ASIA

Selling Radio Direct with Pat Bryson
With a new year looming, soon you will be preparing goals for 2022.
But, we aren’t the only ones thinking about next year. Our clients are preparing also. They are in the planning stages of creating goals, purchasing merchandise, getting their game plans ready to survive and thrive.How will our stations and our advertising campaigns fit into their strategies? We need to find out. We need to access their plans and goals and to develop campaigns to help them to achieve those goals.Now is the time to set down with your clients and discuss 2022. We call doing this “doing a mini-CNA”. We update ourselves on how our clients’ businesses might have changed during the last year or months (I guarantee you there have been BIG changes and adjustments). We need to find out what is most important to them in the new year. We need to know what they are thinking about their advertising and how effective they perceive their current campaigns to be.
Are they thinking of moving money to other advertising vehicles?
Are they planning on cutting back their advertising investments?
Are they planning on increasing their investments?
What are the biggest concerns they have about doing business in the new year?
Are they concerned about additional lockdowns?
Are they having supply problems? Do they expect those to continue? Are they fully staffed?
We need to understand where their business is today and where they want it to be by the end of 2022. I know that crystal balls can be cloudy in the current economic environment, but the more we know about our clients’ businesses, the better equipped we will be to assist them. It’s not about us: it’s about them! Helping our clients to achieve their goals will be the fastest way for us to achieve our goals.2022 may be a challenging year. Aren’t all years challenging in some way or the other? But we can become prepared to survive and thrive. Review your client list, set a time for a planning session with your decision-makers. Then prepare winning strategies for 2022.Happy planning and happy selling!
Pat has a New Book […]

Content from BPRListeners of music stations usually place Music Variety amongst their most desired programming priorities.The problem is that inexperienced program directors, and sometimes experienced program directors who should know better, often misinterpret what the audience is saying by simply adding more songs into the mix, broadening out the universe both in titles and music genres.

The end result is a weaker music position that lacks focus.Top Five Variety Myths
More songs equals better variety. Wrong
Adding songs from genres outside my strategic centre will improve music variety. Wrong
Increasing the number of songs will improve variety and reduce repetition. Wrong
More songs will increase TSL. Wrong
Adding songs from eras outside my strategic centre will improve music variety. Wrong
Adding more songs, songs from eras or genres that are not part of your overall strategy will have the opposite effect…..they will dilute not only music variety but, worst of all, negatively impact your best music position…and ultimately, TSL and possibly cume.Why?Because when listeners speak of wanting “music variety” they’re actually saying they want a “variety of the songs they love”. Usually when program directors increase the size of the universe they do so with songs that have weaker test scores, are more unfamiliar or do not “fit” the format. That is, songs the audience doesn’t “love”.BPR’s research conducted in markets around the world shows that the stations with the tightest universes often have the best variety scores.Why?Because they only play the killer songs and their strict adherence to the station’s music policy ensures a powerful execution of the strategy.If your variety scores are not what they should be, examine your logs…..look for clumping of genres, too many songs with similar tempo scheduled together etc.Are your listeners complaining that they’re hearing the same songs over and over? Maybe they’re right. Check your horizontal and daypart rotations – are the same songs being played at the same times? Don’t forget listeners are very habitual with their listening patterns.Depending on your format, make sure you have multiple clocks to achieve better music variety. Altering the category position from day to day and hour to hour decreases the chances of these habitual listeners hearing the same songs.ConclusionPerception is reality. Best Music and Music Variety are crucial perceptual “hills” to own for a music station.Formulate a strategy for your music position, execute that strategy flawlessly and sell it to your listeners. Best Music and Music Variety must be key elements of both the strategy and execution.As with everything about your radio station’s programming, owning the Music Variety position is a strategic exercise.I’ll leave you with my favourite quote from Sun Tzu……“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”By David Kidd, BPR […]

Content from BPROne of the major findings in the study of psychology over the last 50 years has been what people had suspected all along: human thinking and judgment often isn’t rational.

