Music To Our Ears

It's Summertime And The Listening Should Be Easy ... But Is it?

It's time to get ready for summer ... for many of us, the last leaf on our lucky clover. Even for those of us who love the change of seasons, this year is different. Some Midwesterners are faced with battling terrific mid-summer storms. Weather is something that can't be anticipated, must be endured and presents still another challenge. As radio and music people, it's in our DNA to be drawn to the elements that surround us. In addition to the music we play on-air, there's also something special about live music played outdoors under the hot sun -- or in the cool of the evening -- that gets everyone moving. Summer is the season for station events and music festivals. This year, in spite of the economy, the music festivals, like the beat, go on.

Also embedded in the combination of warm weather, flowers and sunshine are the sound of wedding bells. Whether you are a bride-to-be on the lookout for the hottest trends, or someone whose summer weekends are booked celebrating friend's nuptials, we're affected by summer weddings. These are the sounds, feelings and colors of summer. These are some of the reasons summers are different.

Obviously the question for Urban radio is not is the summer audience different, but how is it different? For one thing, the summer audience has different needs. They're in a different mood. Right now they're hot. The country is suffering from one of the worst summer "hot spells" most of us can remember. The economy is the worst any of us can remember. Probably nothing would be more welcome that a cool thought or two about how to keep these overheated listeners happy.

Should you suddenly give away a lot of cool prizes? You know, things such as air conditioners, refrigerators, or maybe even a new house that is fully air-conditioned? How about gas cards or some up-front tickets to a really cool concert? Now we're not saying you should or shouldn't do any of these things; at best, they're short-term fixes. The big question is will people who get a diary or a meter remember that you tried to keep them cool and credit your station, even though they listened to your competition? Maybe, but you're betting against short odds. What's better is an extended cure for the summertime blues, so that when the weather changes, you're still a "major player."

They key is to really understand what summer means to your entire target audience. How do the folks who have ordinary jobs and lead fairly mundane lives feel about what their favorite station is offering during the current heat wave? They want some relief whether they live in town or moved to the suburbs. Some of them are young and restless, and radio gives them something to do after work.

Summer brings about a change in listening patterns, time-spent-listening and the overall attitude of the audience. Lots of listeners are on vacation. The kids are out of school. People tend to be happier in the summer. If you're a programmer who's holding the summer reins for the first time, or you've just moved up to a larger market, I've got a couple hot tips for you.

There is a theory that says if you really know good radio you can do any format any time. You can adjust, compromise and still win. Part of knowing good radio is understanding summer differences. During the summer months, you don't just compete against the other Urbans, Smooth Jazzes, Top 40s, Rhythmics and, in some cases, hybrids in the market; you continue to compete in the marketplace as a whole. Some programmers and consultants say they always look at a market and try to figure out how to compete against the other Urban-formatted stations. You should certainly do that, but you also have to take stock of the entire market and look at those stations with whom you share even a few quarter-hours.

SubUrban Cume

One of the new groups that many Urban stations share limited listening time with are what we like to call the "subUrban cume." For the most part they are the single professionals. They're following the jobs, but in a recent survey these Generation Joneses were found to be different from the married professionals and feel slightly out of place in a conversation about children, a new minivan and the whole "we're headed for Home Depot" world.

Can you become their favorite station this summer? Because if you can satisfy that niche and supe serve them without losing your core audience, it could pay big dividends. And besides, it's great practice for the Arbitron's PPM. Here's the secret:

In order to attract and maintain a strong summer following, you must have a current image. I know, you're saying, "Tell the GM and the sales department that. They're all screaming 'Get me more 25-54s if you want to stay in that job.'" But guess what? Those 25-plus demos they think you should be chasing don't want to hear a steady diet of oldies and ballads, no matter how much research forced them on the menu.

This is especially true during the summer. You might think that the best way to grow a summer audience would be to play some cool music, and many of the really cool songs are ballads. That simply is not true. Whether you're a straightahead Urban station or an Urban AC, the smart thing to do this summer is to freshen up and some add currents and some tempo -- even in the case of the Urban ACs. Remember, not everyone, especially the young professionals, who listen to your station is going to the clubs or being "shouted out."

