Inside Music MediaJerry Del Colliano

Each of the leading candidates for president in BOTH parties has begun to figure out Millennials – some more than others.

But I dare say that all four know more about Millennials than most radio people.

This is my way of saying that even if very flawed politicians are changing the way they do things because of the growing influence of 18-34 year old Millennials, then we need to do better.

1. Bernie Sanders is the gold standard this election cycle for appealing to Millennials – free college, Medicare for all and fight those bastards on Wall Street. Goodies they care about.
2. Hillary Clinton has her support especially with older women and blacks from what I’m told but she is sounding like “I’ve heard this record before”. It’s me or the GOP won’t sit well with Millennials who don’t scare that easily.  
      
3. Donald Trump has virtually no values that Millennials care about.  He wants to stop immigration until it’s fixed but Millennials have grown up and gone to school with undocumented workers and Muslims. Trump is brash but that may not be a turn off as much as people think because it is unconventional. Hey, they like reality shows and Donald Trump doesn’t embrace their values but he’s not one of them either.
4. Nobody likes Ted Cruz according to Donald Trump and there is some evidence that this is true from what political wags say of his Congressional buddies. But Cruz is very careful not to attack Trump during the debates – something Millennials like. Plus for Cruz with Millennials.
5. Trump is proud of New York values and is resistant from attacks meant to influence Iowans before their caucus because of 9/11 and Millennials cut a lot of slack to people for being different, not the same and New Yorkers are different (this comes from a Hoboken boy).
6. All the candidates lose on gun issues. In general, Millennials not only have no need to shoot people, they don’t want to shoot animals or for that matter eat them. I’m generalizing here, but there is a lot of truth to this. Guns matter to older voters. Black Lives Matter to Millennials.
7. Interesting how the 74-year old Sanders is their revolutionary Che Guevara. See, age doesn’t really matter to Millennials if you embrace Millennial values. But in Hillary Clinton’s case, some see her as a grandmother while they see the older Sanders as a revolutionary. Values make the difference not age.
8. Millennials probably want Republicans to handle their financial future although they are liberal on social issues. The first GOP candidate that can figure this out and get away with it among the warring factions of the party wins their hearts.  If that is even possible.
9. Oh, wait. Millennials don’t vote. Bullshit. They elected a black president twice. But they will sit home (radio, take notice) if you don’t engage them.
10. I’ve long held that you can stuff audience ratings and polls where the sun don’t shine. Show me the money. If you subscribe to me, I won your vote. If you fund a populist revolution as Bernie Sanders has done with small donations NOT from Wall Street, you’ve got votes. That’s money you can count on.
11. The more politicians attack, the more Millennials don’t like them. Notice how Bernie Sanders told NBC’s Andrea Mitchell during the last debate that he’s sick of people forcing him to attack Secretary Clinton (always respectful). Of course he attacks her in comparative ads, but not frontally or he risks losing his Millennial base. Dislike the deed not the person is true with Millennials more than ever.
12. Bill Clinton’s affairs – even if it turns out to be rape and not consensual – is not safe ground for Millennials. Rape is verboten but using it for your political gain makes you a non-trusted person, which is why their candidate, Bernie Sanders, deftly handled the question on Bill Clinton’s sex life.   Sanders said it was wrong but that he was not going to make it an issue with Secretary Clinton, which shows respect Millennials demand. Hillary is not Bill’s wife in this campaign; she’s a person of her own who is running for president.

It goes on and on and fascinates me more than any previous election.

Anyone could win. I have no clue.

Anyone who says Trump cannot win is wrong and if they say Bernie Sanders can’t win, they are also wrong.

The one who wins gets the most votes and if they want Millennials they have to be un-political candidates.

Now radio.

1. Bernie Sanders is giving away prizes Millennials want. Audiences don’t want tickets, cars or trips.  There is a disconnect here.
2. Candidates are falling all over themselves not to sound like a political candidate, but radio stations apparently have not gotten that email. Radio sounds the exact same way it did decades ago – maybe worse.  Certainly not different and not better.
3. The candidates this cycle are talking about the things that Millennials want and I can identify six things they absolutely, positively must have from radio to even give a listen. Radio delivers not one of them. Seriously.
4. Putting down people only works for Donald Trump and I think it does because he will say anything and a lot of people don’t think he actually hates the people he trashes. But listen to a radio morning show and look at all the putdowns.  This will not win Millennial audiences and yet radio keeps doing it.
5. If you believe me that Millennials vote with their money (apps, high speed Internet, Netflix, etc.) then radio has left on the table one of their most potent weapons – the paid subscription. There are opportunities here.
6. Social media cannot be about self-promotion other than a picture of yourself (say, on Instagram). Radio uses social media like direct mail and it’s wrong.

Reserve April 6 to learn about a Millennial radio makeover and new ideas that can make this a growth year.

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