of their speakers. Unlike most other retailers that hire a service to program music and other messages, Walmart is doing their own thing – and it’s radio. Or a reasonable facsimile.
Simply put, it’s branded as Walmart Radio (obviously WSAM was not available). And it’s a radio station designed for “associates” and other folks who work for the company. Given that Walmart employees number more than 1.5 million workers in the U.S. alone, that’s a potential cume audience the size of Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, or Jacksonville, Florida.
This venture must be returning on investment because earlier this year, Walmart Radio proudly announced the addition of DJs who do live shows during “dayparts” that even Nielsen would find unusual.
“The Bo Show” features Bo Woloszyn and “airs” Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 1-3pm Central.
And “The Night Show with Antonio” is hosted by Antonio Williams on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 4-6am Central.
(You read that right – apparently Walmart associates’ PUMM levels are robust during these hours).
Walmart Radio shows have all the trappings – the guys give out a request line number, they take listener calls, there are jingles, artist IDs, and benchmark features, and they’re on social media – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and yes, TIkTok – all @WalmartWorld.
I have no idea who Bo and Antonio are – and whether they’re the patriarchs of a more complete airstaff that will actually “broadcast” seven days a week. They aren’t especially polished, and could probably benefit from some Zoom time with Steve Reynolds, Randy Lane, Angela Perelli, Tracey Johnson, Mike Stern, or some of the other great talent coaches in our business.
But perhaps it’s better these guys reflect their tribe – the family of Walmart workers who are part of the “essential workforce,” especially during these COVID times. They sound real, and for air talent, that’s an accomplishment.
I’m sure Walmart didn’t use Coleman or Mark Ramsey for a “format finder.” Maybe they sensed their employee base needed a friendly voice during the middle of a cruel pandemic that has put immense pressure on their workers and their families. As we know from our own radio experiences, personalities engender connection and companionship, much needed during COVID, whether you’re home schooling your kid, working at the ER, or toiling in the Walmart warehouse.
Walmart Radio is fun – very much reflective of the vibe exuded on their social media sites. They celebrate associate anniversaries on “Milestone Mondays” and take pride in their employees, stores, and communities – yes, a lot like what a great radio station is supposed to do.
Happy #MilestoneMonday! 🎉 Mary at DC 6001 in Rogers, AR, has been keepin’ it fly at Walmart for 40 years 😎 She shared her decision that started it all four decades ago and her advice for newbies with Heather. Take a look and let’s congratulate Mary on 40 years! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/mht0fPrBjO
— Walmart World (@WalmartWorld) October 13, 2020
Walmart Radio is a tribute to the role personality broadcast radio plays in our lives. Rather than a bland music service with interstitial recorded announcements, Walmart doubled down on the role human beings play in what’s coming out of the speakers.
And Walmart is emulating “real radio” – you can hear it in everything Bo and Antonio say. The “audience” of Walmart workers and these two jocks are very much a part of “the show.”
Even stylized turntable labels on Walmart Radio’s webpage mimic a common radio visual
So when you visit Walmart this season, don’t just be on the lookout for their “Everyday Low Prices.”
Take a listen to the music – and the entertainment – being pumped out of those in-store speakers. They’re doing radio.
Beasley Tampa’s market manager, Steve Triplett, sent me the heads-up about Walmart Radio, and reminded me of this:
“It says so much about the value of live audio content for creating and enhancing the shopping experience. This is exactly what great radio does for life in general.”
Not surprisingly, Walmart is a broadcast radio advertiser. Obviously, their CMO and marketing team appreciate the radio connection.
The nation’s most successful retail operator will gross an estimated $524 billion this year, well ahead of their #2 competitor, Amazon.com. When they decide on a macro, cross-company policy, the business world would be smart to pay attention.
Like signing on a radio station.
And who knows? It’s probably just a matter of time before Walmart Radio launches in-store “collective contesting.”
With a “cume” that big, it would probably work.
You can listen to Walmart Radio here.
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Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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That’s cool. Ages ago in Levittown NY, an indoor flea market took the very same approach and had a jock booth in the center of the action, playing music to the bargain-seekers there. It was a good idea then, its a great one now.
But on the topic of in-store music: Here in Northern Virginia/suburban DC, the Giant supermarket chain – like many others – pipes a playlist of contemporary and familiar music thru its in-store speakers.
Some months ago, I was simultaneously amused and appalled to hear the Ramones’ “I Wanna be Sedated” playing throughout the store. Some forty years ago, we would have been slam-dancing to that song, coming off the dance floor bruised and exhausted. Now it’s become a staple of Soft-n-Easy Housewife Segue City, where 50-somethings mouth the lyrics while comparing brands of fiber powder.
Behold the Power of Music.
Alan, it’s amazing how perceptions (and behavior) changes with the passage of time. Great story about the flea market DJ. Thanks for sharing it.
Not surprising. Radio remains hugely attractive, magical and effective. Everybody wants to get into the act; witness podcasting. Safety first for Thanksgiving!
Thanks, Clark, and have a safe holiday yourself!
