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  • Better Than Resolutions: Three Words for 2011

    • 01/02/2011
    • Posted by: Mike O'Malley
    • Category: radio programming
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    I was never into the resolutions thing. Resolutions are too restrictive, too negative, and too artificial. However Chris Brogan’s recent post about picking three words and using them to help focus your (our your businesses’) actions for the coming year struck me as practical, positive, and encompassing, promoting self-improvement, growth, forward progress and experimentation. Here are three words

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  • Growing You Audience in 2011: Try a Wii Bit of Subtraction

    • 12/30/2010
    • Posted by: Mike O'Malley
    • Category: country radio, radio programming
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    When we think about growing audience, we often think about adding things. In fact, subtraction is often a better strategy. I thought about this as I read a post-Christmas Tweet from someone expressing disappointment that their Wii didn’t play Blu-rays. Granted, a Wii with a Blu-ray player could be useful for some owners, but having

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  • Gen Y’s Top Artsts

    • 12/22/2010
    • Posted by: Mike O'Malley
    • Category: country music, country radio
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    The end of the year always brings lists and quizzes. Here’s one of interest: Gen-Y’s Top 77 singers/bands/musicians. Anderson Analytics polled 1000 college students (survey limits noted) asking, “Who is your favorite musician/band currently?” Want to guess how many country artists are on the list? How many are in the top 20? Who they might

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  • Thanks Gerry House – You’ve Helped Us All Build a Stronger “Foundation”

    • 12/16/2010
    • Posted by: Mike O'Malley
    • Category: country radio
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    Thank you, Gerry House. For 3 decades you’ve showed us how to craft shows that compel listeners to be willing, habitual consumers. Content “foundations” of the House Foundation included a balance of humor and heart-tuggers, country and mass appeal content, authoritative and self-deprecating content, and stories that were both personal and universal. Shows were peppered with memorable stories and (sometimes) improbable characters that rang

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  • The “Best” Or “Most” Wasn’t Enough

    • 12/14/2010
    • Posted by: Mike O'Malley
    • Category: radio, storytelling
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    Sometimes it’s not about the “best” or “most” or any superlative. Sometimes it’s not about anything tangible at all. Sometimes it’s just about how you “feel.” Like Cliff Lee’s decision to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies instead of going for the (presumably) best location (closest to home) or the most (no presumption here – 7 years’ worth

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  • Why FOX Likes Radio

    • 12/10/2010
    • Posted by: Mike O'Malley
    • Category: radio
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    If you’re outside the industry, it seems almost fashionable to find reasons not to like “heritage” media like radio. But Wednesday, at the Arbitron Client Conference/Jacob’s Summit 15, Yvonne Lacey, FOX Broadcasting’s Media Supervisor, took the opposite position. FOX like radio – a lot. Pointing out that the FOX Network originally launched exclusively with radio and in so

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  • Database Membership: So Few Contributing So Much

    • 12/07/2010
    • Posted by: Mike O'Malley
    • Category: radio programming
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    For plenty of businesses (radio included), a small number of consumers account for a disproportionately large percentage of consumption. So it’s not surprising that our database, texting and points programs are subject to the same principles. Still, seeing the statistics on station database/club participation that DMR Interactive President and COO Tripp Eldredge shared today at the Arbitron fly-in

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  • Yes, But…

    • 12/02/2010
    • Posted by: Mike O'Malley
    • Category: country radio
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    If you only look at the AQH Persons composition, you could write country off as an older-appeal format. Yes, the largest AQH cell is clearly 45-54 and yes, the 18+ AQH composition ranges from a low of 9.7% 18-24 to a high of 21.6% 45-54. But the data released this week by the Research Director,

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  • “Black Friday” Radio: Urgency, Anticipation and Mood

    • 11/26/2010
    • Posted by: Mike O'Malley
    • Category: country radio, radio programming
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    Ask a consumer psychologist about the factors that drive Black Friday and you’ll likely hear about urgency, anticipation, and the shopping experience. Urgency – Stores’ short, special sale hours, promotions, limited supplies and  real, artificial or implied scarcity driving consumer feelings of “get it now” or “miss out on today and you’ll be sorry.” Anticipation – Store strategies that have consumers looking forward

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  • A + B = $

    • 11/23/2010
    • Posted by: Mike O'Malley
    • Category: marketing, radio, social media
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    It’s one thing to use social media to market to people who are aware of who you are and what you’re selling. But what about those who don’t yet know about you or don’t yet know that they need your product? That’s the subject of this Chris Brogan post, “Two Sides of Marketing,” which could be a great

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