On the eve of Jacobs Media’s Tech Poll III, we’ve been doing a great deal of thinking about the power of research, and how companies and stations use it effectively – and not so effectively. A recent issue of Online Spin clarifies the pros and cons of surveying customers through the eyes of Fred Reichheld, the father of "Net Promoter."
If you’ve never seen or heard about the "Net Promoter" concept, it’s a simple, and yet, powerful way of measuring customer loyalty. Using a basic 0-10 scale, the NP score can reveal a great deal about your customers’ (audiences’) tendency to tell others about your product (station). We are using this exact question in many of our web polling projects, including last year’s Tech Poll. We will be repeating the question again this year for trending purposes.
At a recent conference, Reichheld discussed the positive aspects, as well as the dark side of conducting customer-based research. He warns about respecting respondents, and making sure surveys aren’t excessively long. Reichheld also talks about the importance of being open to what customers are saying, and providing them with the opportunity to provide open-ended responses to questions. We do this in all our web polling, and the results are often amazing. Consumers – especially those who take the time to complete these surveys – often provide a fountain of knowledge and insight – if you take the time to sift through it all and take it to heart.
Finally – and this is a key point – research can also function as marketing. But stations need to provide survey takers with some data in return. If you think about the web surveys you participate in, one of your key desires (in most cases) is finding out how others responded to the same questions you answered. When stations take the time to thank respondents, and show them some key survey results, it brings the audience even closer to the station.
It also provides programmers with the chance to show how they’re responding to audience feedback. If listeners say they want the opportunity to submit playlists to the station, for example, and you then present this type of feature, the end result becomes even more meaningful. Listeners feel their opinions are being heard, and better yet, showing up in the station’s programming. This process converts already valuable listeners into advocates. And isn’t that what we’re trying to accomplish in the first place?
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.
- Baby, Please Don’t Go - November 22, 2024
- Why Radio Needs To Stop Chasing The Puck - November 21, 2024
- Great Radio – In The Niche Of Time? - November 20, 2024
Hey Fred – I’m curious – do you also ask “have you recommended” along with “would you recommend”?
Making the listeners part of the process gives them ownership; when something is yours its easy to become an advocate.
Fred:
After posting earlier, I remembered something from WHMI/Howell, MI; as a (now former) competitor, I’ve been a member of their listener club for a while now.
Here’s them sharing back the results of their latest monthly listener survey.
dan
———————————————–
To:
From: “93.5 WHMI”
Subject: Dear Dan
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2007 12:37:30 -0600
Thanks for your participation in the January music
survey. Our surveys are designed to help us
continue our commitment to give the Livingston
County area the finest radio programming based on
your needs and tastes. Your feedback directly
impacts the programming you want to hear most
Livingston County’s Own 93-5.
We appreciate the amount of time and consideration
that is required to participate in our music
surveys. If you completed the entire survey, we hope
you enjoy the complimentary pizza from area Hungry
Howies. Your certificate will arrive in the mail in
the next week or so. Following every survey we also
select one special winner from all those that did
complete the entire survey. Congratulations this
time to Nancy Secor of Pinckney, the winner of a
$100 gift card for Meijer. We’ll have another winner
following our February music survey. We hope you’ll
continue to participate in our monthly music surveys
throughout 2007.
We asked a few listener questions prior to the music
survey and here’s how you responded:
1. On a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 as ALL INFORMATION
and 6 as ALL ENTERTAINMENT, what number would be
your ideal radio morning show?
All Information
1: 4 (1.96%)
2: 13 (6.37%)
3: 79 (38.72%)
4: 67 (32.84%)
5: 32 (15.68%)
6: 9 (4.41%)
All Entertainment
2. On a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 as ALL INFORMATION
and 6 as ALL ENTERTAINMENT, what number would you
give WHMI’s Marino & the Morning Crew?
All Information
1: 2 (0.98%)
2: 10 (4.90%)
3: 79 (38.72%)
4: 78 (38.23%)
5: 32 (15.68%)
6: 3 (1.47%)
All Entertainment
3. On a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 as NOT IMPORTANT and
6 as VERY IMPORTANT, what number would you give
radio morning show entertainment?
Not Important
1: 4 (1.96%)
2: 20 (9.80%)
3: 40 (19.60%)
4: 70 (34.31%)
5: 45 (22.05%)
6: 25 (12.25%)
Very Important
4. On a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 as NOT IMPORTANT and
6 as VERY IMPORTANT, what number would you give
morning radio news?
Not Important
1: 2 (0.98%)
2: 6 (2.94%)
3: 19 (9.31%)
4: 57 (27.94%)
5: 66 (32.35%)
6: 54 (26.47%)
Very Important
5. On a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 as NOT IMPORTANT and
6 as VERY IMPORTANT, what number would you give
morning radio traffic?
Not Important
1: 1 (0.49%)
2: 6 (2.94%)
3: 14 (6.86%)
4: 29 (14.21%)
5: 52 (25.49%)
6: 102 (50.00%)
Very Important
6. On a scale of 1 to 6 with 1 as NOT OFTEN and 6 as
FREQUENTLY, in an adult environment, how often do
you listen to morning radio that may be off color?
Not Often
1: 85 (41.66%)
2: 43 (21.07%)
3: 21 (10.29%)
4: 23 (11.27%)
5: 24 (11.76%)
6: 8 (3.92%)
Frequently
Here are your top 25 songs from the January survey:
1 Turn The Page – Bob Seger
2 Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
3 Devil Went Down To Georgia – Charlie Daniels Band
4 Brown-Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
5 Get Out Of Denver – Bob Seger
6 Heavy Music – Bob Seger
7 Good Times Bad Times – Led Zeppelin
8 Some Kind Of Wonderful – Grand Funk Railroad
9 Another Brick In The Wall – Pink Floyd
10 Shakedown – Bob Seger
11 Take It Easy – Eagles
12 Black Water – Doobie Brothers
13 Open Invitation – Santana
14 Time For Me To Fly – REO Speedwagon
15 Born To Be Wild – Steppenwolf
16 Kashmir – Led Zeppelin
17 Hot Rod Lincoln – Commander Cody
18 Love Hurts – Nazareth
19 Can’t Get Enough – Bad Company
20 Free Ride – Edgar Winter Group
21 Rock ‘N Me – Steve Miller Band
22 The Old Apartment – Barenaked Ladies
23 You’ve Got A Friend – James Taylor
24 Seven Bridges Road – Eagles
25 Thank You – Led Zeppelin
Thank you again for your support and feedback.
Reed Kittredge
WHMI Operations Manager
P.S. You’re receiving this because you registered to
be part of the WHMI FM 93.5 Listener Advisory Board.
If you wish to REMOVE yourself, you may do so
automatically by clicking on this link: