We had a massive fricking earthquake up and down the East Coast this week.
Property damage was minimal – one spire fell off the National Cathedral and a potential crack in the Washington Monument is being investigated.
So with no damage or reported injuries, the snark could take center stage.
The @DCQuake Twitter feed popped up shortly after the earth settled. It wasn’t me – I swear! (Although there was one particular message they posted that was well-crafted!)
Yes, the day was frightening. Cell service was down for hours. It was beyond scary.
But looking back, what a wild experience!
I got an email from my cousin saying, “Well, you can cross ‘survive an earthquake’ off your bucket list now!” Brilliant.
What were some of your favorite snark-quake notes and Tweets?
Let me leave you with this:
I saw this poster today, and it is a perfect summation of the snark surrounding this quake:
UPDATE: I just had a long chat with my friend Chuck Sapienza, Director of Programming for ESPN980. He outlined the situation and this is my take:
ESPN980 is trying to pay the bills. Media is fragmenting and getting a larger share, in order to charge more for ads, is very important.
Online listening, to put it mildly, doesn’t pay the bills. So the station is attempting to make a move that will help generate revenue that will keep the programs on-air.
The problem isn’t with the station – it’s with the radio industry as a whole which has, to this point, given VERY little value to the online audience. And advertisers like buying ads in local markets. Sorry, Internet Listeners, you don’t count nearly as much as a listener in the station’s local market. It sucks and it’s unfair…but there is no real alternative.
So instead of trashing the station and Chuck, let’s use this space to come up with solutions. What’s your suggestion?
I spent a massive chunk of my career working in the sports and entertainment PR world before shifting into purely digital over the last few years.
What few people know is that upon college graduation, I weighed two job offers: one with a PR company and one with the entity that is now ESPN980 in Washington, DC.
Sports radio was – and still is – a passion of mine…just not something I want to do for a living. I’ve got boxes full of tapes from my college broadcasting career, if you’re interested!
And over my sports PR career, I loved working with the folks at SportsTalk 980, which was purchased by Red Zebra Broadcasting and rebranded as ESPN980 a few years back. Absolutely loved it.
The station’s director of programming, Chuck Sapienza (whom I’ve worked with and talked to countless times and really, really, really like and still do after our conversation today), cited the need to keep the focus on their core product – radio. The radio station supports the podcasts, so everything should be done to protect it.
It appears to be a money decision, as anything that could increase live radio listening is a positive and anything that reduces live radio listening is a negative. This is because radio stations set their billing rates by Arbitron ratings, that don’t count podcasts. Yes. This is the heart of the matter.
That makes sense.
However, this is where the stationindustry needs to evolve.
We are in a media age where people want infotainment (and if sports radio isn’t infotainment, I don’t know what is) on-demand. We want what we want when we want it, not a moment sooner or a moment later. Let’s also remember that in the digital age, radio has gone from hyper-local to global. Content rules all.
The station’s line-up features the nationally-popular Tony Kornheiser. And people want to listen to Tony.
Thankfully, technology makes these demands completely realistic.
What the station appears to be doing is attempting to turn back time to a point where you HAD to listen to the radio live. True. Because the podcasts, and ads generated from podcasts, aren’t paying the bills.
But those days are over.
People’s listening habits have irrevocably changed.
Delaying podcasts of popular shows won’t increase the audience. People listen to podcasts to time-shift. They are at work, meetings, appointments, vacations, whatever and CAN’T listen live. Or people outside the media market tune-in because they just like your programming. Downloading a podcast allows them to consume the programming you want them to consume at a time when they can consume it.
One would hope that a media outlet would find a way to capitalize on this advancement. ESPN980 The radio industry, sadly, is just shunning it.
Here are just a few ways that a radio station could take advantage of podcasting:
- Sell more expensive ads on the web page where the podcasts can be downloaded.
- Have exclusive online-only ads. Thanks to federal guidelines, this doesn’t seem too feasible.
- Sell naming rights for the podcast. (“The Joe Smith Podcast Presented by [Brand X]“)
- Set-up audio pre-rolls before popular podcasts begin. See above.
- Create a podcast-only branded segment heard at the end of the show.
My basic point is this: We are not going to get any LESS digital. Radio stations will need to diversify their “core product” in order to survive.
Sadly, ESPN980 the radio industry seems to be thinking backwards instead of forwards.
Have you always wanted to work in the PR, marketing or social media industry?
Are you job-hunting?
Do you want to mentor aspiring professionals?
Are you looking for your next team-member?
If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, then you need to attend the Washington, DC #HAPPO Hour on Thursday, February 24th! It’s all part of the Help A PR Pro Out movement that has been helping foster a network of PR pros and job-hunters of all experience levels for over a year now.
(Click here to read other HAPPO entries on this site.)
There will be live events in cities across the USA, and it’s up to DC to show why we are the most powerful city in the world!
