ASIA

Selling Radio Direct with Pat Bryson
Just before COVID hit and made my passport irrelevant, I was attending a Radio Days Europe conference in Vienna. One of the many radio friends I’ve met doing my job (I SO like that about what I do), is a programmer for a radio station in Iceland. Siggi is a tall guy, and I’m sure his entire life has had trouble finding clothing that fit. He mentioned to my friend Evie and me over dinner (it’s not ALL work at these conferences) that he was going back through London to get a Bespoke suit.

Not wanting to sound ignorant, I responded, “That’s nice.”

And then later asked Evie, “What the ___ is a ‘Bespoke suit’?”

That’s why Google was invented. I looked it up. For those of you who might also be uninformed, let me explain. Instead of buying a suit off the rack or having a suite off the rack altered a bit to fit better, a Bespoke suit means that the tailor draws the suit pattern ON YOUR BODY. He doesn’t even alter a previous pattern. He creates a new pattern especially for you. And, guess what? It fits like a glove!

This got me to thinking. What we need to do today in 2023 selling, is to create Bespoke campaigns. We should draw a client’s pattern expressly off their needs and goals. We shouldn’t take a suit off the rack (re: package), or use a campaign we designed for another client. We should create one JUST for this client. When we do, it will fit like a glove. It will meet their needs and goals exactly. Their message can be used only for them.

Now, here’s the thing. Bespoke suits cost more, much more, than off-the-rack suits. But, patrons don’t care. They are willing to spend more because they get a product that is EXACTLY what they want and need. This is the answer to getting clients to give us larger budgets. It’s not about the money: it’s about getting a campaign that fits them exactly.

How do we get there? We spend time up front with clients doing an in-depth needs analysis. We understand their business. We understand the client. We become a member of their team. They view us as a necessary resource. Remember “relationship selling” from our last newsletter?

Today we are charged with selling more than radio commercials. We have multiple fabrics in our garment room. We have many ways to create exceptional campaigns that will raise revenue for our clients. This, in turn, will raise our revenue.

Ladies, in case this seems targeted for the gentlemen, have you seen “Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris”? If not, I recommend it with a box of popcorn and some tissues. It will answer the “Bespoke suit” for women. […]

Papua New Guinea’s National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC-PNG) is looking to Indonesia to advance its broadcasting capabilities.Its Managing Director, Kora Nou, met executives of Indonesian government television and radio stations to start the process towards a Memorandum of Understanding, NBC News reports.The move to look towards Indonesia is in line with the government’s intention to look to PNG’s closest neighbour for economic opportunities.

Nou said PNG and Indonesia shared a land border and it was only fitting for NBC to engage with Southeast Asia’s fastest growing economy to engage and share expertise.The MoU, in its draft stage, looks at five key areas including capacity building, an exchange program, content gathering and sharing, and transmission and studio equipment procurement and supply. […]

Comrex has officially announced BRIC-Link III, the newest addition to the popular BRIC-Link family of codecs. This new codec debuted at NAB 2022. There are over 10,000 BRIC-Link codecs circulating world-wide, and BRIC-Link III is an updated version that takes advantage of the latest improvements in IP audio transmission technology.BRIC-Link III is a true codec, offering a full-duplex stereo encoder and decoder in each box. A jitter buffer manager is incorporated that automatically balances delay and stability, dynamically increasing and decreasing delay based on network performance. BRIC-link III offers a wide range of encoding algorithms including stereo and mono linear mode, FLAC modes, AAC/HE-AAC modes, Opus, G.722 and G.711.BRIC-Link III features a new, more powerful processor for improved reliability. BRIC-Link III also features enhanced front panel indicators, including four buttons which will trigger contact closures by default and configurable for auto-connections to other Comrex IP audio codecs.

BRIC-Link III is compatible with all other Comrex IP audio codecs, including the ACCESS codec line as well as older BRIC-Link models. BRIC-Link III also works with Gagl, a new service now available for purchase for audio contribution. Gagl turns any Comrex IP audio codec into a hub for up to five remote participants.Like other BRIC-Link codecs, BRIC-Link III includes CrossLock VPN technology, Comrex’s proprietary suite of reliability tools. In addition to bonding technology, CrossLock also includes a Redundancy Mode for mission-critical applications. BRIC-Link III can take advantage of HotSwap, meaning that users can set a 4G/5G modem as a backup connection to only be engaged when the primary internet fails, providing an extra layer of reliability.Customers can also choose to purchase an optional one-time license per codec to utilize SwitchBoard, a private server that Comrex maintains which allows for easy connections between IP codecs.BRIC-Link III features a user-friendly HTML-5 based interface. BRIC-Link III is also built with a compact chassis, so it’s easy to fit into a studio set-up. A dual rack kit accessory for housing two BRIC-Link III codecs on a rack shelf side-by-side will be available for purchase.BRIC-Link III is built for multiple modes of operation, including BRIC-Link normal (UDP), HTTP (Streaming Server, Icecast/Shoutcast, Multistreaming), RTP, TCP, IP Multicast & EBU 3326/SIP mode for compatibility).As with all Comrex products, firmware updates are included at no additional cost. Free technical support in English and Spanish is available during business hours. Each unit comes with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. […]

WorldDAB is renewing the call for DAB broadcasters to make sure their station branding looks good in all car screens in the dashboard, by providing high quality “metadata” alongside the audio stream.Metadata enables the visual information, text and graphics – such as the station name and logo, presenter, song title and album artwork – to be displayed while a station is playing. Stations produce the visuals which are essential for the car to make DAB radio stations look as good as they sound.“We want radio station managers and technical teams to make sure their station is looking its best in the car,” said Patrick Hannon, President, WorldDAB. “With broadcast radio facing increased competition in the dashboard, it’s vitally important for broadcasters to supply the right metadata with their audio. This will ensure the logo and now playing information is provided, helping listeners to find their favourite stations and have the best possible in-car experience.”

