Today, Mike Stern takes over the blog desk with a post that speaks to his background in both rock and news/talk radio.  I couldn’t say it better myself. – FJ

The first 2:30 of this segment from The Daily Show should be seen by every Program Director in America because it directly speaks to delivering on the promise, positioning, and perhaps a little desperation.  You can watch it here.

>EMAIL RECIPIENTS: CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE ROCK BLOCK<

The Daily Show’s John Oliver brings just the right level of incredulity and sarcasm to a CNN effort to apparently jumpstart its news programing by launching “The Rock Block.”  Unfortunately, the news stories presented are “decidedly un-rocking.”

As he points out, “I think we clearly have different ideas about what ‘rocking it’ means.”

This is a great reminder that your station’s imaging needs to match listener expectations; whether you are talking about “rocking” or “playing all of today’s hot hits.”  The message you send needs to match the product you are delivering.  Otherwise, you end up with a CNN-level epic fail and no one wants that especially today, when listeners have so many well-defined, accurately imaged media options.  You simply can’t afford to be off target like that.

Going a step further, the CNN example raises bigger questions about how we image our stations.  A cable news network thinking it can so easily co-opt the word “Rock” is a reminder that just saying you are “(city name’s) Rock Station” or “the hit music station” really doesn’t mean a whole lot.  When CNN is rocking, your positioner has clearly been diluted.

Radio needs to find ways to tell listeners about the experience stations deliver in ways that go beyond naming decades and playing music hooks.  We’ve repeatedly seen in the annual Jacobs Media Techsurveys that once you get beyond music and personalities, listeners tune in for a variety of emotional reasons: to escape, to get into a better mood or for companionship to name a few.  Finding ways to tap into and heighten that emotional connection with consumers is where the real imaging gold can be found.

Whether it’s as far-reaching ESPN’s Sportscenter promos that give the impression the entire sports world is hanging out at the offices in Bristol or as simple as a liner I recently heard on CHOM in Montreal promoting their afternoon drive show (paraphrasing here), “Like having Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne and Eddie Vedder in your car pool,” there simply have to be better ways to image stations than just so-called positioning statements that tell listeners what we plan but not how stations make you feel – the “why” behind radio listening – the “jobs” listeners hire radio stations to do.

Otherwise, radio may seem just as out of touch as CNN does.

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Fred Jacobs

President & Founder at Jacobs Media

Fred Jacobs founded Jacobs Media in 1983, and quickly became known for the creation of the Classic Rock radio format.

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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