And it’s all due to cognitive bias.Here’s an example. If there were two yoghurt brands on the supermarket shelf and one says “80% fat-free” and the other one says “20% fat added”, which one do you think most people will pick? Yes, the study found the majority chose “80% fat-free” even though both had the same fat content.Cognitive bias is the tendency to base conclusions and decisions on our predispositions rather than objective evidence.Cognitive bias is a strong preconceived perception of someone or something, based on information we have, think we have, or lack. These preconceptions are mental shortcuts the human brain produces to expedite the processing of information…..to quickly help it make sense of what it is seeing or hearing.Unfortunately, biases make it difficult for people to exchange accurate information. A cognitive bias distorts our critical thinking, leading to possibly perpetuating misconceptions or misinformation.Cognitive bias can be disastrous in strategic planning.Biases lead us to avoid information that may be unwelcome or doesn’t sit with our preconceptions,  rather than investigating the information that could lead us to a more accurate outcome.There are many types of cognitive biases and all serve as errors in a person’s subjective way of thinking. The biases originate from that individual’s own perceptions, observations or points of view.I’ll address just four types here.Confirmation bias. This type of bias is the tendency to seek out information that supports something you already believe and is a particularly harmful type of cognitive bias……you remember the hits and forget the misses. Confirmation bias can also lead to the “ostrich effect,” where a person buries their head in the sand to avoid information that may disprove their original point. “All my friends love my new morning show……the research must be wrong.”The Dunning-Kruger Effect. This particular bias refers to how people perceive a concept to be simplistic just because they don’t have a lot of knowledge on the topic…..the less you know about something, the less complicated it may appear. This form of bias limits curiosity…..the desire to know more, to explore the “why”. Unfortunately, this bias can also lead people to think they are smarter than they actually are, because they have reduced a complex idea to a simplistic understanding. “Our share of listening is up…….we are improving”. Perhaps not….it could just be that overall listening is down and your station’s average audience remained steady….it could be demos out of your target audience pumped up the figures…..it could be any one of a number of  anomalies.Availability bias. This bias refers to the tendency to use the information we can quickly recall when evaluating a topic or idea…..even if this information is not the most accurate. Using this mental shortcut, we deem the information we can most easily recall as valid and ignore alternative solutions or opinions. The bias operates under the principle that if you can think of it, it must be important. “The problem isn’t the music. There was a story on the news today about information overload……I think we’re running too many commercials……too many messages. We need an urgent review of inventory.”Status Quo bias. The status quo bias refers to the preference to keep things in their current state, while regarding any type of change as a loss. Change can be very scary for many people but this bias results in the difficulty to process or accept change that may be needed for a radio station to improve. Status Quo bias is connected to Loss Aversion bias…. the potential for loss stands out in people’s minds much more prominently than the potential for gains. “We’re not winning 25-39 females with the current format but if we change format we may lose even more”.As a programmer, how can you deal with cognitive bias?
Importantly, admit that as humans we are all impacted by it.
Seek out information from a range of sources and consider situations from multiple perspectives. Challenge your own ideas.
Ensure you have accurate research upon which to base your decisions.
Make no assumptions without research.
Avoid having to make decisions under time pressure where the decisions will be difficult to undo. Make the time to think the issues through.
Don’t make decisions when you’re in a bad mood (yes, that’s a psychological fact!).
If you’re not analytical with statistics by nature, don’t try to analyse data and make decisions based upon it. Find someone who is analytical to do it for you.
Don’t make decisions in the evening if you are a “morning person” (and vice versa).
Appreciate that uncertainty is a necessary ingredient on the road to rationality. Embrace uncertainty as an opportunity to sharpen your thinking skills and to learn from experience.
By David Kidd, BPR […]

According to a report by ANTARA news agency, Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) has highlighted the importance of radio’s vital role in providing information on the COVID-19 pandemic to people in addition to being an accurate information distribution medium to tackle hoaxes.“The ministry observes that radio plays an important role by providing information through a variety of talk shows, information dissemination activities, as well as public service announcements regarding COVID-19 pandemic,” Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate told ANTARA.Plate also highlighted that the COVID Alert Radio movement, by the Indonesia’s Radio Community Network (JRKI), plays an important role in stemming the spread of hoaxes and disinformation related to COVID-19.

