Truth be told, initially many internet radio stations seemed to be little more than young people slapping together a mix tape/disc of their favorite song and setting up a radio station. Some folks took it a step further and really tried to piece together a more professional sound. I think conceptually, a lot of it was good but in truth the commitment wasn’t really there with a lot of internet radio station owners.

But as happens in the shake down of any new “thing” the strong survive. In the case of internet radio, those who survive we’re able to stay committed to their primary goal of sharing their music while also securing an advertising arrangement that would allow them to pay their bills and even keep a little some thing for themselves.

One of my clients is one of those long haul pioneers in internet radio who has stayed true to his programming objective and kept the money flowing as well. It’s eclectic, relaxed and cool in sound and attitude. I hope you’ll spend some time listening to Roo Radio and enjoying the true spirit of broadcasting that I think many of my fellow voice talents respect. Also here is a sample of some of the recent voice imaging I did for the station.

LISTEN TO ROO RADIO STATION IMAGING
[audio:http://www.audioconnell.com/clientuploads/audio_for_blog/080914_audioconnell_RooMontage.mp3]

Tags: advertising, commentary, commercials, internet, radio, voice talent by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
2 Comments »

As this blog is “where the worlds of voice over, marketing and advertising collide” I try and make sure individual posts cover one or more of those areas each week. This post covers all three.

If you earn your living as a voice talent, a marketer (for your own company or on behalf of someone else) or in advertising (either for yourself or someone else) there is a trend developing that you need to think about. Why?

Because it affects how much money you’re going to make in the future. Think mortgage payments, new cars and education.

With me now?

Double click on the chart below and then click back for some thoughts.

That chart is part of a much more in-depth study produced in August, 2008 by the Pew Research Center for People and The Press. Maybe its stuff you thought was happening and maybe it even reflects your personal changes. But this is now quantifiable. And that means a lot to how we all make our livings. Pay attention:

You have just read a 15 year trend in media usage, specifically how people get their news.
* 24% fewer people in that time period get their news from newspapers
* 12% fewer people get their news from the radio
* 31% fewer people watch the nightly network news
* On line and cable news consumption is through the roof

This is about more than just news, I think. This is a game changer for people who work in media (including voice over), marketing and advertising. Most are dealing with this and thousands of pages of similar data already but I’m guessing you may not be, so let us ruminate for a moment, shall we?

Let’s just for the sake of this post take out concerns of the bias of cable news outlets as it affects their presentation of the news to the growing majority of American cable news consumers and how that impacts how people think, act and vote about issues of the day. Great topic and just considering it gets your head to throbbing but back away from it just for this discussion.

Let’s do say you’re a voice talent and you’ve been charging $200 for a :30 second commercial on local broadcast television and $150 or even $100 for cable TV spots because there are fewer viewers. Survey says that number is changing a bit (though broadcast ratings are still higher). Should you consider changing your cable fees? Is that change justified? Survey says maybe.

Let’s say you’re in advertising and you’ve been specializing in print ads which mostly go in newspapers or you’ve been doing lots of radio spots on news talk stations. Shouldn’t you at least reconsider either your primary business services or your media recommendation to clients? Survey says it’s probably worth some brainstorming.

Let’s say you’re in marketing for a grocery store and you do weekly inserts with specials and temporary price reductions and the like. Has coupon redemption gone up or down on those inserts? Any reasons you know of for a change? Survey says maybe.

Let’s say you are a consumer that can be influenced by commercials you see on cable TV, print ads or weekly grocery store inserts (we’d all like to say “not me” but we’d be lying). Could your buying habits be impacted by this change in media usage? After all, you’re the one changing the usage. What if you’re not finding out about all these new special offers because the media vendors haven’t changed their marketing plans for their clients? Clients whose products you normally buy or would consider buying.

The point is not that any of these industries need to play catch up because that’s what we’re all doing everyday anyway. A trend arises and we react. Tuesday go left. Wednesday go right. Thursday is too far away to consider.

The point is to be aware that there are very specific changes in media usage. This information is but one small part.

But do you comprehend the change? Do you even feel it, maybe? Is the change impacting the way you do business? Should it change the way you do business?

Is it impacting the way you buy things? Does it alter your opinion of brands? Could it alter the opinions of consumers of your brand?

That box below here is where the discussion begins…be a part of it, now. Thanks.

Tags: advertising, commentary, commercials, internet, marketing, media, radio, technology, tv, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
9 Comments »

Writing good classified ads is tough for most people and its really hard for radio station managers.

Why?

