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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Radio comes late to the app party

In my radio career I spent as much time learning about 'psychographics' as I did about 'demographics.'

Yes the ratings are based on the 'age' of the person listening to your radio station but I always believed you'd get more mileage (ie. expand the demo's) if you understood the lifestyle of the listeners.


I, for example, don't really fit the profile of my 'age' - or as my good friend Terry David Mulligan so glibly said "Marty - you're not the poster boy for retirement."

My lifestyle is 'very' active - and I enjoy a great deal of the same music that both of my daughters (age 24 and 27) enjoy - on both ends of the spectrum from rap to rock. (God Bless Pitbull - I wanna hang with that guy) - and God Bless Dave Grohl - I'd kill for his hair (or any hair for that matter.)

As such my 'digital tastes' tie in to my work with Radiowise Inc. - and it's again evident to me that Radio is coming too late to the party with radio apps.


I also believe we should throw out the Gen X and Gen Y terminology and start to use the "M Generation" (mobile) because they're the ones that are really shaping where the entire media scope is going - in reading, viewing, and listening to media.

The "M" Generation is a psychographic - and it's age span is wide and growing wider each day.


As such one thing that really surprizes me are the current APPS that radio has thrown out there in the past year or so.

Ths M generation is all about a) choice and more importantly b) SPEED.

In the 'good old days' you'd stand in line at the bank for ages - while today if there's ONE person at the ATM you simply walk away because you're steps away from another one.

Same with radio.

Space is 'precious' on mobile units - iPhones, iPads, smart phones, etc. so the M Generation are terribly happy with that one stop thing - in other words using an app like TuneIn Radio.

This app can find virtually 'any' radio station in the world - and has a search button for a certain city (where you can find 'all' the stations in that market) - by music choice - by talk station - by sports - has a 'pre set' for favorites button - and you can also 'record' on the app.

In Canada when I'm looking at the big corporate Apps I'm surprized at many things.

First off 'few have search buttons' - 'most' don't have record buttons - most make you scroll through city after city after city to get to the one you want and if you have multi brands under your umbrella you'd have to literally go across the country to find the 'correct' one.

Another fascinating part is that most station apps have little to keep me 'sticky' on the site. I really don't want to read a blog that a station posts from a person who is really not that interesting to listen to on the station in the first place.

Blogs can be a great extension of the person - but it takes work and creativity....not what you did on the weekend or Grandma's recipe for cupcakes.

Give me something 'different' please.

"Stuff the CRTC doesn't let me say on the radio station."

"Tips - advice - links to other really interesting stuff."

Next, "loyalty is everything."



Many stations have now opened up Facebook "Fan" sites - but leave them almost blank.

As I scan through many of them it's amazing to see they only have 'about a hundred fans' - Information is long out of date - there's nothing interesting at all - no prize opportunities - little station information or really no reason to actuallly LIKE the page.

If you go to the big highly successful companies Facebook fan sites - ie. McDonalds and Starbucks - you can see the real power of these pages. With 'one click' of the mouse these giants can reach from ten to twenty five MILLION people.

Their sites are complete brand extensions - great looking pictures - offerings - discounts - 'contact' with the customer.

Radio's missed that!


The mobile crowd is quickly redefining media, as I've mentioned, and they consume Mobile capacity like crazy. They are NOT going to junk up their mobile units with every radio stations/corporate app when there are way more efficient app's to get the content they want.

If your radio station General Manager - Sales Manager - and Program Director are not 'active' on Facebook - Twitter - Sound Cloud - Pandora - Flipboard - Pinterest and other digital platforms it means that nobody at the top of the heap is pushing the Digital guy or girl in the office to move the platform forward too.

Sit in a room with the M crowd - listen to their opinions of your local or corporate app - and you just may be surprized to find out how far behind you're tracking in their expectactions.



I love digital. It's exciting. It's creative. It's interactive. It's fun. It's engaging - but I really do feel that most radio companies have missed the opportunity and this M Generation is quickly redefining what they will and will not listen to on their mobile units.

How does your station/company stack up?

I'm right huh!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Customer Service - the Giant Abyss

I hate big business.

Check that - I 'really' hate big business.

The reason I hate big business is that the bigger the business gets the bigger the potential for 'customer service' problems exists.

Over the last decade or two customer service has really turned into the abyss in Canada - and technology has a great deal to do with it, sadly.

When I was growing up if you bought something and it didn't work you'd just take it back to the place you bought it and 'nine times out of ten' you'd receive an apology and an instant refund OR they'd give you a replacement product for the one that didn't work.

Try that now.

First off, Big Business has so many built in WALLS OF AVOIDANCE now that it is almost impossible to a) reach somebody instantly or b) speak to a human being.

Most 'customer service' departments are now off shore and you end up speaking to somebody in a land far far away who I can safely say "doesn't give a poop about your problem" and most struggle with the English language which truly adds to the frustration.

The next best WALL I love is the 'instant email' response that you get with the big disclaimer on the bottom that says "THIS EMAIL IS NOT MONITORED - PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO IT" - so I look for a phone number, name, or any other place where I actually might get to find some assistance - and "nope."

Or the other great one is the WALL OF WAIT where the auto answering system can actually tell you how long you will have to wait to talk to a customer service agent. "YOUR WAIT WILL BE APPROXIMATELY SIX HOURS" - Huh! (I don't make this stuff up folks!)

But a few of my most recent favorites include these classics.


This fall I cancelled my cell service. Now I'm not going to name any companies because it doesn't really matter because there's a built in "I don't give a poop" attitude among them all because they're owned by giant corporations that have some much money coming in from 'other' virtual monopolies that a few hundred cancellations a day means nothing.

In fact there's a great 'break even' system going because you have to move your account to another one of the giant corporations so one customer out - one customer in.

Google "most hated companies in Canada - guess who's in the Top Five?"

In any case I'd been with this company since the day cell phones were launched in Canada - 1986 in this instance. I can't imagine the amount of money I've spent with these guys. Last year they screwed up my account so bad that it took me 8 weeks and 6 different agents to get it fixed. The last lady was the biggest bitch I've EVER dealt with in my life - and she ended up literally screaming at me. I informed her that this was THEIR MISTAKE (again) and that "I" was the customer.

