I believe we are moving into a different phase of content creation. And a large part of the credit goes to innovators like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. We know enough about both of these guys to understand their respective penchants for getting the product right before it goes to market.
This philosophy where design and CX become paramount in the process runs somewhat counter to the what has become acceptable in radio over the years. We have talked about how new format debuts would never pass the Steve Jobs “smell test” because too often, they’re not elegant, strategic, buttoned up, or customer friendly.
The flip side of this has to do with the way that mature brands view their various product lines. In radio, we’re not just talking about your music or your talk hosts – but everything you do – your logo, street events, client fulfillment, weekend syndicated programming, Facebook page, and the quality of your stream.
I was reminded of this “Brilliant at the Basics” thinking (thanks, Steve Goldstein) while watching a Fast Company interview with the CEO of Nike, Mark Parker. The interesting thing about Parker is that he comes out of the design world – and now he’s the guy in charge of the company. It’s like a program director running Clear Channel.
Right there, you’re looking at a very different business model than the majority of broadcast companies. But the point is that while we all make good stuff, we are also guilty of making stuff that just isn’t that great.
In this short video, Mark Parker tells the story about a call with Steve Jobs shortly after being promoted to Nike’s top spot. And Apple’s “master of the universe” gives Parker some great advice about how to approach his new CEO job. The message? “Nike makes some of the best products in the world… but you also make a lot of crap. Just get rid of the crappy stuff and focus on the good stuff.”
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And isn’t that simple thought something we should all apply to our business models? When we simply stop putting out the crap and focus on the products and content we do really, really well, our future gets a lot brighter. And our customers – listeners and advertisers – benefit from deriving greater value from the content we create and our marketing prowess.
Parker also reminds us that content creators need to become better editors. There are so many ideas, so many channels, and so many ways in which to broadcast our content that we cannot do them all well. In Ries and Trout’s The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, good old #5 is the “Law of Focus.”
Get rid of the crap.
Edit.
Focus.
Win.
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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Fred –
This is an excellent thread on the issues that broadcasters face to remain relevant today. The question is how do you know what is the crappy stuff? Who is to judge of what’s a key listener benefit versus a feature that may have less relevant value? In many cases we have let PPM become the editor in chief it seems. It’s time to do our own homework again.
With Steve Jobs it always started with the customer experience and works backwards to the product. What incredible benefits can we give the customer? Here it is in his words –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF-tKLISfPE&feature=related
See if this thought from Mr. Jobs resonates with you concerning radio when he talked about what went wrong with Apple. He said the Apple became stagnant and its differentiation eroded. The way forward is not to slash and burn but to innovate.
More in his own words (5:30 into the interview)…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGciAnjEf0g&feature=related
In Steve Jobs thinking, cutting out the crappy stuff would start with core values. Core values are not product features or why you’re better than the other guys. Core values ask the question “what do we stand for”.
Here is the first marketing meeting Mr. Jobs had when he returned to Apple.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmG9jzCHtSQ
As I interpret this in reference to broadcasting, it means to honor the community. It means to celebrate the people in the community. Apple wanted to change the world. Radio should focus on changing the world as it relates to our local community. As an industry radio still has the opportunity to affect change in a meaningful way. Remember one more thing Steve Jobs said – “great things in business are done by a team. No one Beatle was ever better than the group”. Let’s rebuild our teams and reclaim our relevance.
Mike Anthony
Mike, these are great video segments that only support the genius that was Steve Jobs. I especially loved the last “oldie but goodie” segment about core values. There is some great learning here, and I appreciate you sharing it with our community.