Monday, October 5, 2015

We're still old.

What?

I was amazed at the NAB Radio Show, having gone for the first time in a number of years, at how much has stayed the same.

Don't get me wrong, I love our business and am among our biggest fans. But it was pretty much the "same ol'."

Everyone complaining about lack of sales. "If automotive would come back we'd be okay again," was overheard.

The panels pretty much looked the same -- and so did the people. And surprisingly, a lack of good ideas. With no offense to the good people on a panel who offered "one great thing" that they did this year, it didn't really blow my skirt up.

It's time to bust out of the mold and try something really new.

• What if you re-considered our current advertising model and offered something new? I spoke with a major group head who said, "We've been trying for years to give (a national communications company) what they really want and haven't been able to do it." What?
• What if we truly embraced a new format rather than "try it as a feature."

How much pain does it take to not continue to be a business of lemmings who wait until someone else makes a success of it? Are you that person? Or are you like most of the good people at the NAB Radio Show this year ... just scared?