Inside Music MediaJerry Del Colliano

Anyone honest knows that people 30-years old and under have no relationship with a radio.

That’s why turning a cellphone into a radio is a waste of time.

The radio industry is scared – it has to be – because there are too many smart people in it who are in denial.

Take Millennials.

You need them!

They are the next generation and they were raised on everything but radio while the industry was out consolidating.

By the end of this year financial analysts tell us radio revenue will have one of its worst years ever – pummeled by digital media.

Let’s get real.

The next generation likes on-demand content, binge watch videos (look at Netflix go through the roof on Monday), shorter and shorter videos, social connectivity, music discovery, a sense of community, dreamers …

Radio does not answer the call.

But it could.

• Create separate short-form content that is not on the radio – first run, extremely compelling audio, video, text and social connection. 
• Shut the cameras off in the studio, take them out and create content that only radio people can create.
• Disconnect from the tower and transmitter.  Yes, put the best programming you can on-the-air for the available, older audience.  Then think of it like this, start an entirely new business and new revenue stream for content that may have nothing to do with what’s on the air.
• Five or ten years from now, surviving radio companies will be bringing in more revenue from what’s not on the air than what is but you might be surprised to find out that a hit music radio station could also be a zip code based content provider. 
• Give control back to the audience.  Upload content to their phones.  Let them mash it up and listen to as much as they want whenever they want.
• Millennials are very civic-minded.  While radio stations are less civic-minded than ever.  Get more civic-minded.  Serve the community to attract young listeners.  Duh!  We used to do this all the time.
• Millennials are dreamers – radio is about brass tacks.  Cutting costs.  Best practices.  See the disconnect?

Join me at my Philadelphia Media Conference to join the conversation.

Here’s the curriculum:

1.  Disrupt Your Radio Station

Blow it up without losing your loyal fans.  Gain audience by attacking all the things digital age listeners hate about radio before a digital competitor does.  Study the plan to drastically alter and destroy the old structure the way Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat and Netflix did.  Innovate the next radio creating new revenue streams and solving virtually every objection digital-age listeners have about radio.

2.  Master Digital

Learn how people you probably don’t know make millions of dollars in digital without running commercials or even selling banner ads.  It is being done right now but traditional media isn’t doing it.  Consider this your game plan.  Reinventing the station website to churn out money.  Rethink social media.  Forget clicks and “likes”.  A better option than streaming and a way for your station to become the “Netflix of Radio”.

3.  Most Effective Social Media Strategies

Social media shakeup alert!  Instagram is ousting Facebook.  Twitter is in trouble despite its IPO.  Horror of all horrors – texting with pictures is where you should be but social media is no longer just about staying connected so if your radio station is relying on today’s social media, this is a heads up to get with it.

4.  Reverse The Decline of Radio Listening

Learn the most effective approach to reinvigorating a radio station that is under attack from digital competitors.  The secret is in one paragraph you will want to memorize as your credo.  We will brainstorm together on steps that will guarantee that you will find new radio listeners by outsmarting digital competitors.

5.  Succeed At Short Form Video

No matter what kind of content you create going forward, it must include short form video.  But short form video is no longer your children’s YouTube.  There are new risks, new rewards and endless ways to create video content that is compelling and financially rewarding.  We will cover it.

6.  Engaging 80 Million Millennials

They hate radio.  And use music like toothpaste.  But there is a way to engage Millennials.  I will share my work in generational media that indicates this young and massive audience is available to traditional media such as radio, TV and the record industry but not by continuing the status quo.  You’ll come away knowing their hot buttons and their turn offs.

7.  Time Shifting Radio

All content must be available on-demand – everything.  The audience is demanding it and every medium except radio is responding.  How to create time shifted radio content.  Whether to rely on over-the-air broadcasts for time shifting or create new content.  How to market time shifting as a new stream of revenue. Go to school on time shifting.

The 5^th Annual Media Solutions Conference, March 26, 2014 at the Rittenhouse Hotel, Philadelphia.

Reserve a Seat