Innholdsfortegnelse for February 10, 2020 i Radio Ink Magazine

“A stupid decision that works out well becomes a brilliant decision in hindsight.” — Daniel Kahneman It’s a human trait most of us can relate to, one that both inspires dreamers and nourishes path seekers. It’s the age-old story of someone who defies all the odds to come out a winner. They started in a garage, didn’t graduate from college, peddled their product door-to-door, and eventually became industry icons, admired and respected in their field of expertise. Or they overcome physical limitations, poverty, or graduating at the bottom of their class, only to rise like cream to the top of their profession. These are great stories, ones that drive us to hang on a little longer and strive a little harder. And there’s nothing wrong with dreaming “the impossible dream.”…

My most successful ads are typically the ones where I refrain from using logic, and choose instead to speak to the unconscious mind. Advertise your client’s product to the conscious mind of the customer and you will likely be met with doubt, lack of interest, and suspicion. But the unconscious mind greets you with none of these. Speaking to the unconscious is not nearly so complicated as it sounds. Here’s a recent example. A big jewelry store asked for ads that would trigger interest in star sapphires and in custom jewelry. The instructions I was given were typical of those received by most ad writers: “What makes a star sapphire different from regular sapphires is the asterism that lends a mystical element. Asterism is caused by small needle-like inclusions of…

This is one of my favorite questions to ponder. It has always amazed me how radio can be so vertical, even to its detriment. Most of us started out selling, and we sold one AM and one FM. Consolidation hit, and all of a sudden we were responsible for selling seven stations or more. As a whole, radio performed very poorly at maximizing all these new revenue streams. In smaller markets that did not or were not able to have separate staffs, we still had one or two dominant stations that received all the attention and the lion’s share of the revenue. Now we are adding digital products, and as an industry, we are failing. Radio is 8% or so of the total advertising pie. Digital is now exceeding 50%.…

What are your hobbies? Working. I think I might be OCD when it comes to creative bit development! I love creating new bits and new segments for my shows and projects. In this industry, in 2020 and beyond, if we don’t continuously create, we don’t exist! What are you reading right now? Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss. Wisdom of Our Fathers by Tim Russert. I read it over and over. My favorite book. What is your favorite movie? It can’t be just one! Ready? The Natural, Hoosiers, and Top Gun! Oh, yeah, can’t forget Anchorman! What is your favorite TV show? Golden Girls and anything Hallmark Channel. I have a dream to one day play a love interest in a Hallmark Channel movie. Can you imagine? Also, Yellowstone with…

On October 9, 2019, National Radio Hall of Famer Bob Kingsley revealed he had cancer. Eight days later, the radio legend was gone. Kingsley enjoyed a 60-year radio career. He became producer of American Country Countdown in the 1970s and took over as host for Don Bowman in 1978. He occupied that chair for nearly 30 years before launching Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40 in 2006. At the time of his passing, the show was heard on over 300 radio stations. Bob Kingsley and his wife, Nan, were extremely close, not only husband and wife but business partners. As another CRS rolled around and Radio Ink prepared to hand out its annual Best Country PD awards, we were lucky enough to have this conversation with Nan Kingsley. Radio Ink: First,…

Hundreds, if not thousands, of employees were fired by i Heart last month. Staff reductions are reported at Cumulus and at other groups as well. With more programming coming from centralized hubs, the radio industry struggles to maintain its local identity. Some will debate the importance of localism. I maintain that it continues to be one of the pillars making radio relevant in a digital world. Local doesn’t always have to be live. It just needs to be relevant. One thing is certain: localism alone will not carry the day. Local air talent need to “bring it,” and avoid offering the same generic content executed by national talent. One thing I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) is that national talent will win in local markets if their content is more…

Colin Walsh started Varo Money four years ago. His goal is to create the first fully digital bank in America because, he says, the banking system as it is set up today is not working for consumers. To accomplish his goal, he turned to radio to help get his message out. In late 2019, Varo Money announced a multimillion-dollar three-year marketing campaign with iHeartMedia. As part of the campaign, Varo plans to use all of iHeart’s platforms to promote the company, with radio being the workhorse. Radio Ink spoke to Walsh about why he chose radio and how he plans to use the medium to help his company grow and succeed. Radio Ink: Why did you decide to use radio to help get the word out? Colin Walsh: There are…

The simple, most basic truth you need to know is this: You can’t sell anything to anyone, anywhere, if they don’t trust you. Not more than once, anyway. Period. End of story. So ask yourself, where do you think you rank on the trust scale in your prospects’ and clients’ minds? Are you at the top of the scale? Consumer surveys have indicated that pharmacists rank high in trust — as opposed to politicians and, yes, salespeople. That said, how do you up your trust level? First, let’s examine how you achieve trust to begin with. Look in the mirror and see how you perform in each of these critical trust-building activities: Youearn trust. Nobody gives it to you. You can’t buy it. Just ask a politician. You build it…