My final question to her was "What department are you in?"

Her response: "Customer service."

My response: "You're in the WRONG department."

The ultimate slap was an "email" saying they "cared about my business" so "please provide us a reason why you cancelled."

You bet. No human being got back to me.

The reason I finally cancelled this time was they sold me a ONE MONTH roaming package to use in Europe for my 3 week trip. When I got the contract, in the fine print, was a clause that stated this is a mandatory 3 MONTH charge.

When I called back to discuss it they confirmed the charge and I asked them to "logically" tell me how somebody would design a package that was 9 weeks longer than I was even IN the continent - no response!

So I moved to another provider - and it took SEVEN visits to their kiosk at Best Buy to finally get my account right.

Or at least I think it's right - but I haven't gotten a bill since September so this could or will be yet another cellular adventure.

****JUST IN: Rogers/Bell are now major shareholders in the company that controls the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bitter rivals in phones; cable; television - now 'partners in crime." Go Figure!***



Next my latest fun with "customer service."


My Christmas present to my wife and kids this year was a cruise to Hawaii on a well known cruise line. In fact they'd probably be rated in the TOP THREE in the world.

Again I won't name them but a hint might be "they are named after the country Norway."

My daughter has had some major health struggles over the year but we saw a nice window to get away and 'relax' with her. Then the bad news. Double hernia. No Travel. So I phone them to see if I can 'postpone' the trip. Not cancel. "Postpone due to a health problem."

Their answer was "we don't do that - you'll have to cancel it and pay a 50% cancellation fee."

I repeated - "No I'd like to take the trip so you won't lose the booking."

Response: "To bad - you should have bought cancellation insurance."

My response: "I'm sure you understand that I'd NEVER EVER travel with you again?"

Their response: Zip!

Now I DO have the American Express Platinum card so I do have some protection - but start filling out all the forms; get your Doctor to stop his/her important work to fill out paperwork that he/she has to do for you; send that email that gets the DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL message; then MAIL your documents because they don't provide an email to you and I'm sure I can expect my cash to be returned by about the time the Times Square New Years Eve ball is being polished up for 2013.

And Finally:


Four unions. Four strike threats. Try using your AEROPLAN flights for a 'simple' trip. If you want to see the country - or several for that matter - try to use your points for a Business Section trip.

A direct trip to Frankfurt that I booked last year "could" have had me actually travelling geographically 'backwards' - then stop in 3 American cities after I left Canada before heading overseas - and booking on line is almost impossible to do simply so back to the phone.

Oh Oh!

I'm not unique. We all have these problems but the real problem is that "there's nothing we can do about it."

Cancel one cell provider - move to the others. (Check that most hated list again)

Say you'll never fly on one airline again and realize they are almost the 'only game in town' and you're back on that airline for your next flight.

Try to talk to a human being.

Try to contact a "true" Supervisor who cares.

Try to let THE BOSS/OWNER of the business know your problems and see if you can get a response.

Try to find the NAME of anybody on a website that you can direct your problems to now!

Fire a note out on Twitter or Facebook and those poor buggers in the social media "customer service" department face the wrath of the web world because they are almost powerless to do anything other than "apologize" for their companies problems.

Somewhere in between UNDERCOVER BOSS and HORRIBLE BOSSES lies the solution.....and maybe instead of Occupy (your city goes here) the protestors actually sat on the front lawns of these billionaire companies top guys the customer may finally get some attention, and quickly.

For ME, as a former boss, I'd be embarrassed to be on that "most hated list" - and if I was a shareholder of one of those companies I certainly would remind the guy at the top of the heap that his/her responsibility is to FIX these problems.

I answered each and every email I got 'daily.'

I spoke to each and every person who complained about my radio stations 'the same day.'

If it was our error - I made it right.

If more of us were really proactive instead of complaining these days we'd start a simple giant rally of CANCELING and DOING WITHOUT these guys services.

Hit them in the pocket book good. Have a huge DON'T USE THIS SERVICE DAY and boycott the business.

I'm not a radical but a business that sits empty for a day - or longer - might get that needed mass media attention that says "I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THIS AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

Might be tough. Might be worth it.

Occupy "that."


Otherwise realize that it just isn't going to get any better quickly - so I'll meet you at the bottom of the Customer Service Abyss - again!

Friday, December 2, 2011

"Always look on the bright side..."

One of my good friends recently told me that he enjoyed being around me because I always had a positive attitude and that I, to quote the great Monty Python, 'always looked on the bright side of life."


As such I was taught early in life to "not sweat the little stuff" and to "not worry about things that I can't change."

It's helped lesson my stress as well.

As I look towards the year 2012, and that always refreshing "things will be better as soon as the clock strikes midnight and we roll over in to a new year" belief here are a few thoughts on things that I think 'can' be changed if we really try.

First off - the economy.


When I was over in Europe recently I noticed something very odd and that was what I call the 'ping pong' effect of the worlds stock markets. As you wake up in the morning and check the media you could easily get a handle on what the stock market was like because each continent looked at the other continent to see how 'they' did yesterday so that they could react in either a positive or negative manner. Same thing over here - we blame Europe or Asia.

In Canada, to some degree, we look domestically at how we are doing yet will jump all over a trend from both aforementioned countries and somehow would adapt their scenario to ours thus a good day or bad day on the TSX.

Now I'm no stock broker or investment genius but one thing surely seems apparent to me.

The amazing amount of 'instant worry' we feel when we see any modicum of bad news in the investment world means we panic and the great sell off happens.

In the US there are 'trillions' of dollars sitting in corporate savings accounts that surely would be better spent if companies decided to again a) make stuff and b) hire domestically.

In Germany it was overwhelming to see a country that so dominates the automotive world, to just use one example, and how that country seems to be in a 'leadership' role. If you grade the top automobiles in the world BMW, AUDI, Porsche and Volkswagen are the kings of the castle.

If more companies decided they want to 'lead' instead of 'follow' with their products methinks we'd be in better shape than we are now.

Next - Politics.


It seems the only role for Political parties now is to 'get the other guy out at all costs.' This past year has been spent watching the Republicans do everything they possible can to 'stall' the Democrats and it takes months and months to get anybody to agree on anything while the country continues to collapse in economic ruin.

