Is Digital A House Of Cards?
Audio
(PODCAST) Salespeople. Still Using These For Leads?
Sales have been flat in radio. There's no denying that. We hear about pockets of strength, mostly in small and medium markets, but we've also seen the big guns report weak revenue numbers. The cuts continue, as companies continue to reduce expenses until the economy rebounds and the sales improve. For sure some of it is the economy. Could another part of it be salespeople not making enough calls or calling on the wrong businesses or hitting the street with a pocket pen and a rate card?
Has Jelli Reinvented The Radio Spot?
Jelli CEO Michael Dougherty tells Radio Ink a major recognizable advertiser will launch across his platform of stations on Monday using technology that has never been used before. It's called "Jelli Response." The goal of every radio sales executive is to drive local revenue and generate R.O.I for those local clients, especially these days when national advertising isn't doing radio many favors. While still relatively low, advertising is shifting online and most research says mobile is where the money is headed next.
The Secret to Managing The Miami Market.
After nearly 40 years as a driving force in radio, Cox Media Group Miami Market Manager Jerry Rushin (pictured) has officially announced that he plans to enter retirement in July, 2012. Rushin has spent his entire 40 year career in the Miami market. He's getting ready to turn 65 and wants to spend a little more time enjoying life. In 1973 "Super Jerry J" began his career on the air part-time at WEDR-FM. That station is still part of the management responsibilities that Rushin will relinquish in July. last night we caught up with Rushin and asked him about his career, how he motivates his managers and staff, the importance of community involvement and working for Cox.
He Was Tired of Big Bad Corporate Radio, So He Bought His Own Station.
(by Ed Ryan) Some would say Paul Wilson is living the American Radio Dream. Wilson worked his way up from a weekend announcer in High School to - 6 months ago - owning his own station. How many of us radio junkies have thought about going back to that one station, where we got our first break, to buy it and live happily ever after? Some of us think about it and talk about it. Paul Wilson did it. Here's his great story about getting into ownership.
Car Dealer Says Pandora Works
(by Ed Ryan) For months there has been a back-and-forth battle between radio and Pandora. Some in radio say listeners are already tiring of Pandora's advertisements when all consumers really want from them is music. And, Pandora has been telling everyone radio's advertisers are who they are going after. William Feinstein is the President of Planet Honda in New Jersey. He was so impressed with the results and the trackability of his campaign with Pandora that he signed on for a year. We spoke to Feinstein yesterday about why he uses Pandora and does not use radio.
Jack Trout Says Radio Never Gets Sold Well to Clients
The legendary Jack Trout, author of many books, including Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, Marketing Warfare and The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing was on the cover of Radio Ink in January of 1996. Trout is recognized as one of the greatest marketing minds of this generation and he's still going strong, his most recent book is called Repositioning. Greater Media Buzz Knight is the Vice President of Program Development for Greater Media Buzz Knight caught up with Trout for Radio Ink. He touched on how advertising has changed, how the battle for the mind is more competitive and how radio is never sold properly. Listen to our interview.
Making Great Sounding Radio
How would you like to be able to pick the brains of three of the best minds in the business and ask them how to make your radio station shine? That's exactly what we've done. Listen to Lee Abrams, Randy Lane and Dave Richards about what it's going to take to Make Great Radio in 2012.
30 Minutes of Great Selling Ideas
In this weeks sales meeting we pepper Center for Sales Strategy EVP Matt Sunshine for 30 minutes, touching on Cold Calling, Sales meeting, R.O.I., Training New Salespeople, Categories you should be focusing on, business questions to ask you clients and much more.
Cumulus Teams With Radiate For Traffic
Cumulus is teaming up with Radiate Media to launch a new traffic reporting service. It's called “Right Now Traffic” and will launch on Cumulus stations in the top 75 U.S. markets in April. Radiate was formed in 2010 and CEO Chris Rothey (pictured) says, in addition to teaming up with 750 Cumulus stations, the service will be made available to other stations. Listen to that interview here.