Radio not only plays a part in spreading information but it also offers public services, such as the online learning program for students during COVID-19 pandemic, he remarked.Head of Jakarta’s Public Broadcaster RRI (LPP RRI) Enderiman Butar-Butar echoed his group’s unwavering commitment to serving the people amid the pandemic by holding a broadcasting program and news segments on mitigating the spread of COVID-19.“LPP RRI’s journey for the last two years ever since the pandemic struck has been one of total commitment, meaning that our programs have been focusing on how to mitigate and how to stop the spread of COVID-19 from all sides,” he said. […]

India’s Big FM network is celebrating independent music in the country by partnering with Hungama Artist Aloud for their latest offering ‘The Blue Mic’.Starting October 11, the show will air Monday-Friday from 4 pm to 5 pm.Each week, it will feature one exceptionally talented artist or band and delve into their journey, music, inspirations, passions, future plans, interactions, on-air jam sessions and requests from listeners.

Every Saturday, the ‘Artist of the Week’ will also perform exclusively on BIG FM’s Facebook handle through their property BIG Café Online to entertain and engage with fans.The show will kickstart with Euphoria as the first band and will see many artists with their distinctive musical styles be part of the show.Sunil Kumaran, Country Head, Product, Marketing & THWINK BIG, BIG FM, said: “Over the last couple of years, Indian audiences have turned to independent music like never before and its loyal following is snowballing by the day. We are glad to provide a platform for the renowned as well as budding talents through which they can showcase their passion and give our audience fresh content that they can enjoy.”Soumini Sridhara Paul, Senior Vice President, Hungama Artist Aloud, said: “Today, almost everyone we know takes solace in music to relieve their stress and anxiety. At a time like this where we are fighting a global pandemic, we feel it is the need of the hour to provide our young listeners with content that they like and enjoy. Independent music has been on the rise and we are thrilled to present these talented artists with a platform that takes them to further heights.”Singer and Euphoria’s lead vocalist Palash Sen shared: “Having been so closely associated with independent music space over the years, I am glad to be a part of the show which celebrates independent music and artists. With new artists being discovered, it’s great to see these talented voices get the opportunities that they deserve. I am sure listeners will instantly connect to the show as they explore fresh music.” […]

Content from BPRThis quote comes from Michael Porter, an American academic known for his theories on economics and business strategy. He is credited for creating Porter’s Five Forces analysis, which is instrumental in business strategy development today.

But the quote shouldn’t be taken out of context……it applies to one of his five “tests” of good strategy.Strategic planning in most businesses often focuses on what to do….what the goals are and how to achieve them. Makes perfect sense.In radio, we determine the strategic goals and articulate what the station will be…the means by which we will achieve those strategic goals….the format, the talent, the brand image, the “sound” etc.But Michael Porter makes a great point…….we should also articulate what the station is NOT.By establishing what you are NOT, you further define and refine the format by not only making it a much clearer value proposition for the listeners but also by crystallizing the programming vision for internal stakeholders.What a station is NOT depends on the format and the target audience. Here’s an example for a station taking a “family friendly” position targeting females with young children.We are NOT:
Boring
Loud
Fake
Smutty
Rude
Out of Touch
Try hard
Negative
Condescending/Patronising
Obnoxious
Soul less
Controversial
You now have additional filters through which every element on your station should pass before going to air, which will ensure that all content adheres to the brand promise.By David Kidd, BPR […]