Don't get me wrong - I'm also not an expert on politics but when you hear an announcement from the banks like we heard this week in that "they promise not to evict anybody from their homes over the Christmas period" we simply are in a terrible and highly insensitive time."

Next, I don't know why 'anybody' would run for politics anymore unless they have a totally pristine record (and who doesn't have a skeleton or two in the closet.) It seems the instant somebody declares they want to run for office, almost at any level, the media goes into high gear to find something terribly wrong with them. Granted there are some 'bad people' in politics but surely having your entire life time rolled out in front of the rest of the world to see (including your own family) for some meaningless 'mistake' that they learned from and corrected in their lives can't be a good thing.

The recent gathering of the so called 'super committee' was one of the dumbest things I've ever seen and I can see things going virtually 'on hold' until the US election is completed in early 2013.

Lock 'em in a room. Throw in a bunch of sandwiches until they make a decision and 'get 'er done' as that famous comedian Larry the Cable guy so eloquently lays it out.


*By the way check his website, it's absolutely amazing!

Next - Share the wealth


I think the Occupy (your city goes here) program's theme is admirable, however how they operated it over the time period they did before being thrown out of every cities downtown core was their downfall.

They simply stated something terribly obvious and that is the gap between the rich and the poor is growing at a tremendous pace. Yes the 'bottom of the food chain' makes every excuse in the world to not work but somewhere in the pack are a bunch of people/families that simply can't make a living anymore due to downsizing and distribution of 'corporate profits.'

(If I hear the word 'restructuring one more time I'm going to throw up)

Hey I'm all for companies and people making a lot of money and if your skill/talent is in high demand 'good for you.' But with all that cash DOES come a responsibility to share some of your wealth.

Paying our athletes or entertainers millions and millions of dollars to perform for us is now at the 'insane' level especially when their deals go up with the excuse "If Bobby makes 3 million I'm better than him and need to make 4 million."

There are many many fabulous sports and entertainment stars that visibly give back - and are totally involved in making life better for others but there are thousands and thousands more that are simply 'jerks' and carry on like total assholes in public while being so called 'roll models' for our children.

It doesn't take 'much' to make a difference too. My favorite quote from the Haiti fund raising event came from Stevie Wonder who said "it takes a whole lot of littles to make a whole lot of lots."

And if you make more money in a year than an entire country - yes - you make too much money.


(Insert picture of your favorite jerk here - there are far too many to host in just one blog).


OK - then just one...(don't sue me...I don't have any money!)



The list of things to make the year 2012 so much better than the previous three or four years is a long one - but the 'big three' to me are:

1. Fix the economy - please! Stop day trading and jumping in and out of the stock market on a daily basis because the rest of the lemmings are following along. We were on a nice roll a few years back; things ARE getting better; but it's now time to get it together.

2. Stop the bickering at all levels of government and 'serve the people' who put you in office in the first place. Set an agenda with a high priority of 'fixing the obvious things' and the rest will fall in to place later.

3. Share your wealth. Roll your sleeves up too and 'get involved' in some project in your neighborhood. If you're taking your fans money from a particular city please put some back. One of these days our stadiums and arenas and movie theaters just might not be "Occupy-ide."


There...I'll step down now.

Happy 2012. I don't know about you but "I'm looking on the bright side!"

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Radioviz.com

I'm very honoured to have been interviewed for Radioviz - a site dedicated to great broadcasters.

Please check out at http://radioviz.com




Thanks...
Marty

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thank goodness there are '2' Thanksgiving Days

I get a ‘do over’ on Thanskgiving.

For the past two years I’ve missed our annual Forbes family gathering as I was in Europe but today is Thanksgiving in the United States and I’m in Arizona getting immersed in their Turkey Day - NFL football, and watching the city virtually shutting down, and focus on “family.”

Yes I love turkey and stuffing, but the best part of my Thanksgiving is sitting around a room with my wife, kids, and in-laws reflecting on how lucky I am to have not only a great extended family, a family name that brings me great pride, but also the fact that I have three of the best girls a Father/Husband could possibly have in my wife Kim, Daughter #1 Lauren (thats by birth rite not that you are my favorite - cuz it’s a tie Lauren) - and Daughter #2 Rayanne.

Both daughters have always given me ‘immense’ pride.

Both are incredibly bright, kind, and beautiful all in one package.


Lauren figured out early in her life that the Father and Daughter bond is stacked in Dad’s favor. I’m just not going to play Barbie Dolls or Dress up - so she, at a very young age, started to watch hockey and football with me - and ‘loves’ motorcycles.

The first day she took lessons I gave her the most important advice a biker Dad could possibly give her - yet she did exactly what I told here NOT to do and rode at a pretty good pace directly into a bunch of tires that were set out to protect the turn.

As she came to me with tears in her eyes I said “are you ok?” - thinking that she was hurt, but her response was 'no...I’m ok - I just didn’t want to disappoint you.”


Rayanne is unique as all hell. Strong - confident - and determined. She knows exactly where she is going in life and god help you if you stand in her way.

Rayanne has gone through the “toughest disease I’ve ever heard of” with Graves Disease over the past several months. Throughout it all, and through great pain, her entire focus is on ‘learning’ as much as she can about it and ‘helping others.’

Her blogs are incredibly well written - compelling - and sad all in one.

Our entire family is ‘praying’ for her as she continues to beat the remaining problems she still has to encounter after surgery in the spring.

Rayanne will win.

She always does.

Both went through their school life in the French immersion program - which was very tough, especially in the early school years, - but later in life those lessons certainly helped them appreciate a different way of life.

One of our best family holidays I enjoyed was when we all went to Montreal and Quebec City and the girls (approx Grades 7 and 11) did ‘all’ our of our conversations during the trip in French. They checked us in at the hotels, ordered at restaurants, etc. At the Quebec City Carnival I responded to a carnival guy trying to sell me something by saying “Sorry - I’m English” - whereas he went on for about a minute yelling at me entirely in French. When I asked Lauren what he said her response was a simple “it’s not very nice Dad.”

In the West Edmonton Mall Rayanne would hear people speaking French and would wander over to help with directions, etc.




Neither girl has caused me ‘one minute’ of grief in my entire life. Their judgement in who they hung out with was pristine. Neither got out of control with drugs and alcohol and neither would be considered ‘prudes’ in any manner.

