Making Radio Stronger In A Disaster
Buzz Knight
Are You A Renegade?
Just finished a great book by Amy Jo Martin called "Renegades Write the Rules" and if you're working to maximize your social media performance, this book has well earned "favorite" status from me. Amy Jo Martin is the founder of her company Digital Royalty which specializes in social meeting strategies for stars (many of them from the sports world) like Shaquille O Neil, the Phoenix Suns, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
10 Secrets To Driving Innovation
When you are trying to get your organization inside and out to improve the creative process, there’s a great new book out called “Ninja Innovation” by Gary Shapiro that I recommend to help you. Shapiro is the head of the Consumer Electronics Association and his keen observations on what it takes to drive innovation are applicable in our fast-paced world of content delivery.
When Godin Speaks People Listen
Seth Godin has a new book out called the Icarus Deception. It's sure to be a best-seller. What Seth Godin book isn't? According to Buzz Knight, who interviewed Godin about his book, The Icarus Deception is another in a long line of great motivating publications that pushes us to make some noise. Listen to Buzz Knight's interview with Seth Godin HERE
(AUDIO) Radio Can Be Better at Engaging
(by Buzz Knight) Spark Capital is a venture capital firm that partners with entrepreneurs seeking to build disruptive, world-changing companies. Andrew Parker (pictured) from Spark has been on the leading edge of change and innovation. Greater Media's Buzz Knight, reporting for Radio Ink, interviewed Parker about radios opportunity in the world of technological change.
Make Your Station Legendary
Legendary status in our business is worthy of discussion. And radio stations that achieve legendary status are unique entities that deserve celebration. In the dictionary, "legendary" is defined as: extremely well known, famous or renowned, celebrated in legend. Here's how you can make your station a legend.
The Colbert Plan
I've just come back from my pre-Labor Day vacation and I realize how much I miss my Stephen Colbert fix. We members of Colbert Nation are a strange bunch, but a loyal band of followers who love and look forward to Stephen. As I was taking my last official hike of the summer, it occurred to me that there are a few lessons from this great Comedy Central brand that relate to the talent we hire for our radio brands.
Summer Re-Charge
(By Buzz Knight) I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's August and I have some friendly reminders for your consideration. First of all, your summer is almost over! If you haven't worked toward recharging your batteries, what are you waiting for? You owe it to yourself and your organization. Don't be the manager who says, "Yeah, I took a day or two and I'll take one more if I can find the time."
How to Move The Needle.
(By Buzz Knight) How good is your organization's “user experience”? In the highly competitive world in which your product lives, you'd better attack yourself from the inside looking out so you can stay ahead of your competition. The depth and excellence of the “user experience” was a constant theme at last week’s Convergence 2012 from the majority of the speakers.
How Many People Are You Reaching?
(by Buzz Knight) In a business like ours, which is designed to reach and be consumed, it's not only about the ears you attract, but it's also about the number of eyeballs that get to check you out at any given time. Do you constantly challenge your team to push the number of eyeballs and ears that check you out and try your brand? Isn't this the core principal beyond your brand promise that will drive you to success?
First Quarter Report Card
(by Buzz Knight) The pace at radio stations across America is dizzying. Christmas seems like yesterday. We are about to reach the end of the first quarter. Time flies when you're zooming through the day. Now is an appropriate time to take a pause and evaluate your performance. Here's a checklist to assist you as you take an up-close and personal look at how you're doing:
Move Your People Closer to Exceptional
(by Buzz Knight) At this time of the year it’s important to find the focus that is necessary to improve great radio organizations in preparation and reflection for the upcoming year. Sometimes the best tactic to approach this with is to boil the focus down to one important word that matters. As the year begins to wind down, it’s a good time to consider how important in the day to day world of radio the word “exceptional” is.
Lessons From Woody Allen
If you're responsible for managing a creative process at your radio station, or you are in charge of talent management, a viewing of the DVD “Woody Allen: A Documentary" would be well worth your time.
The Art of Defeat
Whether it happens in our life, our business or sports, we will all at one time or another have to experience the excruciating feeling known as losing. The restless nights. The depression. The confusion. The anger.
What Was I Thinking?