(MENTORING) Retain Top Talent & See High ROI
(by Rene Petrin) According to a 2008 Deloitte Research study, “Research suggests that a company’s ‘stars’ are the first to be poached by competitors and are less likely to stay. Moreover, a study of investment banks found that when imported from elsewhere, stars rarely sustain their performance in the new organization.” The last thing you want to see is your top people walk across the street to one of your competitors.
SALES MEETING - Successful Selling in 2012
Radioink.com introduces a new weekly Sales Meeting which is a thirty minute podcast with D.O.S.'s from across the country answering questions about issues managers and salespeople deal with every day on the street.
How To Recruit Great Salespeople
Recruiting and hiring salespeople to represent your station or cluster is all about Talent, Training and Tactics. All too often managers get into the habit of hiring whoever, whenever. As EVP at the Center for Sales Strategy Matt Sunshine puts it "If you're starving, you'll eat anything." In our webinar with Sunshine we detail how to avoid making bad hires and how you should keep sales talent ready to take the field for your station or cluster.
Radio Managers: Are You Ready to Fail?
Do you start your work day so worried about failing you never try anything new or innovative? Are you so fearful of what your boss will say or do to you that have just become part of normal? Seth Godin has a little advice for all radio managers, and that is, take a half hour every day, and go out and fail.
Vermont Community Rides High With Radio
If you search hard enough, there are stations out there doing the "minor league" training our industry needs to grow the next generation of successful broadcasters. That, despite the many loud cries that corporate radio is killing that concept. WBTN-AM could be considered one of those stations.
Living The Radio Dream
(by Ed Ryan) How many of us have dreamed that dream of heading back to small-town America, buying that first radio station we waltzed through as a young aggressive radio rat and living happily ever after? They are the thousands of small town America stations blanketing tiny main streets across the fruited plain where the priorities range from announcing obituaries, school lunch menus, a lost cat and interviewing the Mayor.
Rick Dees Talks About His Friend George Beasley
When you're in one industry for 50 years you make a lot of friends. Some of those friends turn out to be pretty darn good on the air. Rick Dees is one of those people who became a good friend of the Beasley family and remains close with the family to this day. Dees has a lot of memories and stories to tell about George Beasley in the upcoming issue of Radio Ink that highlights George Beasley's 50 year radio ride.
What Does Farber Have in Store For RAB
In a little more than 6 weeks Erica Farber will start her new position as Executive Vice President for the RAB. The announcement came on the same day RAB announced Sheila Kirby was taking a job at CBS and Ron Ruth was moving into a consultant role. With a long run as Publisher of Radio & Records and stints at legendary stations like KRTH, KABC and KIIS Farber has a rolodex that would be tough to match.
Kirby Back With Weiss At CBS
If you know Sheila Kirby, you know she is always upbeat, positive, motivational and a great ambassador for the radio industry. Prioir to joining the RAB as a Senior Vice President for Professional Development Kirby spent 8 years on the RAB's Board of Directors. Kirby moves to CBS where she will report directly to CBS Sales President Michael Weiss as Senior Vice President for Sales Training and Development. We spoke to Kirby last night about leaving the RAB and rejoining Weiss.
Radio Supplemental Source For Community Info.
The Pew Research Center released a report yesterday that may ring an alarming bell for the radio industry. At the same time the data may provide radio managers with an opportunity to see what they can improve upon; live and local. The study of 2,200 people concluded that, while more than half of those surveyed say they turn to radio to get community information on a weekly basis, radio comes in 3rd when residents want local information.
The Rock Radio Debate Continues
(by Ed Ryan) Recently I wrote an opinion piece about Rock & Roll and my lost love for the format I grew up with. There was a lot of reaction to this piece, mainly split down the middle from readers. However, those that have worked in that format, totally disagreed. They say the format is alive and thriving. Someone who has developed a stellar reputation in the industry is Jeff Pollack. Here is that full interview.