Well unless junior has fallen directly off the turnip truck into the radio station’s lobby, anyone with any experience knows radio is a low pay, sometimes tense work environment where more often than not creativity is stifled (unless you work mornings and sometimes even then) and weekend and holiday hours are demanded.

If you have a passion for radio (and most voice talents do) you understand why people stay in the business. But it does make it challenging for managers to make their available positions sound

a) Enticing
b) Legitimate
c) Profitable

Like the odd classified ads we sometimes see in newspapers “Call Mr. C at 555-5555 for an appointment about this amazing opportunity” trade ads for radio jobs are also kind of unique in their “points of difference” shall we say?

Now I’m not looking for radio work but sometimes stations put out a call for imaging help so very occasionally I troll through on-line radio trade listings. Today all I came up with was a topic for a blog post. Sometimes that’s just how the fishing goes.

Some examples (find the red flag words or statements in these well meaning ads):

We’re getting ready to sign on a new AAA in a smaller mid-western market. Our city is one of the most livable in the country and the radio station fits right in. Since this is a start-up, it will be a labor of love.

We’re looking for a PD that can come in and DO EVERYTHING to help us get our “new baby” off the ground. We have the format and the component pieces put together. We don’t need a strategist as much as we need a hard worker and executor.

You must be okay with doing an air-shift (probably mornings) and then get off the air and work like a maniac the rest of the day.

You must be able to coach our air staff to present the station in synch with the mission of the radio station (understated, conversational adult presentation).

You will be working long hours and pouring everything you’ve got into your job so you’ve got to be highly organized and follow through.

With me, as soon as they try and sell the city as small yet livable, I roll the eyes. If you mention a labor of love, it means your holiday bonus will likely come in the form of movie promo t-shirts and baseball caps. Oh and if Miss October 1995 comes into town for the car show, we’ll let you expense the $10 fee for having your picture taken with her.

WE HAVE A GROUP OF 3 VERY PROMOTIONALLY ACTIVE RADIO STATIONS. I NEED SOMEONE THAT IS TIRELESS, IS READY TO JUMP IN AND HELP TAKE US TO THE NEXT LEVEL. I NEED A GO GETTER THAT IS READY TO GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND BECOME AN AMBASSADOR OF OUR COMPANY.

BRING YOUR IDEAS. WE MAKE OUR OWN DECISIONS, NOT SOME CORPORATION. WE HAVE A SMALL STAFF, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN. IF YOU LIKE TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT, OR LIKE TO COMPLAIN, THAN SAVE YOUR TIME AND DON’T EMAIL ME. THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT THIS POSITION WOULD INCLUDE SOME ON AIR DUTIES AS WELL.

SO IF YOU ARE READY TO WORK HARD, HAVE FUN, AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THAN EMAIL ME. ALL RESPONSES WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.

Promotional ads are even tougher to write than jock ads. This person’s using all caps. That makes me think it will be a low paying job working with a boss who yells a lot but who still might let you use the station van when you move from your apartment to the homeless shelter (so you got that going for you, which is nice).

Let’s try this again…

-You’re a GREAT, PERSONABLE, ON AIR PERSONALITY
-You LOVE getting involved with your COMMUNITY
-You have experience and vast knowledge of radio broadcast software systems.
-You deal well with the Sales personalities.
-Your production skills are incredible.
-You’re a little bit engineer.
-You’re a computer wiz.
-You can build and maintain the station’s web site.
-You insist on giving all of the above 100%
-You have a great desire to make ALASKA your home.
-You have a great desire to be a part of a radio company that is growing quickly in a market that is growing quickly.
-You have a strong desire to succeed and to work to help the company succeed.

The above position is extremely intense at times. You must have an incredible amount of knowledge, patience, and energy. The job is fast-paced in a market with LOADS of competition. In the end…the rewards are great! The pay is not what you’d expect from on owner-operated radio station and is more than any big radio corporation would ever THINK of paying you.

They lost me at “let’s try this again.” Was it that they didn’t find the right person in the first round of interviews or didn’t they find someone who was willing to work for food stamps and live in an Alaskan igloo?

Here we grow again! We’re expanding our flight crew and adding another daily flight on Dayton’s New FLY 92.9. We’re looking for another true communicator who can serve as host in a natural, unaffected manner. Please …”DJ’s”, “announcers”, “jocks” or “personalities” need not apply. Your conversational skills take priority over your format experience, but a broad knowledge covering several decades of contemporary music is desirable.

Additionally, candidates should thrive out in front of the public, be immersed in pop culture, possess strong production skills, and be tech savvy enough to maintain their own strong web presence.

