Maybe you JacoBLOG readers can help me out today. The media landscape keeps getting more cluttered as new information and entertainment sources keep making their way into our lives.
That’s especially true on the audio side where many believe we’re in the middle of a revolution. The research shows most consumers are listening to more audio content, thus expanding the pie. And while radio is under the audio umbrella, so is streaming, podcasts, satellite radio, smart speakers, wireless speaker systems, Bluetooth wireless headphones and ear buds, social audio, and perhaps even new options that haven’t been invented. It’s getting crowded.
While it’s true that consumers of all ages are enjoying an expanded menu of video choices – subscription services, YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, and others – audio has distinct advantages. As us radio veterans know so well, audio can be enjoyed while doing many other things, including working, walking the dog, exercising, gardening, driving, and pretty much anything else where our ears can wander while our eyes are involved with a task of some kind.
So, now that we have that part straight, the part I find just a bit confusing is how we brand all this stuff. Radio is “radio,” that is, until it’s not. Many radio companies have incorporated the M-word – “media” – into their names in an effort to not only expand their brands, but to also not be pigeon-holed as “just a radio company.”
Today’s post will get a bit branding crazy – even a bit wonky – as we take a look at the media landscape and the ways in which positioning words are being used to claim valuable branding turf.
Where all this started to get interesting was when the company formerly known as Clear Channel (a definite radio brand name) opted for iHeartMedia. But its streaming brand was already being called iHeartRadio. And then when their podcast division took flight, its entire portfolio was placed under the iHeartRadio banner. Meantime, those 850+ radio stations and the syndicated radio programming on Premiere Networks falls under the iHeartMedia flag.
You following?
And Entercom – known primarily for being a radio company – did its own branding dipsy-doodle when it adopted the Audacy handle 15 months ago. Like the names of many pharmaceutical company’s drugs, Audacy gives off an “audio” vibe. Audacy has become the company name, incorporated into the corporate website, as well as its app.
In fact, a look at the Audacy site reveals the word “radio” is pretty much missing in action. It is not above the fold, nor is it a nav bar option. The headline you see for “The Lowe Post” is one of several that rotate:
Things are organized differently over at iHeart. On the iHeartMedia.com home page, the nav options appear below the rotating headline under the label, “listening options.” “Radio” is the first one listed, in a series of choices that include “Digital” and “Podcasts.”
Note the company bills itself up top as “America’s #1 Audio Company.”
And interestingly, there’s SiriusXM.
This company has been through much transition during the past few years. Their app has enabled them to expand beyond the car, making content accessible at home, at work, and anywhere there’s a smartphone or tablet. Their purchases of streaming and podcasting assets, specifically Pandora and podcast companies Stitcher, EarWolf, and now Team Coco (Conan O’Brien’s enterprise), have broadened the company’s assets.
Yet, the words “radio,” “podcasts,” “streaming,” or “audio” do not have strong website presence. Instead, SXM appears to be focused on its content, devoid of labels. Is that a good move or a bad move? Could they focus on “radio” (as they have done during earlier configurations)? Or have they seen their demos also lean considerably older than digital media as a result of sounding and feeling like “radio?”
So what’s the point?
This post is not meant to be a website critique. I’ll leave that task to Seth Resler who spends considerable time “testing” web home pages in an effort to better organize them and select the most important content.
The reason all this is curious to me is the choice of both words and priorities. As those of us with a background in branding and marketing know too well, words matter. That means the one(s) you own – whether by choice, association, or both. Brands – whether they are radio stations and companies, coffee shops, or department stores – define you to the consumer and other groups with whom you do business.
In the case of most media brands, the constituencies are often the public – or consumers – and advertisers and sponsors. This is the case whether we’re talking about
commercial and public media, as well as brands that are ad or sponsor-supported. We shouldn’t overlook the fact that many video streaming platforms have added ad-supported versions, including Netflix which is supposed to have their version up and running within the next six months.
But that begs the question of how broadcast radio’s key competitors are managing their messaging because their choice of words provides windows into their strategic thinking.