We’re meeting at Ping Pong Dim Sum in Chinatown (1.5 blocks from Gallery Place Metro) from 6-8pm (or later…their kumquat mojito is amazing!) for an evening of networking, advice-sharing, and maybe even some resume critiquing, if you bring a few copies!
Spread the word, be there, bring friends – it will be the social event of the season! (Mega-bonus points for getting the reference!)
For the Twitterfolk, use hashtags #HAPPO and #HAPPODC to discuss and show what DC’s all about!
When I’m on the road and the red light turns green and the car in front of me doesn’t immediately start driving, I tend to turn into this:
My dad, however, is a much cooler cat. He calmly asks the driver blocking the way if they are waiting for a “personal invitation” (alternative: “a particular shade of green,” but that’s neither here nor there).
As a kid, that always made me laugh.
As a marketer, I use it to guide everything I do.
Yes, it sounds silly, but who wouldn’t want a “personal invitation” to a brand? If you communicate correctly, each in your target audience should feel like the brand is reaching out to them individually, inviting them to join the family. Then, it’s not a purchase you are making, but an investment.
Here are two examples of brands doing a great job adding that personal touch to their marketing and advertising campaigns.
Popchips
A few months ago, I got an e-mail from web-influence measurement site Klout that Popchips wanted to send me some freebies, since they are starting a marketing push in Washington, DC.
So, the initial contact came from Klout, not Popchips. No big deal to me.
Since then, I’ve been invited to Popchips-sponsored events and even received a holiday gift box, with a hand-written card from a brand manager. While I know there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of these packages with the same hand-written note, the extra effort does not go unnoticed. I mention the marketing efforts to friends inside and outside the industry and there is almost always a bag in my house.
In fact, I am happy to say that Popchips (Salt & Vinegar flavor, of course), will be my snack-of-choice for my upcoming road trip from DC to Texas! Good marketing, Popchips, by giving your campaign a personal touch, you’ve turned me from someone who walked past your display to an addict.
Dearfoams
I’m not what you would call a big slipper guy.
Personally, slip-on shoes make more sense to me, especially since they look less like chew-toys for the dog. And since my last pair of nice slippers ended up tattered by my beloved Balki, I’ve stayed away.
But a new ad campaign from Dearfoms may change that.
They have placed a series of billboards all over DC’s Metro Rail system, with each billboard showcasing people wearing their products while doing different activities.
From playing ping pong to rocking out on the electric guitar, they have opened my eyes to new places “slippers” are socially appropriate outside of a living room. My favorite aspect of these ads is that the faces of the models are mostly obstructed, so they are inviting you to envision yourself in that situation.
You can’t walk by these posters and not thinking how much better your feet would feel in a pair of slippers and how much more fun you’d be having in any of those situations instead of commuting to and from work.
Campaigns like these aren’t as 1-on-1 directly personal as the Popchips program, but they turn mass marketing into an individualized experience for all who consume it. It is infinitely more effective than just showing an image of a slipper, no?
What other brands are excelling at putting a personal touch on a marketing or advertising campaign?
Dear Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority [Metrorail Division]:
You do a great job.
You get millions of Washington residents and tourists from Point A to Point B efficiently and safely every day. The video display alerting riders of the schedule, upcoming maintenance and delays is an incredible way to disseminate information. The fact that you haven’t sold that space to advertisers shows restraint and respect to your customers. Stations and trains are clean and crimes are virtually non-existent. Officials are, for the most part, helpful and friendly. There is never a hint of graffiti or loitering along the system. For that and more, we thank you.
But you are NOT perfect.
An old saying says that “the Devil is in the details,” and that, sadly, is where you are falling short right now.
Earlier this year, you increased fares.
Since then, I don’t think I’ve had one day where every escalator I take (Columbia Heights, Gallery Place and Metro Center) have all worked. One broken escalator at Gallery Place now has a sign proudly saying it should be working by January 2011. I guess the sign is an improvement.
The late, great comedian Mitch Hedberg had a joke about escalators never really being broken. He claimed that escalators temporarily become stairs. “Sorry for the convenience.”
During a rush hour commute, a “stairs” escalator actually has two-way traffic creating a major safety hazard. Not very convenient, eh?
Should I even mention the escalator malfunction that sent people to the hospital before the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear?
I know I could use the exercise, so walking up some stairs isn’t the end of the world. But…
It boils down to this: As Metro is an underground service, escalators and elevators are an expected part of the service we riders are paying for. Having them out of service so consistently is a slap in the face of the paying customers.
If you subscribe to a newspaper and that day, they forgot to include the sports section, would you expect them to charge the same price for it?
Or better yet: If you went to a restaurant that had a special 3-course menu that, whoops, only featured two courses that night, would you be happy to pay the full price?
No and no.
On the hottest days of the year, you had major air conditioning issues inside the stations and the cars themselves, to the point that many riders felt like they needed to shower and change before showing their face at their office.
The resulting “there ain’t much we can do” only fanned the heat, literally and figuratively.
On a much lower scale, the drabness of the stations – the dark, dingy nature – is unbecoming of the most powerful city in the world. When I was a kid, I thought it was neat that the subway system felt like the Batcave. As an adult, I find it depressing at both the beginning and end of my workday.