The call comes with three weeks to go until WorldDAB’s annual Summit, where metadata and DAB radio in the car are key topics. Speakers at the Summit in London on 17 November include Gregor Pötzsch, Product Owner for Radio at CARIAD Volkswagen Group, and David Holroyd, Director of Technology at Global. The Summit will be hosted by UK technology journalist and broadcaster, Spencer Kelly.WorldDAB offers resources to assist broadcasters, including explainer videos and an information sheet aimed at senior radio managers and technical teams, which gives information on:
The exact type of metadata the car industry requires
Why metadata is important for broadcasters and drivers today
How broadcasters can effectively provide metadata
Metadata requirements and other technical information
These are available on WorldDAB’s website at: https://www.worlddab.org/automotive/metadata […]

Benztown and P1 Media Group will host a free webinar on Thursday, November 3, 2022, for radio professionals around the globe, entitled How to Be Creative, Have Fun & Create Two Massive Brands – What We Can Learn From Radio in Australia. The webinar will be hosted by Andreas Sannemann, CEO, Benztown, and Ken Benson, Partner, P1 Media Group, and features UK and Australia radio programming pro, Paul Jackson of Sydney, Australia’s Paul Jackson Media, architect of Australia mega brands Nova and Smooth.This is the 26th in the webinar series from top radio experts from around the world.

Paul Jackson started his radio journey at a young age in Glasgow, Scotland, where his father worked on Radio Clyde.Following in his footsteps, Jackson quickly moved up the ranks and landed his first PD position in Kent, England, followed by the legendary BRMB in Birmingham.Due to his enormous success, he was elevated to Regional Program Director.He was then off to London and named Chief Exec and Programme Director at Virgin Radio, then moved to Group Programme Director role at the world-famous Capital FM and X-FM.After conquering the UK, Jackson moved to Sydney, Australia, where he spent the last 12 years building the Nova and Smooth Radio brands, growing the total audience from 2.5 million to over 5 million listeners.Recently, he launched Paul Jackson Media, specializing in music and radio consulting, and he continues to work closely with Nova and Smooth.In the 40-minute webinar, Jackson will share his insights and keys to success, including:
What it was like to work for Virgin Radio in the UK, including a look at Richard Branson’s “Challenger Mentality.”
How he took Nova from last place to first place in Sydney.
How he launched the Smooth Network, an AC brand in Sydney and Melbourne – and grew the audience from a two share to over an 11 share, driving the station to #1 in both metros.
How he convinced Michael Bublé and later, Sam Smith, to be the face of Smooth’s marketing, including some great tv ads.
What role imaging has played in building his successful radio brands.
What contemporary music trends he sees in Australia, and how he is optimizing them.
The webinar takes place Thursday, November 3, 2022, at 10:00am PST/1:00pm EST/6:00pm CET. […]

Content from BPRPodcasts play a large part in the digital audio world. Should your radio station be producing podcasts?The simple answer is that station-generated podcasts are a good idea but only if they can generate revenue. Podcasts that do not generate money are of little benefit to a radio company unless they provide a source of advertising income. In fact, some will argue that podcasts may even take TSL (time spent listening) away from actual radio listening.

Selling advertising for a podcast should not be done in the same way as with broadcast radio. Why? Because podcasts, by definition, are most successful when targeting very specific audiences. Radio stations usually define their target audience by demo and gender such as 25-34 females. On the other hand, podcasts primarily target listeners who are interested in a specific topic of interest. For example, if one produces a podcast about golf, 35-64 men may well make up the preponderance of the audience but more specifically it will reach 35-64 men who like golf.In the digital world, programmatic advertising is becoming the dominant method by which advertisers connect with their specific market group. Programmatic advertising essentially links podcast creators with advertisers who want to reach a specific target market. Traditional radio advertising is based on creating a fairly wide target audience and then selling advertising to merchants interested in reaching that audience. However, programmatic advertising is more efficient because it reaches people who have actively expressed an interest in the advertiser’s product or service.Imagine that your radio station was able to efficiently target specific listener groups in your market. For example, women would hear an ad for women’s apparel while, at the same time, men might hear an ad for sporting equipment. Of course, in traditional radio this is technically impossible. On the other hand, podcasts can target a very specific audience and thereby offer advertisers far greater efficiency for their advertising budget.In short, station-generated podcasts that do not develop income for your station offer little benefit to your brand. However, when your podcast is supported by advertising, it creates a potential income stream for the station and a more efficient advertising buy for the client.By Andy Beaubien, BPR […]