A Clash Of Cultures

Music Brings Them Both Together

As we prepare to fade into fall, I thought this might be a good time to look at the culture clash between record labels and radio. Some barely see it and others don't see it at all. The paradox of our time in history is that today labels face program and music directors who have too much in the "show window" but nothing in the "stockroom." All this at a time when technology can bring information to us instantly and when we can choose either to make a difference of just hit delete. The question becomes, "Is anybody listening?" And, "Is anything getting heard?" In the past few years our industry has been deregulated, consolidated and dramatically changed. Despite the frustration for those who still want to make the music happen, it's still an exciting, challenging and rewarding time to do business in a marketplace where the interests of artists, labels, music broadcasters and retailers collide.

As we prepare to adjust for fall, we must keep in mind how tomorrow's business realities are changing and why we must change so that we can be more effective at reducing costs and risks, removing fears and getting more music played, reported and sold.

Timing and Planning

Success in our business is invariably a function of timing, but the real key to success is planning. Planning can eliminate taking unnecessary chances, like not looking before you leap and then stepping into something that will let every one know you have a problem and an odor. Our futures are up in the air, especially if we don't prepare. What we're really talking about is adjusting for the digital decade. It is a decade of high-definition television (and now radio), increased Internet access, digital phones, satellite radio, iPods, digital cameras and high speed DSL cable. They're all part of a new game with new players. To play this new game and win, we've got to be willing to give up old habits and learn new ones.

We're just now beginning to grapple with the implications of an Internet age in which music from all over the world has the capability of being downloaded from anywhere. Will research and technology completely replace gut and instinct? We hope not. There are still a few programmers who haven't forgotten the lost art of really listening to music. Can we develop a new generation from the maze of control freaks and dictator broadcasters, consultants and independents looking to build a reputation by not playing new music until call-out research says it's OK? If you're in the record business, you've got to work with and promote those few decision-makers who are left who do listen to music and keep their

Word!

You've got young PDs who don't even have a research system in place, saying your record didn't research or didn't call out. There are still 50 ways to lose your bullet. Here are our top ten reasons for not adding your record.

1. It looks good for next week, next month, next spring.

2. It's too old.
3. Its' too new.
4. Nobody's ever heard of them.
5. They're over-exposed.
6. It didn't do well in our call-out.
7. We're about to go into a book.
8. The GM and the mixers don't like it.
9. We don't pay attention to research or other stations' playlists.
10. We're freezing the list again this week

There are no simple answers to what has become a complex problem, even in the smallest of markets. Market realities have changed our world. They now include unpredictability, constant-overwhelming advances in technology, information overload, intense and multiplying competition that demands research, risk reduction and budget cuts. And it's how we use this technology that determines its value. For example, a lot of us use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to speak to in the first place. We want to save time because time is money. But the idea of saving money with budget cuts is a real problem because all you can do today on a shoestring is trip (and not the way you want to). A few companies now control most of the major radio stations in our world -- Clear Channel, CBS, Radio One and Cumulus.

Not even the glitzy allure of new age technology can overwhelm the growing economic power characterized by huge audiences, big cash flow and fat profits. So, if you hear whistles when the wind blows, you are not alone.

This year, 2006, we are forced to remember the terrorist attacks of September 11th, an un-winnable war in Iraq and a hurricane named Katrina that devastated the Gulf region. It's also a year in which those of us in the business are directly affected by research, consultants, music trends and the use of the Selector music scheduling processes and formats. Formats are what management turns to when they get sick of playing the personality game. Not that personalities aren't important, they are. But if the personality gets in the way of the format, and the numbers are going down, guess which one has to go? So are formats or personalities in? It depends on whom you ask.

The Changing Promotion Strategies

Promotion in 2006 must be done differently and better. Part of the reason for this is due to the changes in the way we do business. Today we know how many times a station played a record; even what time it was played. We also know how many records are selling, as opposed to how many are shipping.

Another reason is because, in the past, many record companies leaned more toward A&R than promotion. Of course, it's still all about the music. It's always been about the music. But you can have the greatest music ever produced and if the right programmers don't hear it, it doesn't matter. Here's another reality. There's a lot of great music out there. Radio has to distinguish between your great record and the other company's great record. How is that best done? Most will say by effective promotion!

As hard as it is for some A&R people to believe, promotion is still the engine that pulls the train. A lot of great records have died in the studios or on the desks of programmers who never heard them. Promotion is persuasion or motivation -- helping radio, in this case, to make decisions.