(by Buzz Knight) A friend of mine some time ago recommended the book “Confessions of an Advertising Man” by David Ogilvy (pictured) as a timeless masterpiece that had implications for us today in a crowded media world. Unfortunately, I didn’t immediately react to his recommendation and I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner. If you don’t pick up your own copy of the book first issued in 1963 I’ll give you a summary of some key takeaways.
The Power of Local Greatness
One of our strongest assets in the radio industry is understanding and maximizing the power of local greatness. As we observe challenges in a disruptive climate that our content faces, I’m convinced that realizing what our local assets are and growing their importance within our culture is a big step in the right direction. Here are some idea starters with a bit of a different approach that might benefit all of us in the weeks and months ahead.
Buck The System When Making New Hires
Hiring is a difficult process and we've all made mistakes in our career. As I observe the hiring by the St Louis Cardinals of new manager Mike Matheny, there are lessons to consider. Matheny is replacing Tony LaRussa, who just won the World Series and we have no clue how he will fare in the long run. The hiring of Matheny suggests that we should re-think our criteria for hiring no matter what the position. Here are FIVE recommendations to keep in mind when hiring.
Finding Talent in a Dwindling Talent Pool
(by Buzz Knight) I was struck this past week by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to Harvard to recruit student talent for the social networking site. His goal involved the possibility of expanding with a Boston area satellite office, but more importantly, it was about reaching out to prospective employees who could potentially join Facebook in the future. “This is the best time to recruit seniors from Harvard and MIT classes of 2012” said Zuckerberg (who dropped out of Harvard in 2004 to launch Facebook).
Recognizing Radio Greats
(by Buzz Knight) As Radio Ink acknowledges current Programmers and legendary jocks of the past, I’d like to recognize three individuals who I had the pleasure of working with that made a difference in our industry and made an impact on me. John Mcghan, George Taylor Morris and Scott Muni.
Do You Know Who Your Station's Brand Ambassador Is?
(by Buzz Knight) Do you know who the most important Brand Ambassador is for your radio station? It's someone you take for granted and more than likely rarely if ever, sit down and communicate with about your brand. It's someone who communicates either via the phone or in person with more of your listeners than any station member comes in contact with. It's your receptionist.
Are You A Lonely Program Director?
(by Buzz Knight) A PD in today's world of radio has multiple responsibilities in managing a successful brand. There are the bland and benign duties, like expense reports and time sheets and the highly creative and involved projects, including developing the specifics of a marketing plan or inspiring your morning talent to capture the moment with a topical comedy bit. PD's can tend to be lonely and sometimes isolated creatures of habit. They like to "tweak" or "tinker" with their product or their creative process.
Remembering a Modern Day Visionary
(by Buzz Knight) Steve Jobs will be remembered as a modern day visionary like no other. We were all truly blessed to have witnessed his brilliance. It’s hard to believe he’s gone, yet he leaves a legacy that will carry on for generations to come. Let me try to put a simple perspective on what Steve Jobs meant to us by giving you five words that the radio industry can live by in tribute to his amazing life.
Five Tips to Make You A Better On-Air Talent
(by Buzz Knight) We hear it all the time. It's what we do between the records that make us stand out when compared to local newspaper or local TV or Pandora, Slacker, the iPod. If you sound like you're reading a meaningless liner card just so you can finish voicetracking and get back home to feed the dog, the audience will not be fooled. If you put your heart into every shift and every break, every day, listeners will consider you a companion. We asked Greater Media VP for Program Development to lay it out for us. How can on-air talent be the best? Here are 5 of Knight's recommendations.
What PD's Can Learn From Terry Francona
(by Buzz Knight) As I watched the implosion of Boston Red Sox Manager Terry Francona before my very eyes, I was reminded of some very important disciplines that apply to Program Directors in today’s era of talent management. With two World Series victories under his belt and a tremendous run in a “win at all costs” sports town, it’s amazing how a fall from grace can occur so rapidly. Can that happen to your team?
MORE PD Lessons From Terry Francona
(by Buzz Knight) So in all fairness, what I wrote Monday about Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona, may have had an unfair tone in retrospect. I stand by what I wrote with regard to the need for firm leadership to set the proper tone in your “clubhouse” or radio station. But I need to be fair and acknowledge some positive lessons that you, as a Program Director, can take from a guy who won TWO World Series titles after a drought of 86 years.