They actually had a company wide competition to become DJ’s at WalMart corporate office in Bentonville. WalMart Radio has been a thing for a while, but like terrestrial radio they’ve had shakeups and transitions. At one point they had several AT’s and were largely manned and live, then cuts were made and voices were silenced.
Art imitates life? Or something like that. Thanks, Chris.
Years ago Ted Nugent tried to buy Muzak. When asked why, he said “to turn it off” True story.
Sounds like something the Ted-ster might say. But doesn’t it make you wonder what Muzak could have done with “Stranglehold?”
Their commitment to the product has ebbed and flowed as mentioned in another comment. Back around graduation season in 2019, I was in one of their neighborhood markets and Walmart radio had a two person show and was doing its own countdown. Graduation songs. “Coming in at #10…” The long intro version of “Vogue”. And in that same time period they were also contesting with trivia questions – answers to social media. They would pull a “winner” and announce it back. At the time – fascinating to me their level of commitment to the product.
Steve, I can’t tell you I gave it my usual “deep dive listen.” But I heard indications that this channel isn’t exactly being supervised. As I mentioned in another comment, I wonder who at Walmart “owns” this station, and how they evaluate its effectiveness.
I have multiple jobs in order to pay for the privalege of working in radio, one of which is with a third-party company working inside Walmart. I can truly say, being exposed to their audio daily, it is god-awful. Sometimes better than nothing isn’t true. But, hey, “Thanks for listening and shopping at your local Walmart store!”
Ted, as you can see from how I wrote the post, I didn’t want to get into a critique of the jocks or the station itself. Suffice it to say, it could be a better product. And that brings up another question: how does Walmart measure its effectiveness? Thanks for the note.
I’ve heard Walmart Radio several times in store, the jocks, jingles, “shoutouts” and worker info made me smile how they are using radio to reach their associates. I believe Sonic Drive Ins have or had something similar to set the ambiance at their car hop restaurants.
Interesting, Rob. And if true, not surprised.
This actually reminds me of what a couple of major Australian chains have done (and, I’m pretty sure, are still doing): Coles Radio (for the supermarket chain) and Chemist Warehouse Remix (for the drugstore chain). A couple of differences, though, are that both were also developed for digital radio (DAB+), and that both have involved a partnership with a major broadcaster (Nova and ARN, respectively).
https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/how-coles-came-to-dominate-digital-only-radio-20190814-p52gww.html
I’ve heard from a few readers with similar stories of retailers/chains going the radio route. When Walmart does it, I’m surprised it’s not happening in more places. Thanks for the comment.
The music is repetitive and not kid appropriate at all. If ever I leave my job the music will be a big reason for it. Songs like feel like makin L*ve. To you should not be playing in a store with little kids in it. The shout outs are too Muffled to even hear who they are to or about. I just wish I could wear my own music earbuds.
So do I, so do I.
To my surprise, I heard a Christian song today. Why isn’t more Christian/Gospel music played. Walmart does employ Christians.
Since they did that, I think I should call in and demand they give Satan some equal air time by playing some Slayer, Dimmu Borgir, or Marduk. And not to leave the Atheists out in the cold, they should play some Motorhead too (especially “No Voices In The Sky”, “(Don’t Need) Religion”, or “God Was Never On Your Side” would be great).
The whole idea is awful. Seems to be customers should be the focus, and the last thing we need is someone else yelling inside a WalMart, and music at a decibel level that interferes with conversation. This is like all those annoying people who play videos and calls at a high level in restaurants and other public places. But now it’s sponsored by the retailer!? Lunacy. This will keep me from returning. If I want radio, I will turn on radio (or bring along a podcast with earbuds).
Maybe there’s something to be said for “the customer is always right.”
I think ramming an unsolicited playlist down people’s ears is a form of assault. Especially if it includes entries with disharmonic elements (i.e. Country or Black Metal — I hate the former with a passion and love the latter almost as much as I hate the former, but I am willing to concede that both contain non-melodic elements that prevent them from being classified as true objective music). They should not be doing this. It is rude and disrespectful. Half of the customers are walking around with TWS earbuds in their ears (many associates with hair long enough to hide them are too for that matter). That should tell them something. People are tired of you deciding what they hear a la Clockwork Orange (sure, it’s not like they’re holding eyes open and forcing people to watch movies, but it’s not like ears have lids either). Just stop already. A century from now people will read about this practice and cringe. Just like they do now when they read about the Dred Scott trial. Violating people’s rights by forcing them to listen to something they never asked to hear is not going to put you on the right side of history, even if it is socially accepted in the present.
Since I mostly listen to Progressive Metal (including Christian group Narnia — I don’t really mind things that go against my Setian beliefs as long as they’re good), and Walmart insists on doing this, I could at least offer them an objectively beautiful playlist that won’t ear rape pitch-sensitive people with off-key elements (like most Country, though John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and even post-2007 Kid Rock are guilty of this too). Nightwish, Edenbridge, Ayreon, and Dream Theater may not be what most of our customers are used to listening to, but I guarantee you no one would complain that it was repetitive or hurting their ears. But they would probably never even give me the time of day.