YOUR “DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE” Greg Diamond I was in contact with a former colleague recently who was keeping a very close ear to a brand new signal in his market. Everybody had known it was coming at some point, though no one was quite sure when, until the last few hours before going to air. He commented on the splash with which it signed on and how he felt the nearest format competitor sounded unprepared for the impending battle.
With the commission granting more licenses all the time the question to be asked is, “What can you do to prepare for a new competitor?” – or, in keeping with the snappy article title, “How’s your Department of Defence?”
Before you set out to make your station “bullet-proof”, you need to understand and accept that in a sign-on of a format similar to yours, you will not salvage everything. Something will be sacrificed. The important part is deciding what is most important to the long term ratings/sales viability of your operation and what, if necessary, can be ceded to the upcoming competitor. In other words, you may lose a battle or two, but still win the war.
This is not a time to be the “Lone Ranger”, either. Make sure any decisions are made after discussions with the GM, GSM, and Group PD (if there is one).
Can Anyone Lend An Ear?
How well are you performing right now? As odd as it may sound, a Program Director may not be the best person to provide the answer. Being “in the trenches” each day naturally places even the best programmers too close to the product. As such, they can’t help but lose a measure of objectivity over time. It is simple human nature and everyone, regardless of ability and experience, is susceptible.
It’s best to employ “outside ears” to perform a station overview, whether that is a consultant or another PD in your chain. Have them report on everything including music, announcers, imaging, promotions, marketing, etc., particularly as it applies to your stated positioning and demo targets. Having someone with little or no emotional connection to your operation provides the unfettered view you need. In fact, this should be done every 6 months whether you are expecting a new signal in your market or not.
Put your ego aside (as best you can) and humbly accept that someone can and will find areas of improvement – even with your “well-oiled machine”. Use the resulting feedback to get on with the nuts and bolts of applying the suggestions.
Further, it would be wise to conduct focus groups to gauge awareness and expectation levels of the new player and where your station fits in the market landscape. Given, a focus group is not designed nor capable of providing concrete answers to such questions, it can, however, provide new questions and thought-starters for you to consider.
Are You On Top of the Music?
If ever there was a time to test your library now would be it. I’ve mentioned in previous articles how the immediate investment of an Auditorium Music Test will pay off in the long run, but in this case with another signal eating into the advertising pie (which we all know doesn’t just grow to accommodate the new player), it goes double. Protect your music position, first and foremost.
Also, examine your music database (or have a third party perform an overview if you are less proficient in this area) to ensure it is functioning efficiently and such things as categories, turnovers, clock loading, library coding, rotation rules/plotting, etc. are appropriate for your format.
Are the Jocks Happy and Well Fed?
With a competitor coming on, the last thing you need is sleepy/sloppy announcer execution. Get everyone in one-on-one for an aircheck and clearly explain what is required of them. Follow each aircheck with a memo reinforcing your discussion points. Also, create a general memo for all jocks to be left in plain view somewhere in the control room.
An alternate method to one-on-one airchecks, which could be very useful in this circumstance, is the group aircheck.
This is not something that can be used often or it quickly becomes ineffective, but done when “on special occasions” can have the added benefits of highlighting (without even verbalizing) the importance of the situation, allowing for a bonding session with the entire airstaff, increasing retention as the jock’s peers would be doing the critique, and enhancing performance competition (which naturally exists anyway – why not harness it?).
Do not do a group aircheck in the station. It is best performed as one part of a general “Jock Meeting” held preferably at the PD’s house (with food and beverages supplied) or possibly a lounge booked as a private function.
Could You Use Some ‘Air Freshener’?
Is your imaging fresh? You can be assured the new station’s Promos and ID’s will be. This should be an ongoing process with a well established system to ensure a constant replacement of older production pieces. However, this is often not the case and can take a back seat to other seemingly more pressing needs. A personal mentor once compared programming to juggling a number of balls in the air – don’t drop this one!
A word of caution - now would not be the ideal time to give your station ‘a fresh coat of paint’. Don’t redo all your imaging or choose this time to change your station voice. It would be prudent to only update enough to freshen things, but still allow for a large measure of familiarity – something you can use to your advantage when listeners start ‘tire-kicking’ the new guys. Give them something comfortable to come back to. Also, your imaging producer will appreciate the fact he/she won’t be getting that lovely olive-drab “studio tan” any time soon.
Are You Being Seen, Heard and Talked About?
