One of the downsides of being on the road 40+ weeks a year is that all those hotel, airline, and rental car company encounters simply become a blur. Unless there’s a really great or a heinous experience, they all run together.
But you have to give many of these brands credit – there is no shortage of surveys to fill out to measure my satisfaction.
I get one of these at least weekly, asking me about everything concerning the cleanliness of the room to the friendliness of the concierge. And then there are the other lame questions about whether the hotel exudes an image of trust. (What could that possibly mean?)
So while many of the questionnaires are long or obtuse, they are still beneficial. By sending out a survey immediately following an experience, they are accomplishing two things – getting fresh information about how their customers feel about their hotel/rental car/airline, and sending me a message that they care about my business.
Traditionally, radio has actually been ahead of the game when it comes to ascertaining consumer tastes. As one of the original radio researcher team members for Frank Magid, we were asking many of the same questions in the ‘70s that stations continue to ask today. Radio has generally been very good about measuring audience perceptions and testing music over these many years.
Where the industry has dropped the ball, however, is in the customer satisfaction area. Almost all radio research is anonymous by design – you don’t know which station is testing its music at the Hilton or which one is asking all those questions over the phone.
Radio could do better by identifying the fact that it cares about the listener experience. And here’s where station databases, website and Facebook surveys, and Listener Advisory Groups come into play. By communicating to its various constituencies that every experience matters – playing a contest, attending an event, and yes, even buying a schedule or integrated advertising program – radio could help its CX – Customer Experience.
The fact is, research is marketing. By letting your audience know about some of the results – and how you use them – radio could do a better job of building its relationships and perceptions that stations are responsive to audience concerns.
At a time when seemingly every major brand has woken up to the need to focus on customer interaction and satisfaction, radio often acts like it’s still the only game in town.
When clients and listeners never hear from a station, what must they think when no one ever asks for their opinions?
At the World Wide Radio Summit in Los Angeles on April 27, I’ll be presenting the results of the largest radio study ever conducted – 170 stations took part, contributing more than 56,000 respondents. Each of these stations took the opportunity to ask their audiences for their opinions, and the results are spectacular.
But marketing the fact that the station truly cares about what they think is at the heart of the philosophy that customer satisfaction is job one.
Perhaps 93% of Americans still listen to radio but how engaged, enthused, and satisfied are they? Now more than ever, radio needs to do more than just focus on its margins, ROI, and EBITDA.
Radio needs to focus on its customers.
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 –
I for one really appreciate your continuing to sound the wake-up call broadcasters need. To use your words – “Radio needs to focus on its customers”. While radio is focused on its margins, ROI, and EBITDA..they don’t see who is going door to door working local businesses with a research tool business desperately needs to help them succeed and its tied to an offer that would be hard to refuse. It’s GOOGLE!
Here’s their pitch –
From international brands to local food trucks, every business wants to make important decisions with their customers’ feedback in mind. Which version of your new logo will people like better? How much interest do dog owners have in organic dog food? Is your brand awareness growing over time? We now have a new option for companies looking to answer these types of questions and more: Google Consumer Surveys. Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company or a local bike shop, Consumer Surveys makes market research fast, accurate, and affordable. (Very affordable)
https://googlesmb.blogspot.com/2012/03/fast-accurate-and-affordable-way-to-do.html
Radio…now you know…what’s your move?
As a research expert yourself, Mike, I knew this post would resonate for you. Research educates us but also communicates that we care. It tells our audiences that their feedback is important and that we’re responsive to their needs. Part of the essence of social media is being heard. Research illuminates and provides consumers with the feeling that their opinions count. It’s old adage in the research field, but it is meaningful. Thanks again for adding to the conversation.