- 03/28/2020
- Posted by: Mike O'Malley
- Category: advertising, country radio programming, crisis management
Two of our greatest assets – radio’s speed and local connectivity – are just what our communities need right now. In addition to being the “voice of reason” (read that blog here), we have a timely and immediate opportunity to help our listeners and – perhaps especially – our advertisers.
Some stations are receiving cancellations or are finding their opportunities to make in-person sales calls diminished by store closings, reduced hours, quarantines, management working remotely, or other communication issues.
At some point however (hopefully in the not too distant future) we’ll emerge from this and begin a path to normalcy.
But What Should We Be Doing Right Now?”
In the meantime, we do have actions we can take. These are actions that will not only strengthen our brand in the minds of listeners and advertisers, but also strengthen the bond we have with these two groups as well. These are actions that leverage radio’s speed and local connectivity.
To that end, here are seven things we can do right now.
Some are mine others are from experts in their fields. Many of these ides will be workable “as is” while others may inspire you to create something else that’s brilliant for your station, listeners and clients.
Regardless there’s power in acting – and acting quickly.
Hopefully this list encourages you to do so by tapping your incredible creative skills and wealth of local knowledge to put our two greatest assets – speed and local connectivity – to work so that we can help our listeners, clients and thus ourselves.
1 – Let listeners and customers know what you are doing behind the scenes
“When customers are separated from the work that’s being done behind the scenes to serve them, they appreciate the service less and then they value the service less,” says the Harvard Business Review
HRB adds that as a result, “There’s a problem for employees as well. When employees are separated from the people that they’re helping, they feel like their work is less meaningful and less appreciated. That makes them less satisfied with their job and less willing to exert effort…”
Mike’s note: To have an impact, your communication needs to go beyond “we’re following CDC guidelines” emails that are flooding inboxes everywhere. Instead, go several steps further and add both meaning and context to your message.
A Strong Example of Care and Context
For example, one of the early COVID-19 communications I received was from a restaurant group. In it they shared how they went above and beyond just CDC guidelines with actions that were easily understandable and meaningful. However they also shared specific original actions they were taking for the welfare of their customers. For example, to demonstrate their commitment to social distancing they not only removed tables but instituted a policy of not sitting people next to each other. That’s a powerful visual and tells me that this brand understood my concerns and acted on them.
Ideas and Actions
Perhaps your sales team could create a twice or three-times-a-week newsletter where they share the best customer communications they’ve seen and add their own insights and ideas to further personalize the message.
How about a grocery store that has a person at the front door dedicated to using a sanitizing cloth to wipe down each shopping cart before giving it to a customer?
Similarly, programming can create positive daily social posts reinforcing “friendship and feel good” – two of the core benefits sought by country radio listeners.
2 – Serve existing customers at a new level
As SmartCompany writes, “There are still people with money. And you have a ton of excess capacity, both in staff and whatever else it is you do. Now is the time to throw in the free dessert, the room upgrade, the matching belt, something to thank them for being a lovely person and spending cash with you instead of wasting it on another half-pallet of toilet paper. Now is the time you can make them a customer for life.”
3 – Make customers feel empowered
The Blake Project writes, “Strengthen your brand in challenging times. Look to be the leading provider of choice — payment plans, different sizes, options or experiences that give control back to your customer will increase your value to them.”
Share ideas that can help advertisers generate revenue now that will help them be perceived as a leader. For example find work-arounds that address listener and customer concerns. You might consider special “seniors only” shopping hours, sale of gift cards (could be discounted or Groupon-style). Here’s a company that offers such a service (there are plenty).
Be helpful in sharing the advantages of marketing in this environment (see below).
4 – Tap into Nielsen for useful information
Nielsen has identified six – admittedly still evolving – consumer “thresholds” during the COVID-19 Crisis:
- Proactive health-minded buying
- Reactive health management
- Pantry preparation
- Quarantined living prep
- Restricted living
- Living the new normal.
Nielsen says that thresholds 1-4 are already generating revenue and expect 5 and 6 to follow.
What local knowledge do we have that could benefit advertisers, listeners, and ourselves as we position our station as being at the head of the knowledge curve? What a pro-active brainstorming session to have!
5 – Fully utilize all your digital assets
If you have digital experts in your building, offer campaigns that would help your clients generate traffic or revenue. Perhaps it’s a special package designed just for this crisis.
And don’t forget to market our stations, too.
6 – In a time when we’re receiving cancellations, there could be an opportunity in going in the opposite direction
What about a series of free or shared ads promoting local businesses? Content would promote what safety measures are in place, how you can shop by drive-through or in-store with ways the business is supporting social-distance shopping or eating.
7 – Ramp up your creative by revisiting what makes a great ad
Make your creative the best in the market. Read ten “secrets” from David Ogilvy here. Then create the most insightful, compelling messages that reflect, empower and encourage listeners and advertisers
Live and Local Check-Off
“Live and local” radio only means something to listeners and advertisers when we prove that the phrase “live and local” has value.
In the midst of this upheaval and uncertainty, we have an enormous opportunity to do just that.
Don’t miss your chance to leverage our two great assets: radio’s speed and local connectivity.
Want to discuss any of these in greater detail? Brainstorm? Do you have something that you are doing to help your listeners and your advertisers? Please feel free to share. There’s power in knowledge.
© 2020, Mike O’Malley/O’Malley Media Group, LLC/A&O&B