Both go out of their way to be nice to other people. Both are extremely generous in sharing what they have. Both have incredible senses of humour and both make me laugh every time we are together.

OK I laugh at Laurens constant changing of her hair color - and how much makeup Rayanne wears but ‘what the heck eh?” What are Dad’s for?

One time when Rayanne’s room was a complete disaster I lost it on her and demanded she clean it up. As I came down the stairs muttering to myself my wife Kim met me on the way up and had a line I’ll never ever forget - and it was simply “if this is the worst you have to deal with her we’ve done pretty good.”

You’re so right Kim.

As you get older the more time you can spend with your children - the better.

I know so many families whose kids leave the nest and don’t spend a great deal of time with their families - which is sad. My Dad died at age 58 and I simply feel robbed that we didn't have more time together. Mom is 83 - still makes me laugh every time we talk - which isn't "often enough." *I'll work on that!

I often hear people call their Dad “my old Man” which, to me, is the ultimate phrase of disrespect.

Mine never have - I think!

So today as I sit around reflecting on giving “Thanks” for my lot in life the three people who deserve 100% of the credit for my happiness are...

Kim Forbes

Lauren Forbes

Rayanne Forbes!


Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.


There - I got my ‘do over.”

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Saluting Media pals and Community Work!

In the media business ‘success doesn’t happen overnight’ and these three good pals know that so well.

Pal One: Terry Evans - K97 Mornings. Blame Terry for the weather. Every time he ‘lives in a truck for the food bank’ it snows or the temperature plummets. In 2009 Edmonton was the second coldest place on the planet - and Terry was in an 18 wheeler, away from his family, with ‘few’ comforts filling the truck with food for those less fortunate. This is Year Four for the K97 Christmas Rig and it's at 15367 Castledowns Road starting today. Terry won’t leave the truck until you fill it up. “Last year was a record year for the amount of time it took to fill the truck. I hope we are looking at another speed record this year.” Terry is one of those ‘extreme’ guys and one of the most fun events I recall is when he donned a suit of armour and had people take golf shots at him to raise money while we worked together at The Bear several years back. And Terry's one of the first guys to jump on a 'need' in Edmonton 'year round' as well. Good work again my friend.




Pal Two: Way back in Mr. King’s math class at (then) Bonnie Doon High School - a guy used to tap me from behind saying “introduce me to your father.” (Jerry Forbes/CHED) That guy was Holger Peterson who has gone on to near ‘legendary’ status on CKUA, CBC Saturday Night Blues, and as the owner of Stony Plain Records. Holger has just released a book called Talking Music - and it is filled with anecdotes from some of the most talented performers in rock, and roots/blues over the last several decades. Talking Music, a compilation of 19 in-depth interviews with artists ranging from guitarist Ry Cooder, Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood, gospel star Mavis Staples, Sun Records’ founder Sam Phillips and singers Lucinda Williams, Maria Muldaur and Bonnie Raitt.

Maintaining a ‘music business’ in this digital age is a major challenge - except for Holger - who’s artist base goes back to the days of vinyl - and would be considered of ‘collectible’ status. Many highly successful artists owe their careers directly to Holger.




Pal Three: Terry David Mulligan - CKUA - and a bunch of other places. Originally from Red Deer, TDM as he’s affectionately known, has been a television star; acted in big time movies; hosts Mulligans Stew each Saturday afternoon ‘and’ now hosts a very informative program called Tasting Room Radio specializing in ‘wines and celeb’s’ from around the world, also on CKUA. Terry too has a new book - Mulligans Stew My Life So Far. In it he also chronicles legends in entertainment and pop culture. Highlights? “Interviewing Robin Williams - it was like riding a roller coaster...naked, in the rain, on acid. Frank Zappa - brilliant, opinionated and no drugs. He hated drugs and held up the drug culture to ridicule. And finally Sting - open, honest and lucid.” Terry is one of the most active guys in the media business and his show on CKUA is 'refreshing and vibrant' to say the least.




Google those titles to find out where you can purchase those books please!

Finally, there are several great media folks in Edmonton who ‘constantly’ give back and to salute just a few Bruce Bowie, Rob Christie, Yukon Jack, J’Lyn Nye, Mike Sobel, Chris Sheetz, the recently retired but still giving back Gord Whitehead, Carrie Doll, Daryl McIntyre, Gord Steinke, Garner Andrews, Nick Lees, Jason Gregor, Seanna Colllins, Graham Hicks, Danny Hooper, - oh and yes I know I’m forgetting a few - BUT to get to this level of respect in the business you have to sincerely ‘get involved’ in our civic issues and for a very long time.

*PS: Congrat's to Seanna Collins for winning the 2011 ACWS Lynda Steele Media Award. (Alberta Council of Women;s Shelter)




There are several new radio stations in town - lots of new morning shows/announcers who have just come to the city, tv journalists, etc. - and plenty of good causes to support - so if you really want to ‘make it’ in this great city you new comers here’s the number one tip for you...“get off the couch - get known - put your butt on the line - and use the power of your media to reach out to HELP make Edmonton an even better city to live in.”

It's a sacrifice of time away from your family but so very much part of being in the media in this town, and it pays off in both ratings and client support!



Dedication and commitment counts...Trust me!

I believe these folks, and many other Edmonton media vets have done their part - so ‘over to you’ - the gauntlet has been thrown down!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Spelling is a lost art

Just thought I would share the response note I got back from a recent email to Canada Post. I'm guessing their 'customer support' person may not have completed their "schoolin."

Count the spelling mistakes!


Dear Customer,
 
Thank you for your message to Canada Post.
 
I have documented your concern, If you require further assistance we would need details on the mail items.
 
If an item is a trace item and has a Tracking Number we would be able to trace the item. If not, unfortunatly we are then limited as to what we can do to locate an item that doesn't seem to be ariving.
 
 If you note anything unusual with your mail deliver you should report it.
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Canada Post Customer Service Team

Thursday, November 3, 2011

My Brother Gord's 'guest' appearance blog on SALES

For those of you who 'don't know' my brother Gord - he has also spent his entire life in radio - 35 years in Vancouer alone - and also did a stint with the Vancouver Canucks - He shares his wisdom and experience with this blog in the world of 'Sales in Radio'.

