There are huge periods when radio stations are tested. The spring and fall radio books are pressure-filled whether you’re in Philly or Pensacola. For pubic radio, pledge drives can be make or break. The same thing holds true for Christian stations and fundraisers often known as “shareathons.”
But imagine being a retailer this week. Department stores, big box operations, boutiques, and specialty shops are all feeling the heat. Many will tell you their year is on the line as the biggest shopping day of the year looms.
Black Friday, of course,
Thanks to COVID and its reverberations, Black Friday isn’t the King Kong of shopping days like it used to be. Not so many years ago, consumers camped out in front of Best Buys and other stores hoping to take advantage of slashed prices on big gift items. Today, many started their shopping weeks ago, thanks in part of supply shortage warnings issued back around Labor Day. And many others will do the lion’s share of their shopping sitting in front of their computers and mobile devices, a trend that gets stronger with each passing year.
Still, Friday is going to be a big deal for retailers, whether they’re brick & mortar operations or ecommerce sites – or both. And that’s the point.
We often talk about meeting customers where they are. The new shopping protocols point to giving shoppers options to suit virtually all needs. Stores of all kinds have learned they must provide choices and flexibility because holiday gift giving is no longer a one-size-fits-all proposition.
That sentiment was frequently uttered at recent panel at The Drum’s Digital Summit. Noting how COVID has been a game-changer for retail, James Stokes, an enterprise sales head at Infobip warned:
“The pandemic has clearly had a huge impact. It resulted in a sudden change in customer experiences, meaning consumers now have higher expectations.”
And the same can be said for broadcast radio during COVID as millions found themselves working from home, often without a “regular radio”
nearby. Stations with the foresight to have had a robust mobile app in place, clear language for how to find a favorite morning show on smart speakers, and a stream providing a good listening experience were in position to thrive during those early days and months of the pandemic.
Traditional retailers have found themselves in a similar boat. They’ve had to stop thinking about themselves as physical stores. They’ve had to launch ecommerce sites, add store pickup and delivery, and other conveniences that are additive to a personalized shopping experience. In essence, they’ve become multi-dimensional outlets, catering to customers with different needs and tastes.
Similarly, many broadcast radio stations have strengthened their efforts by behaving like multimedia entertainment and information brands. While most people still listen on good old radios, more and more find it convenient to access a favorite station or show via streams, apps, podcasts, and Alexa – especially younger generations of listeners.
According to marketing mavens like Stokes, stores need to evaluate whether they are serving customers needs by establishing a smooth “customer journey.” Radio is under that same pressure to deliver a quality product on the platforms listeners wish to use or the ones they must use, based on their location and what’s available. And he points out the obvious truth:
“It’s based on the consumer’s preference rather than brand preference. With more channels that people can speak on, brands need to be there to address and communicate with individuals across each of those channels, while providing a consistent experience across all of them so that you live up to your brand promise.”
Sound familiar?
The key takeaway about retail brands, especially during Black Friday is that stores have to cater to younger consumers. Radio will eventually reach this conclusion as well. Drum writer Olivia Atkins says it boils down to embracing and excelling in the technology they use:
“As shoppers are becoming younger and more tech-savvy, brands inevitably will have to adapt and respond to keep up. Buyers are increasingly expecting multi-dimensional interactions with retailers so it falls on brands to remain digitally focused and digitally minded, even looking ahead to forecast what trends will land next.”
It sounds like retailers and radio are facing some of the same challenges: tech transformation, a changing, more diverse consumer base, and needing better knowledge of the customer and what she wants. And the Census confirms what we’ve long suspected: the younger the demographic in America, the more diverse it is.
And there’s a silver lining. While just about everyone shops online, two-thirds (67%) of consumers say they trust “local business” more than they do digital-only brands. Similarly, more and more fans of audio are accessing content online, but do they have greater trust in local media outlets – like hometown radio stations?
According to a survey of nearly 4,000 customers in the U.S., the UK, Germany, and France, brand trust increases with proximity. Even though COVID pushed people online – for shopping and media content, “that hasn’t changed the value and importance of a local presence,” notes Nick Hedges, Chief Strategy Officer and EVP North America for Uberall.
As Greg Sterling, VP of Insights for Uberall points out, “With online consumer trust declining, buyers are reassured by a local presence.”
Do these “retail rules” of engagement apply to local radio? Do consumers feel more of an attachment to a local radio station?
That’s not a given. Clearly, a station that connects with its various constituencies – audience, advertisers, civic leadership, and good causes – has a leg up over SiriusXM, Spotify, or even a favorite podcast.
But of course, that requires work, focus, commitment, and playing the long game. As the COVID recovery expands, what will a radio station’s local presence look like? Will it be more than just the van and a card table at area events? Will it be more about more meaningful participation and engagement?
It will also means having research that clearly identifies how these key groups behave, their favorite platforms, and how they’re informing and entertaining themselves now – and down the road.
And we’re here to help.
As you’re reading this blog post, we’re in the process of polishing up the questionnaire for Techsurvey 2022, adding new lines of inquiry to keep
pace with radio listening audiences. COVID has accelerated many of the trends already solidifying pre-pandemic. To compete and to best deploy available financial and human resources, radio broadcasters need a firmer foundation of where its key groups are moving, and how to keep pace with them.
Last year’s Techsurvey included 470 commercial stations across North America, all of whom gained added insights about the audience, and impact of lifestyle changes on their media habits. We are hoping to have robust turnout for this year’s survey, launching in early January.
Black Friday cometh, a time when retailers will find out whether they were truly prepared for their “big day.”
Radio doesn’t have a single marker on the calendar. Every day is a test of whether the medium is ready for an uncertain future.
We’d love to be with you on this journey.
You can access the Local CX Advantage survey here.
Sign up your station for Techsurvey 2022 here.
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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Amen, Fred. Local is the gold. But what is local? The facile answer is “city of license.” Then look at the Nielsen lists, which conveniently show the icons of the various corporate conglomerates that own the vast majority of the stations around the country. In every metro area you see the usual suspects, very few stations that actually are locally owned and operated. Listening to the McRadio stations confirms that their localness, other than in a few major metros, is only inches deep.
When I dine out, I do not like having only chain restaurants to choose among, and I feel the same when it comes to my radio habit. I know I’m swimming against the current on this, but I miss the days of truly local radio all across the bands. Atavistic? Yeah, that’s me.
I think some broadcasters discount the power of local because they don’t lean into it. Like you, many of the people I know would much rather eat at local eatery than at a chain. But to get that local edge, you have to offer up something special they can’t get anywhere else. Appreciate the comment & the perspective, John.
Black Friday’s impact can also be seen in the various (and largely international) spin-offs that occur over the following days: Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. (I was surprised to learn that last year’s Cyber Monday apparently was indeed the single-biggest day for online shopping in U.S. history.)
It is amazing how these “shopping holidays” have become their own branded events.