I’m also not a big fan of: mumbly sound system that makes it VERY difficult to hear the conductor, stopping in the middle of a tunnel for long periods of time, 20 minute waits for trains on Friday and Saturday nights.
I don’t mind paying top-dollar for a top-notch system. However, I feel that the service you’ve been providing of late is far from top-notch. And with the recent fare increase, I find myself feeling cheated by the system. I’m paying more and getting less value. And I know I’m not the only one.
None of these issues will keep me from riding the system, at this time, since it is the fastest and safest way for me to get to and from work every day.
However, there are people that have a choice in their commute, especially with a new bike-share program gaining popularity across DC. With HDTV, onDemand, RedBox, Netflix and other services, entertainment options at home are getting better and better, meaning fewer trips to the cinema.
And, truth be told, on nights and weekends, taxis are much faster, a premium I pay for to make a dinner reservation or scheduled appointment with friends.
I urge you to give a bit more to your regular riders in terms of service and communication.
Here are some of my ideas:
- Fix everything. Don’t do anything NEW until the current problems are fixed.
- Get the entire underground system hooked up for cell/wifi reception.
- Mobile App instead of the clunky mobile website.
- Twitter account covering outages and delays.
- Increase advertising inventory (like you recently did at Gallery Place) across the system to place part of the cost burden on advertisers, who would jump to be a part of new advertising opportunities.
- Rider Appreciation Days – coupons from partners for local products. Or how about a “no-charge” day for SmartTrip card holders?
- Brand the Stations – give the highest-traffic stations a unique personality or feature so you KNOW that’s where you are. Maybe Chinatown has Chinese lettering or U Street has creative murals or Navy Yard is all about the Nats. Woodley Park looks like the Zoo and College Park has a collegiate feel.
Those are just a few ideas that can instantly improve the riding experience, top to bottom.
You see, I don’t hate the Metro. I LOVE the Metro. I want it to be a subway system all Washingtonians can be proud of.
And I don’t think I’m alone in this sentiment.
Thank you for your excellent service and I look forward to it’s continuing improvement.
For those who don’t know, Seth is widely-recognized as one of the top marketing minds in the world today. I highly recommend his blog and writings. To call him a thought-leader in the industry is to sell Seth short – whether or not you agree with what he has to say. For the record, I agree with a good percentage of his views, but respect 100% of them.
Without giving away the crux of the content of his tour, I want to share with you some highlights from his presentation and discussion:
1) A revolution creates things that are easy that were once inconceivable: We throw the word “revolution” around a lot, but this is a simple definition that cuts through the clutter associated with the word. If something once thought to be impossible happens–and happens easily–a revolution has occurred. Godin thinks we are in the midst of a revolution — probably the biggest one of our times.
I think the data may be there. Social media marketing is taking the industry to places the industry has never been for — places that nobody ever thought possible. And how easy is it to use? (There are other societal revolutions going on, too: African-American President, electric cars, etc.)
2) The best way to have an idea spread is to have an idea worth spreading: In many cases, we market a concept or product, but, what we should also consider is working backwards: developing a product or concept that fills a marketing need.
Be honest, PR, Marketing, Advertising Pros: how many times have you sat around a table trying to figure out “viral” campaigns for your thing (whatever it may be).
What Godin seemed to say was that if you have an idea that people want to share, it will spread. At the end of the day, the product/concept/idea is more important than how marketing people market it. That’s not to say marketing isn’t vitally important, but you can only put so much lipstick on a pig.
3) Innovation is the willingness to fail: Taking risks is HARD. Even if the odds of success are 50/50, you will succeed as much as you don’t over the long haul. However, real, true change comes when the status quo is shaken.
Making change takes people out of their comfort zones, which is, by definition, uncomfortable. I don’t know people that really enjoy discomfort. And that’s where the magic is: if you are always comfortable, you will never grow!
Do you want to be doing the same things over and over again? Or do you want to challenge yourself and your team to do new things and be different? You may not always succeed, but taking that risk will be worth it…because the next time you want to shake things up, you’ll have that much more data on your side.
4) When building an interest group, know you will never reach everyone: Seth often refers to “tribes,” or groups of people with similar worldviews. No matter how many people are in the “Coke” tribe, there are folks that will always be “Team Pepsi.” Each tribe should take care of it’s own and show the value of being a part of that family. If they try to be everything to everyone, they will fragment and dissolve.
Set realistic goals. Don’t go after all soda drinkers – but make sure your soda’s customers are united and loyal.
That’s not to say that you shouldn’t look to bolster your ranks – “recruitment” for lack of better term, is part of ALL marketing strategies. We want more people in our networks. Just don’t use “everyone” as a measuring stick. You’ll never reach that goal.
I leave you with my favorite quote of the day from Seth: “Screaming does not keep the plane in the air, but we do it anyway.”
What are some of your favorite lessons from Seth Godin?