Gord is reachable at gcforbes@shaw.ca -




***Please give it a read and an RT if possible!***

==============================================================================

The other day I was reading through a series of Linkedin group discussions about the “single most important attribute a sales person can have”.

Meandering through the replies, I came across a great number of thoughts and rationales to support them…many of which were good, in and of themselves, but I would say the most often quoted was “being a good listener”.

Obviously it’s important to understand your customer’s needs through great listening skills…and if we got paid to be excellent listeners we would all be driving big cars and living in fancy houses.

In reality, the journey from your prospects office through to the execution of a successful campaign is fraught with challenges that only the most creative, versatile, well rounded and determined sales people can make on a consistent basis.

The business has changed dramatically since I first started producing spots back in 1973 at the Mighty 630 CHED…but never so significantly than since I left it in 2005 to work in the crazy world of Sports Marketing as VP Business Development for the Vancouver Canucks.

I see in the Linked in group “The Sales Floor” a few people that I worked with back in the “good ol’ days” when we basically showed up for work, took a few orders over the phone, had a nice bottle of wine with lunch and schmoozed clients with free tickets to Eskimo Games or dinner at The Point After with Bob McCord or Chuck Chandler (who were legitimate “Rock Stars” in the community).

Those old timers (Hi Len Thuesen) that have been able to stick with it for so many years should be like an encyclopaedia* for the younger members of this group because for these veterans to still be making a living in an environment that has evolved into what it is today takes a considerable amount of malleability and is truly remarkable.

Without getting into all of the industry and corporate challenges that have made your job so much more challenging, it still really comes down to one (complex) question for radio sales people.

How can I negotiate through the myriad obstacles within my station and actually deliver what the customer needs for him/her to justify this expense?

Yes, it’s important to listen carefully to what your prospect is saying…you will need some of that information to craft the execution of his/her campaign…but the most important piece of information you need to get is their definition of what constitutes success in their eyes.

Knowing where they need to get is the only way that you can possibly build the road to get there. To quote the inimitable Yogi Berra "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there."

Other than agency buyers, I never dealt with a client who said his idea of success was reaching 60% of adults 25-34, 3.5 times a week”. Clients have real needs like, I have to sell 50 of these things before next Tuesday when my loan payment is due.

Part of the problem I see these days with radio sales people is that many of them still believe that a catchy 30 second spot with a discounted, drive-heavy schedule on their top rated 25-54 station is something that clients are salivating for.

In the meantime, your lunch is getting eaten by some geeks at the Mountainview head office of Google who are equipping their sales people with data that allows your prospect to target their message directly to the guy in your neighborhood who has two kids, changes his own oil, travels once a quarter to Vegas and is hunting for the best deal on a 2011 Prius Hybrid in black.

How do you compete with that?

Folks, the days of selling spots based on cume and average quarter hours are long gone. Radio tuning in North America is down a measly 4%. Revenue is down 25%...and if you haven’t seen the revenue growth curve for Facebook, Google, Twitter etc., it is a shocking example that shows where your money is going.

So the question becomes…Is Radio still a viable ad medium in the face of this new reality…or should I go get a job selling Google search.

The answer to the question is yes…radio is still relevant and I believe that you will be able to continue to make a pretty good living at selling it…but not the way you have been.

When Sony introduced the Walkman back in 1978, pundits predicted that it would obsolete traditional radio, as we knew it. Since then, many iterations of portable music devices have come and gone, finally ceding dominance to the current Apple iPod which has become the category standard.

The idea that everyman was a better programmer for their own musical tastes than a Program Director, (even with hundreds of thousands of dollars cast against music testing and research) was appealing to the early adopters. Today, online stations abound.

Streaming has become easy and ubiquitous, yet the local radio station still exists, despite corporate cutbacks that have left them understaffed, overworked and under resourced.

Why is that?

I would propose that the combination of maintaining a local focus, with likeable personalities, relevant news and information and the ability to have an intimate relationship with listeners is the key reason that people still tune in from day to day.

Here in Vancouver, waking up every morning to Larry and Willy, getting the traffic and weather information I need to plan my day, hearing how the Canucks, Lions or Whitecaps did the day before and what concert is coming to town next week is just part of what people need from the medium…. but to save time preaching to the choir let’s all just agree that radio is still a great medium and get back to how we use its key strengths to sell advertising solutions to Joe’s café.

Our listeners are our friends. We keep them company, play them music, give them information, talk to them, ask them questions, send them on trips or to concerts or games…even let them talk on the radio. We send them Tweets. They “Like” us on Facebook. We reward them for their loyalty and listenership in many creative ways.

So suffice to say that we have nurtured this great relationship with our listeners in an effort to keep them listening more often and for longer periods of time… but what do we actually know about them?

There is this terrible measurement platform called PPM, which is at best a wild guess of extrapolated data as to who is listening, when and for how long. We get a few hundred people on the panel and hope to hell that a few of them tune in when we give away the Foo Fighters tickets and dinner at the Keg during our peak AQH.

Oh yeah, BBM can give us another guess as to the demographic makeup of our audience and then we take that information to our ad agencies and join our competitors in chasing the rates into the ground. (I know, I know…Agencies account for a large portion of our overall revenue so we have to play their game, but that’s a different problem that I’ll save for another post.)

If you have a loyal listen club, you should at the very least know their names and email addresses…but what if we knew how many times they came to our web site and what pages they visited. What if we knew where they lived and could plot them on a map to see where they were concentrated so that we could work with advertisers in areas where we had high penetration?

What if we knew how many contests they entered on our site without winning?

What if we knew what products they are in the market for? Do they have any pets? What if we could help them get a better deal on a new car? What if we could personally invite them to a product launch or restaurant opening? How much would it be worth to your advertisers to know this kind of stuff about your listeners?

While your competitors are in the local car dealers office extolling the benefits of being the number one station with Adults 25-54 in the Edmonton CMA, You are next door putting together a deal with his competitor to send a personal incentive to the 25 listeners within 5 miles of his dealership who have told you they are looking to buy a new car in the next 6 months.

