Finally, there’s a benefit to Bill Jacobs going to all those Classic Rock concerts over the decades. Turns out, there’s a lot of strategic business lessons to be learned from the many bands that have made immense cultural and musical contributions. – FJ
Whether you’re a fan of the Beatles, Hendrix, or Led Zeppelin, their lasting appeal is more than just the music they created. In fact, they defined our culture during that period of time with effects that have impacted successive generations.
After all of those years, the enduring strength of the music created during that period of time is nearly unparalleled. Even as the aging process continues, Classic Rock bands remain a lucrative concert draw. And if you look at these groups not as bands but as “brands,” there are lessons to be learned from their longevity and their marketing prowess.
Writing in Technori, author Paddy Padmanabhan makes several salient points about how the business world can learn from Classic Rockers. I’ve cherry-picked a few and added some Radio 101 lessons, too.
- Do it because you love doing it – Most bands don’t start out with the idea of building a global brand. Instead, they did it because it’s what they loved to do. While radio has seen its share of downsizing and cost-cutting, the survivors are driven by passion for the business, and sound like it at all times on the air and in their work behind the scenes. Most of us didn’t get into radio to get rich. We did it for the love of the game. And this passion is transferable to a fan base who can give you more loyalty and more listening.
- Put in 10,000 hours before you expect to make a difference – Padmanabhan pulls this from Malcolm Gladwell book Outliers, and it speaks to how much time and effort is needed to be not just good, but great. Great bands labored for hours in garages, studios, and anywhere they could pull out a guitar or scrawl lyrics on cocktail napkins. The rule of thumb for morning shows is that it takes two years to truly know if there will be impact but those willing to put in the time significantly increase their odds for success. It takes time to be great, and most “overnight sensations” are truly practice veterans.
- Nurture your community – Bands like the Grateful Dead, Kiss, and Jimmy Buffett were able to leverage their cult fans into followers. There are many great radio talents who have done the same, from Dave Ramsey nationally to local guys like Bob Lester from KWHL in Anchorage. It’s about showing up and never saying “no” to an opportunity to get in front of people and have an impact.
- Don’t hesitate to fire misfits early on – Using the Pete Best/Beatles analogy (John Lennon said, “Pete was a great drummer; Ringo was a great Beatle.”), stations have to strive to find the very best talent that fits their needs – in all departments. With smaller staffs, everyone needs to be a contributor and represent the brand.
- Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself – Whether it’s a jock or a station, no air personality can afford to rest on their laurels or be stuck in a “this is the way we’ve always done it” mentality. The great stations keep pushing themselves to innovate, whether it’s weekends, features, promotions, website layouts, or apps, community service outreach, or branded events.
And now let me add a few of my own:
Play the hits – Classic Rock bands know that it’s the hits that will make concert-goers happy. Too many deep cuts will send fans streaming to the rest rooms or concession stands. Kind of like switching stations. No one ever walked out of a show or turned a station off because it played too many hit songs. (Except perhaps Tiny Tim.)- Reflect your fans’ enthusiasm – Excelling in the social space with the people who love you most is paramount. Great bands have this town, having built huge databases of uber fans. That’s what guarantees album and concert sales. They are active socially, acknowledging fans and taking them “backstage” on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Techsurvey10 clearly illustrated the relationship between social interaction and increased listening. Social interaction is a difference maker, and provides opportunities that pure-plays just don’t have.
- The role of merch – We all know that true touring profits come from the sale of T-shirts, jerseys, hats, and all the other branded stuff where profit margins are stratospheric. Yet, true fans cannot buy enough of this stuff. Radio remains one of the few media categories where fans are not only willing to wear your logo on their body, many will pay for the privilege. Imagine a band showing up at a venue with no merch. Stations do this every week as they make client and community appearances.
Iconic Classic Rock bands couldn’t have achieved long-term success without a tremendous amount of talent and work, but the great ones have endured because they get the big picture of what it takes to succeed over the long haul.
Many radio stations have staked out this same turf, and have occupied the same format position with success for decades. Their value in the advertising marketplace should reflect that consistency and long-term success.
If your station does not fall in that vaunted group of killer radio brands, take your cues from Mick, Ringo, Paul, Pete, Jimi, and Robert.
Rock on.
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.
- Radio + Thanksgiving = Gratitude - November 27, 2024
- Is It Quittin’ Time For SiriusXM? - November 26, 2024
- Radio, It Oughta Be A Crime - November 25, 2024
Nice list. Most are precisely what got me fired.
Hmmmm…doing them or NOT doing them?
Thanks for this. Really enjoyed reading it this morning & sharing it with my class of 25 Entertainment & Music Business undergraduate students this afternoon!
Appreciate that, Greg. I hope it got a great discussion going. Thanks for sharing that.