In much the same way that Facebook is not resting on its laurels, Pandora is experimenting with its user experience. Like the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, Pandora is clearly in search of something that goes well beyond its famous “Human Genome” formula – a heart.
On the heels of yesterday’s much-talked about post about WXPN’s “Rhythms. Not Algorithms” campaign, several people forwarded me a recent New York Times article about how Pandora is attempting to go beyond being a faceless pure play by making connections between musicians and fans.
In an online video campaign that The Times says is estimated to run $5 million, TwoFifteenMcCann has put together unique artist interludes with fans – an attempt to give Pandora a soul, a face, and a bond between its service and the millions who use it.
The #ThumbMoments campaign connects Pandora listeners with selected artists in surprise live video chats that create what Lori Lewis calls “Holy Crap Moments.”
<EMAIL RECIPIENTS: CLICK HERE TO WATCH #THUMBMOMENTS VIDEO>
The excitement of the fans and the ability to connect them to the music they love is at the heart of a campaign designed to, frankly, give Pandora a soul. More importantly, like the old WMMO positioning language, it’s designed to let consumers know that at Pandora, “We love the music just as much as you do.” And because these encounters are unexpected – triggered by the basic “thumbs up” response – they have impact.
This concept of bringing favorite musicians to fans in a fun, surprising way isn’t new. Radio has been doing it – albeit inconsistently – forever. Pandora’s online campaign is a reminder that the fundamental ways in which media bands connect with fans haven’t changed. If anything, technology makes them easier and more fun to pull off.
Last year, we helped stage a Google Hangout for WCSX with Ted Nugent (OK, let’s not get political). These streaming video meet-ups aren’t easy to put together, but for the nine fans who get to meet, talk to, and ask questions of an artist, they are those precious, unforgettable “Holy Crap Moments” that Pandora is attempting to create with its online ads.
Sadly, few broadcast stations have taken the time or made the effort to create these online moments of shock and awe for their hometown fans.
While some feel that “Pandora isn’t radio,” the pure play is doing many of the basic experiential things that radio used to do – and should be doing with the new digital tool kit.
Between XPN’s campaign on the one hand, and Pandora’s on the other, new lines are being drawn and new challenges are being issued.
May the best service and user experience win.
Thanks to Larry Rosin and Bruce Goldsen for bringing this article to my attention.
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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Really amazing video..very cool. Must be nice to be a company that will likely never, ever, ever turn a profit and still seems to have limitless funding. 🙂
True that. It’s a different world to be sure, Dave. But as the Nugent example points out, any station (music, news, sports) can accomplish essentially the same impact locally. Yes, it takes work, time, effort. But it can be done. Thanks for chiming in.
Google “Amazon will never be profitable”, and like the long list of broadcast radio people who are don’t see Pandora’s long-view strategy, you’ll meet legions of similar types who didn’t get what Amazon was up to.
Pandora bashers make broadcast radio look weak because it’s blatantly obvious that Pandora is inflicting severe damage to broadcasters who refuse to take responsibility for what is happening to them. Instead of throwing stones at a company which has disrupted our industry to the core, it would be more productive to acknowledge the audio media landscape as it is.
Like the migration from AM to FM in the 70s, the obvious mass migration from FM to IP radio has left broadcast radio enormously vulnerable because it refuses to act in any meaningful way on the single most important endeavor it must execute before it’s too late. With IP radio spreading in car like it did in offices and via mobile, Pandora, Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify and others are offering literally millions of IP radio “stations” giving listeners endless variety, personalization and on demand everything, instantly. If broadcast radio doesn’t make a major “Manhattan Project” type investment in IP content – aka IP radio stations, they are handing their business over to their IP competitors.
Hey Paul-
To be clear, since it was my comment above that may have triggered your thoughts. I’m far from a Pandora basher. It’s a great product, that video Fred posted is outstanding and I’ve even purchased advertising for my stations on it. I’m just pointing out that in 10 plus years, it’s never had close to a profitable year and likely won’t. It doesn’t have the same responsibility that a broadcast entity does and it’s judged nor rated like our business is. Apples and well, oranges. However, your points are well taken. Anything (including Pandora) that challenges the ears is a threat to the radio business.
Hey DP, thanks for your thoughts. Actually Pandora has had a profitable quarter (Q4 last year) but like Amazon, total market domination not profitability is their focus right now. They’re going to make their “big data” available to artists so not only are listeners and advertisers investing more of their time and $ in Pandora, but 2015 is the year that more artists will begin leaning in Pandora’s direction as well. Spotify & Apple have similar plans which should be a wake-up call to broadcast radio. FM radio is having less influence on artists w/the collapse of MP3/CD sales. If you’re an artist not receiving any performance royalty from broadcast radio and selling fewer and fewer MP3s/CDs, at what point will your loyalty switch? What is/are the reason(s) broadcasters are not investing in big, bold, original IP content?!? Is it fear, debt, denial or?!? We know that tens of millions of people are listening to Pandora, Spotify iTunes Radio etc. at the expense of broadcast radio (https://goo.gl/hQguSf) so what are broadcasters waiting for?
This is an interesting conversation, but as you each point out (directly and otherwise), there services are being judged by different financial yardsticks by Wall St. That said, while digital music services are clearly having impact, artists will tell you that an add and airplay on the radio is precious.
Why aren’t broadcasters investing more in original IP content? Until there is measurement that gives broadcasters credit for the streaming listening they are already gleaning (albeit without a lot of effort), it’s going to be a tough putt. Shortsighted? Maybe. But broadcasters have had to suffer with a measurement system that does not adequately credit its streaming as well as listening that has occurred on headsets, headphones, and ear buds.
Hi Fred, broadcasters are fortunate to have this important resource you provide informing them of critical issues like Pandora’s latest.
I’m not sure what you mean regarding the lack of a measurement system? Triton measures audience of the top radio broadcasting companies and the result is alarming. Among online listeners, Pandora alone has more than three times the audience of all of the thousands of radio stations owned by the top 10 broadcasters, combined: https://goo.gl/5PEdvZ
I’m talking about on-air and online. Nielsen is working on cracking that code, because broadcasters need to get credit for the combined listening for both ratings and selling purposes.
I hear you Fred. But isn’t the problem for broadcasters this – – as the migration from FM to online accelerates as IP gets into cars, & as Triton’s (actual not “panel”) data shows, among online listeners broadcasters are not succeeding. Analysts forecast broadcasting revenue will grow because of digital (https://goo.gl/h3o9N3) but if broadcasters don’t have an audience in the IP digital space, won’t the current problem will become a crisis? How will they grow an IP audience if they don’t have powerful IP content?
Yes, that a problem, but it’s just one of many. You’ll get no argument from me about short-term thinking, but there is the reality of making Q3. Broadcasters have been caught in between – it’s like fixing the plane while it’s at 35,000 feet. No hall passes for anyone, but it’s a tough fix. Thanks for the dialogue.
I’d argue this problem needs to move to the top of the priority list. Once the new competitors of broadcast radio; Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Pandora and Spotify push their marketing ON buttons, (with their very deep pockets) the transfer (from A/F to IP) of audience and ad dollars could happen a lot faster than broadcasters may be anticipating. Thanks for keeping this important issue in front of broadcasters Fred! I love radio and hope owners love it enough to secure it.