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!

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!

"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!"