Check the latest population figures and see what the trends are in your market. Have there been population shifts? How many 20-somethings will start to work this summer? And check the average age of these new subUrbanites. You will probably find their median age is around 30. That would put them smack dab in the middle of the most desirable, saleable demographics. They're changing the culture and the color of the suburbs. Can you flavor the format a little so their fickle fingers will fix on your frequency? The fact is that there are thousands of them our there ... and we're missing out on them.

Recent studies conducted in several major and medium markets have shown that by the time these young professionals are ready to drink wine with a cork and the year on the label, they're ready for a station that not only plays their favorite jams but treats them like an adult. If they're going to listen to and enjoy the same station their kid brother or sister listens to, it better be jamming'.

There are markets and stations that have figured out how to capture this new subUrban cume. You see them at the top of the ratings at various times all over the country. The problem is that sometimes these stations put the right combination together accidentally. Then when the book comes out and they're way up, they can't remember what they did. But we're not talking about having an accident; we're talking about creating a summer buzz.

Buzz is the word, and you can start one this summer that will continue into the fall and winter. It's a lot of hard work and you have to utilize everything at your disposal, including the liners, interns, van and website. And you have to do it with less. The key is consistency. The billboards, bus-backs, television spots, direct mail and website all have to be saying exactly the same thing. Same logo, colors, graphics and image lines.

Think about other industries that have experienced the same things. There's Starbucks, which is closing hundreds of stores in some markets where they were once across the street from each other. At one time, the Starbucks brand was everywhere.

Take the athletic shoe industry for example. Both Nike and Reebok are looking a little worn about the heels these days. Despite the tremendous amount of advertising they do, they've all been hurt by the sudden shift to grunge fashion, the few really hot new shoes and tight consumer spending this summer. Some industry observers say Nike and Reebok are out of step on the fashion front. Now they're both still making money, but not as much as they had hoped. Not as much as they had projected. Despite big sports theme marketing efforts that focus on show performance, it's fashion -- and not performance -- that will spur most summer athletic shoe sales.

What's taking the place of high fashion kicks this summer? Alternative footwear -- regardless of cost. You see examples of it in music videos and artists' public appearances constantly. Iit's not just rappers who are shedding their sneakers. Those single professionals we mentioned earlier are wearing these hip, alternative shoes on the weekends and after work. They'll do the same thing if you suddenly become their favorite radio station. All you have to do is recognize them. Say and do some things on-air that lets them know that you know they're out there.

What A Difference A Daypart Makes

What kinds of things do you say ... and do and when do you do it? You start off by establishing your morning show and then follow with lots of current hit jams throughout the rest of the day. Notice I said current hit jams. Now that doesn't mean you can't play an occasional former #1, or throw in an active recurrent joint now and then, but if there's one thing that can bring these single and married young professionals to your side of the dial, it's freshness. Looking at it from a pure daypart standpoint, you want to be about 80% current, familiar and uptempo in the morning. Then you should move through middays about 70%-80% current with a slight tempo shift. Afternoons should be at least 80% current, and nights should be 90% current. Nights is where you introduce the new music. The daypart difference should probably be high-profile artists. The idea here is that during these hot summer days listeners love to hear fresh, new music by their favorite artists -- the ones they're going to put on their iPods.

Remember, BET, MTV, VH1 and some local channels will be playing to this summer audience, too. Some of these video outlets often get and air these music videos before radio does. Radio is waiting for the results of their callout research. Don't wait this summer. You don't want your station to be at a competitive disadvantage. You want your summer listeners to be able to come to you for the new music they want to hear. You want to be able to give them the latest releases as soon as they are out. You have to take some occasional chances, and summer is the ideal time to do it ... for the sake of freshness. Those music freaks who still come to radio to learn what new songs and artists are out and what to download onto their iPods get diaries and in some markets -- and meters in others.

The answer is to stay close to your listeners and understand what they want. Do that and own a position, and you're that very ahead of the game. The stations that own a position this summer are the ones who are going to score. Play the best possible current music and make the station sound interesting. This means that the part-timers who fill in during vacations have to be really familiar with the way the station has to sound. It also means extra effort and talent development sessions to ensure that the station remains consistent.

Finally, you have to do all these things and then add focus, so that the music to their ears comes from your transmitter.

Word!