My friend commented on how the new station came out swinging promotionally. They had a couple of different flyaways with one being overseas, plus daily morning show cash giveaways. Without going deeper into the details, there was what would certainly be deemed “substantial prizing” for any market size and by the way, this was not Toronto. Conversely, the nearest format competitor was quieter promotionally than normal.
A cutback in the promotion and marketing budget is never truly warranted when the future strength of a station is considered. I have always marveled at the irony of an industry that exists as a marketing medium, yet fails to apply well established marketing formulas to its own product. Having said that, budgetary pressure being what it is, people will have a tendency to decrease this area for no other reason than its relatively easy to do. There is often a lot of money there and no one loses their job because of it… immediately, anyway.
With a new competitor coming on and the inevitable product sampling associated with a launch, an increase in budget for both promotions and marketing is sensible. They will get word of mouth for just being on air. You will obviously need to work harder to stay top of mind. Besides, why allow the new guys any sort of running start. Make them work for everything.
Are Your ‘Friends’ Still ‘Friendly’?
Relationships play such a vital role in anyone’s or anything’s success.
When was the last time you took a record rep to lunch? Have you had open, frank discussions with your ‘key’ people regarding their job satisfaction? Are you more than just acquaintances with the other media personnel in the community? Do the concert promoters and movie companies call you first?
These are just a few types of relationships that have contributed to whatever success you have achieved. It pays to take the time and keep these people in your corner.
A Record Rep has a responsibility to service people as fairly as possible, but having had them as close allies in the past could (and likely will) be valuable in future. Keep the bond tight and while your dealings may no longer be mutually exclusive, they should still remain mutually beneficial.
By the way, if this means bending a little further in your general approach to the labels, so be it. It’s the law of supply and demand – their supply is up and your demand is down – accept it and adjust accordingly.
The staff members that are most relied upon for the success of your station are the same ones who stand the best chance of being lured across the street. This is the case anytime, but a startup operation will usually be looking for good people with market experience, so the odds of losing them are increased.
You should be meeting everyone on a regular basis anyway, but it is important to have sincere, open one-on-ones with the key players to let them know their value to the company and more importantly, you personally. By the way, don’t wait for the sign on to hold these meetings. If you do, expect very lonely, one-sided discussions – those people may already be gone!
Building strong personal relationships with television anchors, news directors, newspaper columnists, etc. is very important in ensuring your operation is reported on more often and in a more favourable light. This will come in handy with the new players clamoring for attention from these same individuals.
Concert promoters are not as helpful in securing the major ‘presents’ as they once were. In fairness, it is not so much their lack of desire to do so, but instead the increasing acceptance of the American-style ‘no presents’ policy, which is an understandable practice south of the border.
Having said that, there are still enough smaller shows with presenting exclusivity that any station using this tactic will still have plenty of opportunity to do so. That is provided you and the promoter have a strong relationship built on mutual success. Now is the time to stay top of mind with the promoters as more proposals will be coming their way from your market.
The same goes for the movie companies. Go above and beyond at the premieres and start scheduling your more high-profile announcers to host them.
The Sales staff can also play a very important role in these times. They are your foot soldiers (even if neither of you realize nor admit it). They are the ones on the street each day receiving feedback from clients, media buyers, other reps, and of course your listeners.
They are an enormous resource of perception and opinion. I have yet to meet a sales person who would not gladly give their thoughts and opinions (formed primarily through their experiences and dialogue outside the station). All you need to do is ask. Then be prepared for an answer… which you may not care for.
Also, the sales people will likely be the first ones to sniff out such valuable information as sign on date, promotional plans, launch details, etc.
In short, mine this resource.
Are You Putting Up Roadblocks?
Are you lessening the number of weapons a new competitor can attack you with? Have you locked up the most popular, effective syndication for your format? Do you have the popular television weather person on your station? Do you partner with competitive media on your biggest and most important promotions? Have you blanketed your primary marketing medium?
The list is a long and important one.
Is This A Bad Thing?
No, not really. While a new station may not pose a direct threat with its format, what the market fallout shapes up like could have a profound effect on your operation. To make room for a new signal, stations may jostle for position. In short order, what appeared to be of little concern, has suddenly forced you to examine your own place in the landscape. The positive being the new guys will force everyone to get that much better. Everybody will win because of it.
Also, let’s make sure we don’t look past the major upside of a new market player – renewed interest.
A new signal will have people talking about and sampling the medium. Everyone stands a chance of benefiting through increased usage. Do what you can to get noticed during this period and reap the rewards.
Finally, it would be best to perform the tasks listed above as a matter of course on an ongoing basis regardless of potential new threats. After all, a Department of Defence always plans for war in times of peace. |