It is fascinating to watch how so many digital companies are drawing up a different set of schematics – even though the main goal is to entertain. I have been taking notice of Sonos lately. I have one of these systems in my home, and it’s a really nice feature. If you are Sonos, you’re thinking about how you can expand your footprint. And like more and more distribution outlets, Sonos is now a content creator?
What are they making?
Radio stations.
Yes, they have thousands of radio stations available on the system, including NPR, BBC, Bloomberg, and others. But Sonos creates their own stations that are often combinations and mashups of genres, mindsets, moods, and activities.
The first question you’re probably wondering is just how many radio listeners even have a system like this? And the answer is, “Probably more than you think.” We asked about wireless speaker systems from companies like Sonos and Bose in our most recent Techsurvey, and we learned more than one-fifth have one:
As the chart shows, men, Millennials, and Xers are more apt to own one of these systems. Same thing for regular listeners of podcasts, and to a lesser extent, those who stream audio weekly or more often.
Now that you have a sense for how popular these in-home (or in-office) speaker systems are, how is Sonos marketing their radio stations? While everyone else is pitching “audio,” Sonos’s language is very radio-centric. Let’s start with the website, where “Radio” is a main tab on their nav bar (the red circle is mine):
But how a website is labeled or even branded my not be particularly top-of-mind. It was when I saw this :60 promo for Sonos’ radio stations that I sat up – especially the tag line (wait for it):
That’s right – a full minute of radio stations flying by, ending with the oft-forgotten term, “broadcast.”
What is Sonos thinking? Actually, it’s pretty clear.
Messaging matters.
The words that (former) radio broadcasters use to define themselves, and their turf, is the point. The environment has never been this diverse, this unsettled. Who owns it, who relinquishes it, and who embraces it may say a lot about where it ends up.
Of course, there’s the issue of who’s melding the best content with the most satisfying, seamless experience.
Another post for another day.
In the meantime, let’s listen to something.
And please pass the tomatoes.
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 article. It harkens back to ancient times of the `60s when media study included works like “Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man,” a 1964 book by Marshall McLuhan. (Look it up on Wikipedia.) He is the one that said, “The Media is the Message.”
He uses the invention of the light bulb as an example. It doesn’t have content as such, but it provides light that greatly affects lifestyle. McLuhan predicted the internet in the `50s, and he coined the term “surfing” to mean what it means to the internet today.
You superbly point out the confusion of many streams of content and delivery, but maybe we need to back away for a better overall picture and discern a new “media” and how to use it to most effect the lives of the user.
I was a big McLuhan fan back in J-school. I even used a clip of him with Woody Allen from “Annie Hall” a few years back in this blog. As you point out, Willie, he truly saw where we were all headed. Although I feel like it’s grown exponentially beyond what even McLuhan might have imagined. Thanks for the comment and for reading the blog.
Seems to me us “old timers” are more afraid of the word “radio” than younger generations. I think they just take it in stride as another word–neutral, that that–representing audio, where we fear it may sound “old timey,” conjuring up images of cranky grandpas complaining about whippersnappers. Sonos seems to know better. Maybe if we stopped fearing the word and acted like we’re actually proud to be in “broadcast radio,” the industry might start gaining some the respect it deserves and people might just (gasp) start coming around to find out what’s so exciting about this thing called radio.
David, I think you’ve hit on a key point. For consumers – especially the younger ones – it is likely less about what we call ourselves and more about how we sound, how we behave, and what our brand values are about. The fact other platforms continue to embrace “radio” as a brand name validates that. Radio needs to do a better job at doing “radio.” Thanks for chiming in on this one.
I’ve been saying for years now that “Radio” is more than just a transmission medium. While by definition it is associated with transmission by RF, it has taken on a completely new definition in my mind (and clearly in the mind of others as well). “Radio” is the art of connecting with the listener through audio-regardless of the medium. When more broadcasters understand this, perhaps they won’t be left in the dust as the media landscape continues to evolve.