Recently, Mark Ramsey wrote a post that took a shot at the downsides of chasing Nielsen numbers – and more importantly, stations that program to it, rather than satisfying listeners and converting them into true fans.
In “Nielsen Is A Toxic Force that Imperils Radio’s Future,” Mark went after the PPM mentality that puts ratings ahead of the customer experience. And of course, any blog post that puts Nielsen in a bad light (much like the IRS or Obamacare) is a magnet for page views and comments because the ratings are always such an incendiary topic.
But Nielsen isn’t the problem, despite the fact that so many in radio (and TV) blame it for the industry’s failures and shortcomings. The real culprit is the way in which brand managers and companies allow it to overshadow the smart, constructive, and strategic activities that keep stations truly healthy well past the Holiday Book.
And the fact is that attaining strong ratings and simultaneously building fan loyalty doesn’t have to be a mutually exclusive process. Great brands do it every day. NPR, PRI, APM, and the BBC World Service specifically, and public radio stations generally, have proved that long-form content – stories, features, and segments that last longer than three minutes – can be compelling, enriching, informative, and beneficial to the ratings. Meters may, in fact, be sensitive to rambling, pointless content, but great storytelling and welcome information can thrive in radio ratings.
And many commercial stations have come to realize that it’s not just about playing the hits and keeping the breaks short. Catering to and acknowledging fans via email databases and social media channels can be rewarding in both ratings and recommendation scores. From great Rock stations that are about personality and lifestyle, to Country stations that are focused on their artist communities, to Sports stations that reflect the local highs and lows of their teams’ narratives, many broadcast radio stations are achieving that balance between winning in Nielsen diaries and meters as well as building strong local brands that matter.
On the other side of the coin, squeaky tight jukeboxes that use bowtie stopsets, flaunt the absence of personality, and fail to provide a sense of place are destined to fall into Gordon Borrell’s “Doomed 50%” column. In the short run, they may get ratings. Over the long haul, these stations won’t make anybody’s cut, especially in an environment where the options are plentiful – like laptops, tablets, smartphones, and yes, “connected cars.”
As we have opined a great deal over these past few years, the “why” of every brand in a company’s portfolio needs to be questioned, examined, measured, and rethought in the harsh light of the modern media ecosphere.
It goes beyond the pursuit of ratings, and right to the heart of asset-building that has sadly become foreign to some broadcasters since the days of consolidation. Serving an audience, providing great customer service, and acknowledging fans on all avenues – online, socially, in person, and on the phone – are all part of what maintaining a great fan base is all about.
Blame it all on the ratings if you like, but in fact, the reason why many stations have become bland, irrelevant, and redundant is that their operators have chosen to slash expenses and staff, dumb down the execution, and serve up banal programming that consumers can get anywhere without having to endure twelve minutes of commercials an hour.
The only thing toxic about Nielsen is the approach that some broadcasters take in order to optimize ratings to achieve short term gains.
Meters and diaries are simply a means of measurement.
They don’t dictate how a product sounds or what it means in the hearts and minds of consumers.
Don’t blame the straw man if your station sounds lame, mechanical, and unessential.
You know exactly who’s to blame.
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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This is one of the best blogs you’ve ever written IMO. There is so much truth here. Advertisers and investors demand accountability – and so do fans. The challenge is that each holds radio accountable in different ways. Advertisers want documentation and they want as much specificity as they can get; not just how many people are listening when, but where they live, where they’re listening, what they do when they’re not listening, etc. Fans want emotion, humor, local info and passion, spontenaity and the music they like programming in a way that keeps their interest. The good news is that for the most part, if you radio takes care of what the fans hold it accountable for, advertiser accountability will pretty much just follow.
I think the mistake that consolidation and IPOs have inspired is confusion – accountability to Wall Street and ad agencies have been priority #1 and the fans have fallen in behind. You can, for the most part, take care of the numbers by focusing on the fans, but you can’t take care of the fans by focusing on the numbers unless you’re the only game in town. I find it interesting that radio was much more fan centric when it WAS the only game in town than it is now when it isn’t.
As someone who reads this blog every day and who comments frequently, I appreciate your thoughts here. Sometimes it’s that simple – a great radio station that succeeds in the ratings can, in fact, be successful on a many different levels. Thanks, Bob.
Amen.
Back at you.
“The only thing toxic about Nielsen is the approach that some broadcasters take in order to optimize ratings to achieve short term gains. (Meters and diaries)…don’t dictate how a product sounds…”
Broadcasters are ultimately responsible for the quality of their programming. And the customer connection and service that surround your on-air sound are crucial to success. But to characterize Nielsen’s part in the process as neutral ignores an obvious reality of the situation. Using PPM data to adjust programming in the quest of improved ratings – the job at hand, rarely steers a radio station toward “more” of anything.
“Short term gains,” are what keep most programmers employed.
Dave Benson
Sadly, I’m guessing for the most part that no one at the “wall street” or “highly leveraged” companies really cares or shares your opinion Fred.
I would love to think that you’re wrong about that, Lester. But as Amazon’s Jeff Bezos knows, Wall St. loves profits much more than they tolerate investment.
Programming that is focused exclusively on PPM (with a robotic presentation) seems to be the preference of most corporate suits. The “one size fits all” seems to be a control issue. But in the end, creative, innovative, entertaining content will win so long as that approach is accompanied by aggressive and sincere one-on-one communication with the listeners.
It is clearly more cost-effective in the short run to dumb it down. And given the sales challenges, I’m sure there are times when some managers wonder whether this very expensive brand building is worth it. In a world where radio no longer dominates audio entertainment and has to truly earn its keep, I don’t think there’s a question that strong brands are essential. Thanks, Joe.
Fred, today’s piece is as accurate and precise as it gets. High praise to you for recognizing and exposing the wary, predictable operators who continue to rely on antiquated methodology and narrow dictates for achieving success.
Much appreciated, Rob. Thanks for the comment and for reading our blog.
Could a Z100 NY launch again today? Sure, but what company has the b*lls to do it? And where is a Scott Shannon type to make it happen?
History is always the best teacher.
I think it’s a people problem. Creativity is not part of the modern PD’s job description. And, GMs could just as easily be selling mattresses as advertising.
There are a few great stations and a few good people left in the industry, but not many. The A and B students have moved on.
Radio needs a renaissance. Who’s going to lead the way?
Bill, many off the greats have moved on – or out. But I would maintain there are still more viable brands than many think. Some investment and marketing would help because for many, it’s been awhile. As to where will a renaissance start, why not the smaller companies who have something to prove? Thanks for the comment and for taking the time.