If you're going to be effective at radio, you've got to be heard before your music is heard. You're going to have to learn some new terms and language and then keep up. You will no longer be effective begging radio to give you a break, to do you a favor. Favors, if they even get played, often get dropped at the end of 3 weeks. Some favors never get played at all. They're added, reported with "0" spins and at the end of 3 weeks, they're history. Radio's excuses like, "I'm not feeling it or it's not calling out," are common.

It's not calling out and they're not feeling it because radio never really played it during the daytime when somebody's awake. Often they never really played it at all because it was a favor. They felt the favor was just reporting it with "0" spins. As a promotion executive, you asked for a favor because you had pressure and you didn't know any other way to get some airplay or a report on add day. The record didn't call out (if, in fact, there was ever a call-out procedure in place).

Despite the excuses and the call-out challenges, there are methods that are welcomed and can make a difference. The difference is not just in getting a record or two added. Anybody can do that. But what you ultimately want to do is develop a long lasting association or relationship. My philosophy is that people respond to excitement, facts, and action ideas. If you talk to them on their level, use the words that they use, discuss their interests, they will not only absorb the important ideas you have to suggest, they'll be more inclined to put them into action.

Radio will be more inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt and if you do have good records, you will have a much better chance of getting them added and played.

I believe that sometimes we make our jobs too complicated. An idea is not of any value unless you use it. You get so many ideas sometimes you can't remember which one to use when you finally come face-to-face with that PD or MD for a few minutes. I submit to you that promotion is not an easy business. Shrinking playlists, consultants, research, ignorance and tone-deaf program directors have made what was once a tough job now almost impossible. I believe it requires as much knowledge as any profession, and I believe it requires more courage and creativity to succeed in today's constantly changing environment than ever.

I don't want to surprise or shock anyone here today, but when you go out to promote your artists at radio, these PDs and MDs (when you can get in to see them) don't always say "yes." Sometimes they say "no." Now if you get enough of these "no" answers in a row, you gradually turn that rejection away from your records and artists and turn it onto yourself! You will begin to think there must be something wrong with you. Now some record executives very cleverly figured out a way to avoid this problem, this rejection. They don't call on radio. They don't show up on record day. You know why they have movie theaters open in the daytime? That's for those promotion people. They leave their cell phones, black berries and pagers in the car.

Sell Yourself

I believe the number one rule in promotion is selling yourself, and the number one rule in selling yourself is to have fun doing it. If you can't have some fun doing it, you're paying too big a price. I know there are a lot of frustrations. There are a lot of aggravations. Program directors and music directors are not born, they're not trained, and they often act like assholes. But have you found that it's pretty hard to do business without them?

Sometimes these pressures and stresses creep up on us. Do some homework before you go in to see radio. Mention the promotion that just ran over the weekend. Congratulate them on a 1-share ratings increase in middays.

And don't tell them that the reason their ratings went down was because they didn't play your record.

This is sound, basic psychology. Talking about the other person helps you to get accepted, trusted and comfortable. Then you can do business, have fun without the pressure. Now, here's a key that works. Instead of complimenting the person, try complimenting the action. Know what that person is, something that person does. It can make all the difference in the world.

Learn about ratings, rotations, effective contests, quarter-hour maintenance, time-spent-listening, building and maintaining cumes. Visit arbitron.com. Learn to speak the language of the programmers. Then not only will you be more effective, you'll be harder to fool, to double talk. You'll get to the truth.

Have fun. If you're having fun, it'll be more fun for them. People still add records because they like you. It happens all the time. Occasionally in your pitch, just stop and say something about the PD or MD. They all suffer from recognition hunger. It's like an itch you can't scratch. So we all occasionally need someone to recognize an idea, or a promo or a contest that came off well. Tell them about one. That will work to bond you to them. It will also let them know that you have really listened to their station. Tell them about a jock that did a clever bit. That tells them that you're not just listening for your records. Short and simple as that.

You not only have to make effective calls; you have to get to the right decision-maker. I remember a young promotion executive who spent $300

wining and dining this person and then found out they didn't add any records. And when he finally got to the right person, they had an attitude. So you have to get to the right person. You're not going to sell some aluminum siding to the guy that doesn't own the house.

Remember the school of experience is a good teacher, but the tuition is too high. It costs too much. It's better to learn from somebody else. Most of us spend 80% of our time and effort on what gets us 20% of the results. We need to work smarter instead or harder

Now more than ever before, programmers need to be promoted. It's all well and good for the head of A&R to say, "The records speaks for itself." But in today's marketplace a record just can't "speak," it's got to "scream!" And it's got to scream over the research.

