Pushing Hype

We have to admit it. We can't deny it. It's what we do.

Most radio stations are still stuck in the selling hype trap: more music, better variety, bigger prizes, best, most, blah blah blah...

The thing is, I've talked to programmers who want to try something else, but they can't figure out how to sell it to the people they report to, and they're not sure they can trust their air staff if they take these crutches away.

Next time your VP/Programming is in town, watch THIS together.

Apple sells a lot of phones. That ad sold a lot of phones, yet it didn't make one claim about quality, price, options or any of the features on that iPhone.

They sold the emotion of a family being together at Christmas and the way one teen member of that family commemorated - saved forever - how that felt.

We know none of our claims about our greatness are credible, but even if they were, that's not what moves listening.

If it was, all those nearly-automated liner stations would've had a 100 share by now.

We buy promises about how things will make us feel.

We buy stories that make us feel better about ourselves when we use products that connect with our emotional brain, not our rational one.

Think about that for a minute or two.

What promise can you make to your listeners that you can keep every time they hear you?

Work on fulfilling that and the ratings will take care of themselves.