Dear listener. You told us that you might be in the market for a new car so we went to Joe’s Ford down the street and asked him if he could do something special for loyal CXXX listeners like you. He told us that if you purchased a new car from him in the next 10 days, he would give you an additional $1000 off the price…just because we’re all friends.

Do you think it might be easier to sell a campaign with this kind of information as opposed to your cume figures? Of course it would. It’s what Facebook, Google and Yahoo are already doing that is taking billions of dollars out of the pockets of traditional media ‘peddlers’ around the globe.

In essence, we can do a lot of what Google et al do, but better. Better because of the relationships we have with our listeners and the fact that they will share stuff with us that they wouldn’t share with the big search engine guys.

They will share it with us because we understand them and communicate with them on an intimate level and because we live in the same city, know the same people and go the same places. We wake them up in the morning, get them to work, share their opinions and play their favourite songs over, and over, and over….

So how does a sales person thrive in this new world reality? Listening well – yes, but also by learning about the tools that are available to be able to take to their advertisers a focused activation that is hyper-targeted to a small group of really interested people.

It includes spots. It includes a creative solution to their expressed needs and it includes pre-determined metrics on what success looks like. Most of all it includes knowing your listeners and working with a team of people at your station who are all focused on creating and executing a more holistic and ambitious solution to your clients needs.

The problem with all of this is that it’s more work and it’s more time consuming. Yup, it is…but the upside is huge once you get the reputation for proving customers successful executions. Plus you can stop wasting time casting a wide net by cold calling uninterested and unqualified prospects so that you can fill up your ‘call sheet’ and focus on bigger sustainable campaigns with more sophisticate marketers.

Some of the biggest challenges you will face in your efforts to save the industry will be from inside your own building.

Will your GM or group President invest in the tools to help you make more sales?

Will the PD buy into the concept of marketing to your listener database?

Will your GSM accept creatively packaged executions? Is your creative department staffed with “creatives” or are they just “writers”…but most importantly, are YOU determined to make a difference in the way you help your sponsors meet their expectations within the parameters that are set by your management group?

To be frank…my experience tells me that, with a couple of rare exceptions, (like Astral who are making the investment in tools), the key decision makers across the country haven’t yet made the link.

Most stations still look at their interactive properties as “something the promo guys can update”, and not as a serious potential money-maker. Stations have become so ingrained in “cutting back” that the idea of making an investment in the resources to forge new directions is out of the question.

The industry hasn’t yet attracted the kind of visionary technicians, who can drive these initiatives, nor will it until such time as the pain of losing money to ‘search’ becomes greater than the prospect of investing in the tools and training to reverse the flow of money out of the industry.

I would be happy to chat with anyone that would like more information on the tools and techniques required for relationship marketing.

Glossary for the younger readers.

*(an encyclopaedia is a book** that has information about every thing one would ever want to know).

**(A book is a bunch of paper with words on it that is bound into a document)




Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Social Media Tips

The phone keeps ringing here at Radiowise Inc..

People and businesses in Canada are starting to catch up to the growth patterns seen in the United States and Europe with many 'trying to understand' this thing called 'social media.'


First off - if your business is NOT on Twitter - why not?

It's a tremendous business platform and the companies that are using it properly are reaping the benefits of 'customer engagement.'

If some businesses could see what is being said about them on both Facebook and Twitter they may be shocked.

The good companies are monitoring and reacting 24/7 and there are some 'great ones' out there. Just a few include Best Buy; Edmonton's Airport; many Media outlets, and for the most part Westjet.

I say that because 'some' companies RETWEET only 'compliments' and some don't even react to the complaints, which is a terrible mistake as you then become the target of the unhappy consumer(s). Showing a little vulnerability and fixing a problem can be a very positive experience - instead of avoiding it!

I love seeing a "happy ending" - somebody who complains and gets the proper reaction from a company and thus their concern is handled. That same complaint probably helps 'hundreds of others.'

The CELL companies are the worst. Sorry - it's a platform of mine - but a 'form letter' response to a complaint from a customer you have lost after 25 years simply 'doesn't cut it.' Have a REAL PERSON find out what the problem is/was and I'll bet a potential cancellation can turn in to a happy customer and a problem solved. Your businesses are NOT big enough to handle a 'wave' of people bailing on you and eventually you'll pay the price.

(Google "most hated companies in Canada" - you won't be surprized)

A few tips:

-find somebody in the company who knows and is engaged in Social Media. You may be surprized to find one in the building simply looking to help out - and if they know your business practices you can eliminate one very big step in the evolution of your social media plan.

-if you can't find one HIRE ONE. A full 30 to 35% of the mobile crowd is doing either research or buying on their smart phones, which is a pretty good stat to 'be where the consumer is going' - and that growth will multiply quickly especially with the next line of smart phones that are on the way - very powerful; full motion video; and interactivity.

-get on Twitter. You don't HAVE to tweet but you should 'monitor' what is being said out there. People are sick and tired of waiting on your 1 800 lines for hours upon hours OR reaching a person somewhere overseas who is struggling with the English language.

-newsletters, generally speaking, are now too long (or only come out once a month/quarter) and people don't have time to scroll through pages and pages of 'offerings.' What they DO have time is to click through on a link when they are on twitter/facebook/your web site - and looking for the one particular offering that is of interest to them.

The 'stream' of information you present can be very helpful - and again a RT of your message can be a very positive thing.

-sign up for the 'good' tip sheets. Emarketers. Marketingcharts.com. Hubspot. Comscore. Mashable. There are several of them that are 'free' and very easy to follow along to with the growth and evolution of social media. Follow these companies on Twitter as well.

For companies that have not 'reviewed' their websites in the past few years please 'take a look' at what you present.

If you have a boring main page then you'll have a boring site.

More importantly LOOK at your site on a mobile phone - 'most' companies sites do NOT look good on a smart phone OR they take forever to load. Simplify!

What's the most 'attractive' part of your business? Bring it forefront.

For media companies - I use the term "hockey boards" - if your websites are nothing but endless commercials and pop ups you're also way behind the wave. Clean 'em up. Have only your most INTERESTING content available. I can't tell you how many 'boring' blogs are being thrown out there by media companies.

And work to the 'full capacity' of technology - if there's an amazing thing happening on the radio station take a VIDEO OF IT and share with your listeners. Audio is one thing - video is a whole other thing - 'more please.'

