Our post about apps and talent earlier this week elicited many comments – especially on Twitter where a number of jocks chimed in about their role in differentiating radio from its digital competitors. The best comment came from researcher and techie, Mike Anthony, and it’s the subject of this morning’s guest post. Thanks to Mike for taking the time to add to the conversation. – FJ
Your post – “The App’s The Thing” – really resonated with me, especially the part about concerning talent. I would like to suggest this variation: “The talent’s the thing.”
Apps can be great connectors to content but to borrow a line or two from a recent Bob Lefsetz post:
“Those who will be trusted will not be those with an engineering degree but a humanities degree. We are in an era of chaos. Humans need order. We want trusted filters.”
He was talking about the end of Twitter. I think it directly applies to the survival of radio as a viable, monetizable platform. If radio wants a new story, well, it’s a great old story: Talent. Embrace it, nurture it and start looking at it as a possible revenue source, not an expense.
Real talent is scarce. And scarcity in this instance may be to radio’s advantage. Here is an unusual perspective that may apply. In his blog, Nir Eyal wrote about “the psychology of scarcity to boost engagement.” In this post, he talks about the principles of how scarcity and context can make products more desirable.
Talent is our most effective tool for putting content into context. It’s the context that makes listeners feel like you are talking directly to them. Great talent can personalize the connection to solving a listener’s need or meeting a desire. Consumers buy in to fill a need or an aspiration.
In the business world, think Whole Foods, Nordstrom, Zappos. They have excellent products but their stars are their people who provide the amazing customer experience that they then tell their friends about.
As you suggested, in this world of dozens of online music services, radio has the trusted friend other services don’t offer. In a world where there is an app for everything, there is no app for talent.
Great talent is scarce.
On the other hand, radio’s on-air hosts have the responsibility to keep creating, to keep developing their skills, and in the words of Hugh MacLeod, “have something to say. Once you develop a voice and purpose to your brand, then you use that perspective to create meaningful conversations.”
Talent should read everything from Hugh, and to get you started, here are my two favorite links – one on creativity and the other about social objects.
There’s no app for talent.
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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