That's the one word that can spin a good promotion person into an instant funk quicker than any other, along with phrases like, "It's not testing well." Now there is life after a bad test, but you've got to know that the track you're working isn't testing well and you have to consider the source.

Every programmer who claims to be using research is not necessarily telling the truth. You have to do some research yourself. Remember that record research is, for the most part, objective in nature. Research results are subjective depending on the size of the sample and a myriad of other factors. If you're working a programmer who claims that your record didn't research or call-out, ask questions. What type of research is being conducted? Do they have a consultant, and/or VP or programming that conducts a weekly conference call? Who is the consultant? Does the station rely on an outside research company to conduct the research? If so, what company? Are the respondents local or does the company use national research and provide the data to the station? This is important because if a PD or MD is using a national average, your record could be doing better (or worse) locally.

Ask questions that show that you have a genuine interest in learning more about the station, the PD and how research works at their station. Are the respondents screened in any way? This is crucial. What demos and sex are being targeted? Some stations only test females. Others only test younger demos. Find out the specifics of why your record is performing poorly so you can study to show another result. If the station does local, in-house research that is screened for the station's core listeners and your record scores poorly, then what? Ask if you can see -- or at least be told -- the total research breakout of the record in question.

Why is it showing negatives and what negatives is it showing? What are the "passion scores?" Is it testing poorly because it is unfamiliar? In 90% of the cases, urban stations have not played the record enough for it to become familiar enough to test well on a standard call-out test. Try to get the rotations increased.

If the research shows that the audience just isn't responding to the record, provide research from other markets that show the opposite. If the PD says he/she doesn't care what the record does in other market, only what it does in their particular market, know what market they do watch (everybody watches or is influenced by somebody.) Or look for a market that is similar in size, ethnic makeup, etc. that is playing your record.

Try to get the daytime rotations increased and find out if the record is being front-announced or back announced. If the research shows that the record has a high degree or "burn," ask about requests. What do you do with records that haven't been played a lot but seem to show some degree of burn? They are usually reactive records. A lot of people may be "burned out," but more may be requesting the record. If that's the case and you can make sure the station receives some requests and e-mails, you've got a strong argument.

Getting the Benefit of The Doubt

Remember now, many of the programmers who have survived are some of the sharpest radio decision-makers out there -- and some of the busiest. They may be overseeing two, three or more stations. Now there are some who are really trained and into their research. You can't satisfy them with a weak story or by asking for a "favor." After you've taken the time to have the programmer explain their research to you, come back with a bag full of the same type of research. Yes, it's hard work, but success often comes disguised as hard work and a lot of your peers are not going to be willing to do it. When you can provide specific research that will convince the PD you've done your homework. If nothing else, he or she will appreciate your understanding and attempt to deal with an add based on familiar logic and may just give you the benefit of the doubt. That's what you want. If there are three records under consideration and one is yours, you want the benefit of the doubt.

We know that some PDs use research as a cop-out, an excuse when they don't really believe in a record and want to get rid of you. Many are reluctant to say that they just don't like a record when they really haven't listened to it.

But because it opens up an argument that isn't based on fact, the programmer can control the situation and it's often easier to say that a record isn't testing well because many promotion people don't know how to respond to that argument. PDs, just like lawyers, look for inconsistency in promotion people and once they find it, your credibility is dead. Just know that today's PDs and MDs have a lot more on their agendas than taking the time to listen carefully to each record they receive. It is up to you as a promotion executive to do anything and everything to make yourself stick out from the crowd.

Yes, the heat in the kitchen has been turned up. For years programmers were content with artist visits, phone calls, dinner, concert presents and drops. But times have changed. Now, they want all that and more! We owe all these problems to two words: success and greed. Because before we had success, there was no real reason to change. Before we had independents that catered to need and greed. But before we get too deep in the cup of remembrance we have to understand how to climb and slide better, faster and with fewer splinters.

Training And Getting Credit

And while we're sliding down the record rail, let's not forget that programmers and music directors are people. Remember these radio decision-makers are not born, they're trained. Some of them are not trained very well and, because of that, they're vulnerable. They can be influenced and trained.

To aid in the training cycle and effect change we must participate in the process -- the processes of making the music happen. This can be done more effectively and we can all have some fun in the process by keeping in mind the things we discussed above. And while we're having fun, we can also be effective, avoid the culture clash, and get the proper credit. Remember Christopher Columbus. When he left Spain he didn't know where he was going. When he got here he didn't know where he was, and when he got back he didn't know where he'd been ... but he got credit for the add.

Word.