OK that answers 'most' of what I'm being asked by
clients these days.

Most importantly "don't be afraid of social media - LEARN ABOUT IT!"

Radiowise Inc. has had a banner year working with some 'great' forward thinking clients - like Boston Pizza of Northern Alberta; Telus World of Science; Strathcom Media; Children's Miracle Network; Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree; - and others.

Build it and take it to the next level.

Done right you will reap a great benefit from your clients and customers for years to come.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Germany's amazing driving machines

Just back from the trip to Europe and wanted to share a few thoughts as I adjust to the jet lag and 7/8 hour time zone changes....the 'fun' part of travelling.
First off I travelled the Autobahn and can safely say that's the craziest highway I've ever driven on, albeit their system works like crazy. Most of the highway we drove on was three lanes wide and the drivers adhered to the respective 'lane situations' very well. The very right hand lane is reserved for trucks, slower vehicles, and large buses. The middle lane is reserved for people who travel at 'approximately' the normal speed limit (120 kph) while the left hand lane is for the 'give 'er' drivers and you are advised to keep an eye on who/what is behind you because they're coming 'fast.' There is NO passing in the right hand lane so it certainly eases the worry about idiots scooting by you at any speed from any side. But the most overwhelming part of driving in Germany is the 'quality' of vehicles you encounter. Porsche; BMW; Mercedes; Audi and Volkswagen rule the roads and, especially in Stuttgart, a quick survey of the ten cars parked at a traffic light shows that 8 out of 10 are one of those cars. Quality is the key and when you visit the car museums over there you'll see a stark reminder of not only how great these cars are built but how long they have ruled the car business. The buildings alone speak of the dynamic.
We arrived at the Porsche Museum as it opened, and at about the exact time that the fire engines arrived for a 'false alarm' in the building.
After huddling outside with the staff; the cooks (yes they have TWO restaurants inside the building); a Porsche representative came outside after about 20 minutes and shouted instructions into a megaphone, whereas everybody walked back in to the building to be met with a nice 'bonus' - FREE ADMISSION due to the false alarm. (Cost is usually $8 Euro's) Inside the building you walk around on ramps that chronicle the history of Ferdinand Porsche, and his all important 'credo' about why he started Porsche.
It takes about an hour or so to wander through the various vehicles and you are amazed at the sheer 'power' on display - let alone how many millions of dollars of vehicles are sitting in this impressive building.
Next up was the Mercedes Museum, which is beside the Mercedes Arena, an impressive all purpose arena that houses top soccer and 'football' matches - practice fields, etc. This building too is 'magnificent.' (Cost $8 Euro's but for me the seniors special - half price)
The Mercedes Museum was hopping and security was huge. Everybody had to check their jackets and back-packs and once that was completed was sent to the top floor of the building by a George Jetson type fast elevator that looked right out of Star Wars.
You're up about 8 stories and this display goes back to the beginning of time in the Mercedes world - at around 1890 - and there are hundreds upon hundreds of simply mind blowing vehicles on display - everything from the Pope Mobile to buses to 'future' Mercedes concept cars.
The eras are broken up so that you can see a chronological history of the brand as well.
So although our Tres Amigos do Europe Tour 2011 was focussed on 'two wheel' travel throughout five different countries, one of the best highlights was spending a day looking at these magnificent automobiles at the Porsche and Mercedes Museums in Stuttgart, Germany. It's a very 'young' city that was totally rebuilt after severe damage in WW II, and the fact that it is a University town makes it very young focussed and dynamic. If you get a chance to visit either, or both, of these fine tributes to automotive delights I 'highly' recommend you attend....it's a great way to spend $4 Euros (my special price for the day) Both have websites for full information and I have posted about a hundred pictures on my personal Facebook site as well.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Opps...'that's Europe for you."

There will be NO pictures in today's blog...for a very good reason which will become evident.

The Tres Amigo's do Europe 2011 crew decided to make today a rest day, prior to Mr. P heading home to Scottsdale and Mr. N and I heading to Stuttgart so we wanted to visit the most famous water spa in Germany.

It's called Therme Erding and if you want to Google it go ahead - and dial it in on the English feed.

It's about five times bigger than the West Edmonton Mall's waterpark. It's complete with about a dozen huge water slides - an amazing main pool area with special 'jets' (more on this later) - sixteen sauna's - several other mini pools - a steam room - food kiosks - swim up bars - indoor/outdoor swim pools - and the ah, 'special rooms.'

We paid about $25 Euro for the full pass and were told that there were special rooms where the cost was 'extra.' When you check out you find out - like about a ten minute steam costs another $11 Euro.

You're given a key, and a wrist bracelet with an electronic insert that you hold up to get past the security entrances to the extra rooms.

Well we change in to our bathing suits and immediately hit the big pool - and this thing 'lights it up.'

There are hundreds and hundreds of jets throughout the pool that go off in sequence...some from the walls - some from the roof (cave) - some from the floor - and all extremely high powered. It's the most relaxing sensation you can imagine as the water is set about 34c.

Oh, and the roof to the pool can be 'opened ' for prime weather conditions too.

By the way, there is virtually NO English either spoken or on signs so our challenge was formidable as we walked around trying to figure out what each room was all about.

After about a half hour in the main pool Mr. N and I check into the 'clothing optional' section of the complex thinking that 'optional' means just that...by choice - so we weren't too afraid of what would happen when we walked into the area.

Well we quickly found out that 'optional' means NUDE. Very NUDE. All NUDE. Everybody but us NUDE.

Well Europeans have no qualms whatsoever about walking around totally in the buff - but obviously North Americans don't share that confidence. After a quick swim, and walk through, we headed over to the water slides to grab Mr. P to tell him about hour little 'wander into nudism' trek.

A few runs down the slide - and Mr. P is now in tow wanting to see himself.

That's when we got 'busted.'

A nice young employee wanders over to us - again with 'barely' any English - and politely explains to us that we are now in the 'all nude' area and we should either a) doff the gear or b) leave the area.

We took option b) - well at least Mr. N and I did but Mr. P, with his Italian heritage, dropped the trunks and headed for the danger zone.

