A big part of my media regimen continues to be print – whether it’s online newspaper and magazine sites, or even the physical publications themselves. Of all the different silos, print has clearly been most challenged by digital disruption, so studying what they’re doing to survive can be instructive to those of us dealing with many of the same challenges in radio.
MediaPost’s Larissa Faw reports that at this week’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Conde Nast’s iconic artistic director, Anna Wintour, spoke about the challenges posed by sites like BuzzFeed and the pressures of the fast-paced 24-hour news and celebrity cycles.
Keeping audiences engaged in this environment is a challenge, driving so many radio stations into “Babe of the Day” web material and other scrolling fodder that attempts to cut through all the distraction. Like our Seth Resler, I’m a fan of the WordPress website model that makes it easy for fans to scroll through content.
But just posting headlines about the “Stairway to Heaven” trial isn’t going to engage the audience, nor does it do a whole lot to build your brand. Nor is doing the same benchmarks every day without keeping material fresh, edgy, and even risky at times.
Wintour says the challenge revolves around how to maintain creativity in the midst of the digital chaos, and she’s come up with four lessons, all of which apply to what we’re doing in radio:
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Don’t be afraid to take on big, challenging stuff.
She calls it “shooting for the moon,” and referenced a long-form (25,000 words) New Yorker expose about Scientology. If we accept the given that consumers have short attention spans, this piece debunks that theory as it turned out to be the most-read feature on that magazine’s website back in 2011, the year it was published. As she told here audience, “You can’t cut your way to creativity.”
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Dare to be different.
This is an ongoing theme on this blog because it speaks to the need to stand out from other media content creators, all vying for the audience’s attention. Going outside your brand to try different things that might be unexpected is a way to gain attention. I go back to KISW’s “Live Day” last year as an example of breaking away from the studio norm to pull off something truly different. We can’t get so caught up in staying the course, doing no harm, don’t rock the boat, and being consistent – and then blame the audience for not being engaged by yet another boring and consistent day on the station.
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Chase your goals and move your comfort zone.
Wintour talks about a security breach at Vogue where hackers published untouched pictures of two fashion models. Vogue’s response? Release those unexpected pictures themselves to get ahead of TMZ and other gossip sites. And the result created a much bigger web audience in the process, far more comfortable seeing the photos on Vogue than on celebrity sites. Transparency can be painful, but it often leads to a deeper sense of appreciation from the audiences radio serves.
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Make interesting friends.
The temptation is to sit in front of our screens for entertainment and information, but Wintour says it’s all about being in contact with people. 
She cites Ryan Seacrest as a prime example of staying in touch with real people, despite his many big league interests and projects. By continuing to host a daily morning show on the radio, Seacrest retains that personal contact. He says that “interaction with people on a daily basis makes me better.” WMMR’s Pierre Robert embodies this same philosophy, regularly showing up for fan interactions, concerts, and other events that keep him in touch with the music and the audience who loves it.
We can learn a great deal from what our cousins in print are enduring to stay relevant in these disruptive times.
Don’t fear creativity.
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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