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Another Competitor: Cell Phones and Car Listening
May 30, 2006
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We've talked a lot about the many competitive forces radio now has: satellite radio; iPods/mp3 players; broadband Internet; wireless broadband Internet; CDs; other radio stations; cable & satellite music channels, etc. While all of these are formidable forces, there is one other electronic gadget that could be our biggest nemesis of all. It's the cell phone! Now in the hands of what seems to be every man, woman and child, the cell phone takes away large chunks of radio listening time, PARTICULARLY in car listening. Unfortunately, that is where a large part of today's radio listening takes place.
They forget to turn the volume back up on their radio!With our own case studies, we see not only actual cell phone talk time - while in the car - as a problem, but also what happens after a person completes a call. They forget to turn the volume back up on their radio! This happened almost 100% of the time. Some turned the volume down to an indiscernible level while talking and left it there, which is the same as having it all the way down.
Using cell phones to your advantage
Considering that even the slightest shift in Arbitron diary mentions can have dramatic results on your ratings, this should be considered a serious and growing problem. What do we do? We have some suggestions that we believe will work. We need to find ways to use these cell phones to our advantage. Here are the steps:
Mobilize a text messaging plan for your station to communicate with cell phone users at times when they are most likely to be in the car. Imagine a person getting a text message telling them that their favorite song is about to play. Or they could hear their name within 5 minutes to win.
Mobilize an intense appointment listening promotion which requires phone calls back to your station. They will be more likely to keep their radio turned up in the car, while trying to call you, than if it were a normal call from a friend.
Make your station jingles available as a ring tone for listeners to download. You can then contest for that at various locations. Example - everyone who comes to your on-location broadcast or station event gives you their cell phone number. Then you call various cell numbers and anytime you hear your station jingle as a ring tone, that person wins.
Historically radio has always reminded people how and when to use their radio. Why not have a series of liners that remind people to turn 100 WADG back up after they are done with their cell call? Position it as a "public service feature for their listening pleasure." The idea is to have fun with these announcements and burn in the concept as well.
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