It was quite the experience and even though we were thousands of miles from home; away from any potential family or friends, clients or associates Mr. Happy was kept hidden in the Fruit of the Looms where he remained quite pleased. (Honest Kim)

So - very simply I think you'll understand that - there are 'no pictures' in the blog today!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Switzerland

Another beautiful day of riding through western Europe.

It appears we’ve hit a ‘record’ weather week with clear skies, little wind, and perfect road conditions although today is a holiday so the highways were a tad busy.


(By the way Mayor Mandell - in the four riding days so far in mountain countries we’ve seen ‘nary’ a pothole so it CAN be done!)

We road from Northern France this morning back through a section of the Black Forest, ending up in Switzerland.


We stopped for some ‘authentic’ Black Forest cake in Germany and some of the guys grabbed some Black Mountain Ham - which has the most beautiful aroma you can imagine when you walk in to the little cafe on the mountain.


Today my mind was on inspiration and in studying our other riders all who have come from very different scenarios.

The prime motivator is Jack Cartright from southern California. Jack is 76 years old and travels all over the world ‘riding’ motorcycles by himself. He reminds me of Jack Palance - a good sized man - rugged - and totally ‘in shape’ as he rides his bicycle ‘at least 100 miles a week.‘ His sense of humour is immense and can tell stories til the cows come home.


Then there’s Ray and Teresa Silva, the only Harley Riders in the group, and they’ve taken a fair amount of ‘fun’ heat about that fact but he’s a hell of a rider and keeps up with the BMW’s easily.

On the back of Ray’s jacket you can see his inspiration - a cancer survivor.


The two “Johns” are Dentists and it’s their first trip over to Europe. Both are as wide eyed at the rest of us about the stunning topography; the amazing ‘new’ foods; and the head clearing two wheel feeling you get on a ride like this.

Patricia and Stan Hickle from Hanna, Alberta have had the toughest time as they have had a few ‘spills’ due to the fact that they are both self described ‘big people’ and are riding a much smaller bike in the BMW 1200 than what they are used to on their Honda Gold Wing. They too have property in Arizona.

Every time Patricia ‘falls over’ she gets up with a laugh and hops right back on the bike. Today they bumped into Jenn (our guides) while making a turn and both bikes hit the tarmac. Little damage and as Jenn says “shit happens.”


Another ‘almost’ bad accident happened when one of the kids from Taiwan was waiting by the roadside. A car came past him and ‘clipped’ the side of his bike sheering the turn signal clear off - then the car kept on going. The kid was fine but again both incidents remind you of how vulnerable you are out there on the road.


I’d have to guess the ratio of motorcycles to cars is close to 50% over here - so cars and trucks are quite used to bikes on the road, mostly giving us lots of space, but there have been a few times when we’ve had to be ‘very’ aware of traffic conditions on the motorcycles.

Today I decided ‘not’ to use the term “Bucket List” anymore - simply because it has a finality to it.

I’m going to call it the “Dream List” because this surely is a dream that I’ve had for many many years - and when you sit here at the end of the day ‘bagged’ from riding and look out at the beautiful homes, churches, castles, and buildings it’s just such a positive feeling that you get rushing through your head.

Many people say I’m lucky - and for that I concur - but by having a list of things you really desire as a basis to ‘getting it done’ truly is a blessing and I’m allready thinking about the next place in the world I’d like to visit.


Even though language is an issue the people who have all helped, or served us, along the way have truly been great and congenial.

Sometimes it’s just fun pointing at something on a menu and saying ‘lets go for it’ - to discover yet another delight from this part of the world.

The other aspect that is forefront all the time for me is the fact that my late step father Mike Sheehy lost his leg in the Second World War fighting for our freedom. I wish he was alive now so I could ‘truly’ thank him for his sacrifice for I ‘most likely’ would not appreciate the gift of travel like I do.

Plus - if indeed we all are reincarnated in the future - I promise to pay attention in school the next time around because there is ‘so much’ to learn from the past.

This has been ‘great’ - with more to come.

The Tres Amigos do Europe 2011 tour hits Lietchenstein and Austria tomorrow.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Best of Europe bike trip continues

First off the weather has been spectacular and the riding the same. Yesterdays ride from Heidelberg (check this castle) through the Black Forest was simply amazing with more 'twistees' than I've ever been on before.

We rode through about 50 different villages and I swear it was like being in a 'fairy tale' with the beautiful Bavarian homes. We also went past several vineyards - and farms growing feed corn as well as cabbage.

It was a real test of skill as you go around those curves fairly swiftly with the rest of your crew (about 21 other bikes) about 2 to 3 seconds behind you so 'no goofs.'


And at about the half way point we stop at a beautiful lake area for a quick rest. Our two guides are amazing. Jenns (pron: Yens) speaks 'at last' 4 different languages and will use all four throughout a conversation making sure that everybody knows what the heck is going on.

Then theres Sigg (Ziegfried) who we believe is "map challenged" - either that or he HAS to take a smoke break every 45 minutes so pulls over to check a map and lights up.


We are now in a small town in Northern France called Ribeauville, which is part of the Alsace district which wine lovers surely will recognize.

We've met some great people and I'll try to highlight a bit of info about each with these updates.

Bob and Donna Torche are from Washington - and in fact "the Pentagon" - and have some really interesting stories...They bike all over the world and Donna is a total character.


Language can become an issue when you're this far into the countryside - and the look on some of the peoples faces when we try to order something in English is hilarious as they shrug their shoulders and grin.....at which time the game of Canadian charades breaks out as we point at whatever we want.

At lunch the 'special' was something we had never heard of but Donna 'jumped at it' - so the entire crew ordered this....which 'was' spectacular.

Today is a rest day but most of the guys took off again across the country side for another ride while Brian and I rested our butts, literally, in town. The BMW's are great bikes but their saddles are as thin as wafers and a 7 hour ride can be a tad painful - but as you can see in this picture - we're taking it like grown up MEN.


Tomorrow we cut back through the Black Forest and stop where the 'real' cuckoo clocks are made and for a piece of authentic Black Forest Cake. We then ride through what Jens says is some 'spectacular' Alpine mountain riding and end up in Switzerland.

Boy what a guy won't do for his Edmonton Sun Publisher!

Cheers everybody - miss you Kim, Lauren, Rayanne and the mighty Duke.