Today, a guest blog from Bill Weston, the incomparable programmer of Greater Media’s mighty WMMR. During a recent conversation, Bill told me this story about how great brands evoke kismet – and good luck, too.
So here’s a quick story of radio’s relevance – a parable from the Karmic Wheel. It’s a reinforcing tale for those of you who continue to invest in and build upon your brand. Without brand and awareness thereof, this story doesn’t happen.
A local woman, Patty Grabowski, suffers tragedy. Her home goes up in flames. Gas explosion. She survives, as do her parents. Her cat, “Talley,” nicknamed after Steven Tyler’s real name, Tallerico, rescued from the rubble days later. Her collection of prized Aerosmith memorabilia, along with all her other possessions – gone.
In getting back on her feet she writes a letter to Steve Tyler’s “people,” thinking not much would come of it, maybe an autographed picture. At work, a month later, the phone rings. The voice on the line vaguely familiar. She comes apart realizing her rock idol is on her cell phone, talking TO HER. Steven Tyler is calling just to offer encouragement and gratitude. They speak for an hour – about real things – her sorrows, his demons. She mentions, off hand, having that she just voted for Aerosmith in a radio station’s favorite band bracket contest – MMaRch Madness.
Tyler recognizes the brand – the WMMR call letters – and dials up Pierre Robert, a brand in his own right, on the station request line. He has no book to plug (not yet anyway), no new solo project, and he’s not shilling for American Idol ratings. Just a call to say hello. “Pierre! Still got all that hair and the beard?” Tyler gives a great interview and casually mentions, how he came to call as a result of a conversation with a fan in need from our listening area.
The station was buzzing about a rock star calling out of the blue and how personal and entertaining a conversation it was. Dozens of listeners text and call Pierre echoing what a cool gesture for Tyler to call – how it elevated their opinion of him as a result. (BTW, Aerosmith goes on to win the bracket contest due to the power of the story.)
The next day Pierre finds Patty’s number and, on the air, calls to thank her for the MMR name check that prompted Steven’s call and for initiating a wonderful, spontaneous radio moment.
During this call, Patty recounts the horror of the explosion, the sense of grief and loss and her life-long love of the band. She begins to cry. Due not to her sadness but the joy Tyler’s call brought her. An honest moment of pure, human connection. I blinked away the tears, listening in my office.
Pierre asked his audience to think about the circle that one woman created – beginning with a letter to a rock star, his return call from LA, and the radio station’s call to her. Everyone listening became part of that circle, drawn into a personal, relatable and utterly human experience. This was reinforced by a text message of thanks sent in from a listener, overcome with emotion, and forced to pull to the side of the road.
Keep building the brand. And keep somebody in the studio to answer the phone.
Postscript from Fred: While editing this blog, another great example of the power of branding for radio occurred with Entercom’s KISW a couple of nights ago on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Enjoy the first 1:10 of this video with Jimmy and Rainn Wilson which could only happen for an incredible brand.
>EMAIL RECIPIENTS: CLICK HERE TO VIEW JIMMY KIMMEL & RAINN WILSON VIDEO<
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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Great piece Fred! And I had a few tears in my eyes reading the story. For real. Excellent.
Wow, great story!
Thanks, Kyle & Dan – a couple of programmers who would most definitely enjoy these stories of success & connecting with the audience. It gives you great optimism about the ongoing potential of radio in local communities.
What a great story. For those that don’t know, I was at their cross-town rival WYSP for a little over 10 years, ultimately as PD, but have since moved on to other interactive media ventures. This is a killer story and a great lesson in the value of not only brand building, but also community building… not (the important) social media “community”… I mean the “grassroots, care about your audience, passion for the mission” kind of community. No one can deny the impact that WMMR has had on Philadelphia and the connection they make with listeners on a daily basis.
However, I would like to take a minute to give some more props to Pierre Robert. Pierre is not only one of the all-time radio greats, he is a keystone to the rock identity of WMMR, and is one of those personalities that defines Philadelphia Radio. And this is no accident.
I say this as a lesson to talent. I have seen talent grow, become successful, then rest on their laurels and expect opportunities to be handed to them, wait for someone else to score their interviews, or even shelter themselves from the audience. This is not Pierre. As an example; Pierre scored “the big exclusive interview with Bono” because he worked his ass off for it. He built and fostered his own valuable relationships over and above those of the stations. To this day, never showing signs of becoming jaded, working the shows with passion and a true love for the music. He continues to build real relationships, shaking every hand with a great smile, and is genuinely charitable.
I should say, that I was also very lucky to get the opportunity to work with some great talent that also “got it”, and together we fostered some lasting and impactful artist and community relationships – but Pierre truly stands out as an exceptional example of this.
Steven Tyler called WMMR because of that great brand connection.
Steven Tyler connected with Pierre because he worked hard for that… because he earned it!
Thanks for the story & the perspective, Gil. I was also at YSP for more than a decade as consultant through the Stern years, and Pierre was always one of those icons that you just had to respect from across the street. When I finally joined up with MMR, I was able to better understand just how amazing Pierre is, and what a contribution he has made to MMR, Philly, and radio in general.
Bill Weston has also been the right guy at the right time. Even though not a Philly native, he immediately understood the power of the MMR brand and what it means to Phiadelphians. Only a team likke the one that’s been in place all these years could put together this kind of track record.
And that’s how these legendary stories happen. If you think about news-making events and stories where radio makes a big difference and becomes a water cooler item, it almost always involves killer stations like MMR, KISW, WRIF, 97Rock, KQRS, and thankfully, the list goes on and on.
We appreciate you taking the time to read the blog an to provide that great local “take.”
Thanks Fred… of course! Those were some good years. We had fun, worked hard and made some great radio.
I follow the blog regularly, as many should!
Have a great weekend!