Takeoff time’s quickly approaching, so rush your package now, and be sure to include a photo.

OK, this is too cutesy for me and I’ll give lots of leeway for someone to be creative. The aviation references are um, what’s the French word….silly! And now it looks like you need a photo to work in radio so if, like me, you have the perfect face for radio you needn’t apply.

Y94 is Fargo-Moorhead’s Number One Hit Music Station and is seeking part-time personalities for nights, holidays and weekends. You’ve heard of paying your dues? This is it.

Ah, honesty. Always the best policy. I think I’ll apply.

Your observations herein (even in defense) or experiences elsewhere are genuinely welcomed.

Tags: advertising, announcers, commentary, internet, radio, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
2 Comments »

As every business owner in voice over, marketing or advertising has either used public relations for their benefit or their clients’ benefit or has been on the receiving end of a PR campaign at some level, I thought you’d find the recent experience of Michael Arrington of Tech Crunch interesting.

He received this email very recently:

From: Vanity Fair / Google
Date: August 27, 2008 9:06:32 PM PDT
To: Michael Arrington
Subject: IMPT: Google/Vanity Party Status
Reply-To: demconventionparty@google.com
Thank you for your interest in the Vanity Fair / Google Party.

We have reached full capacity for this event and are unable to accommodate additional guests.

If you have NOT received a Confirmation email–separate from the automated RSVP response– and a Party admission card with your name on it, you will not be admitted to the party. No exceptions.

If you HAVE received a confirmation email but have NOT picked up your admission card, you must reference your confirmation instructions and pick up your card by 4:00pm on Thursday. Admission cards will not be distributed at the door.

If you use the shuttle service you must have your party admission card to board. No exceptions.

Thank you in advance for your understanding,

Vanity Fair & Google Events team

Sad news for Michael, had he been wrangling an invitation or had he even been aware of the event. He had neither nor was he the lone perplexed recipient of that email.

But he did write about it….and so am I.

I’ll let you draw your own correlations between a publication the likes of Vanity Fair, celebrities and politicians (and please post them here as I know they’d make great reading).

My questions (which I also hope you’ll daine to answer) are the following: is any publicity really good publicity as the old axiom goes? As long as they spell my name right?

Maybe the publicity trick fits Vanity Fair’s branding but does it fit Google’s? Obviously the message is exclusivity but is it also awareness? Would you be willing to pull such a stunt (and make no mistake, this is a stunt) with your brand? Why?

Please open your blue book and use only your No. 2 pencil to write your essay answer. You have one hour.

Begin 😉

Tags: advertising, commentary, google, marketing, media, public relations, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
2 Comments »

Here’s why I ask the question (and we’ve kinda talked about this before but bear with me here): a couple of times on sites like LinkedIn or in general research, I will type in a company’s specific name and hit search.

When a company’s web site doesn’t show up on the first or second search pages (especially if it’s not a generic name) I mentally dismiss the company as somehow inadequate or less than successful.

To me, their name is a vital and basic key word that should get some play early on in the search process but it doesn’t sometimes.

I realize that there are many companies who are successful who don’t yet use the internet very well, but my expectation is that a modern, successful company will have at least a modest web presence that should show up pretty quickly on Google or MSN or Yahoo.

Am I expecting too much? I am putting too much stock in Google? Have I become a technological snob? Will some companies (and individuals) just not let go of the phonebook? Or are some companies woefully undervaluing what a successful web presence means to their branding and their sales.

You have to talk me through this. What do you think?

Tags: advertising, commentary, google, internet, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
11 Comments »

This post is for:

• Anyone who has every attended a trade show for any business so you’ll know why they may be changing drastically or going away entirely (so your sales, networking and educational opportunities may start to evaporate)
• Anyone who has ever exhibited at a trade show so you’ll know your dissatisfaction was and is not singular (so your marketing and sales plan will change and the thumpings you’ve received from your CFO on expenses may have to finally be heeded)
• Anyone who is in the trade show industry so you’ll know why you may be losing your job and who is responsible (in many cases, you may be part of the problem and if its not you, you know who it is)

THE GOOD AND BAD
Trade shows (like the recent VOICES, or SXSW or CES – The Consumer Electronics Show and hundreds more) are extremely valuable to exhibitors and attendees alike for networking, education, new product roll out, sales, client retention and hospitality among a myriad of positives.

Trade shows are also now more than ever ridiculously expensive to produce, travel to and exhibit in because of costs like hotels, food and beverage, exhibit hall and union fees as just a few of the myriad of prohibitive negatives.

I have personally produced, from the exhibitor side of things, many tradeshows from small 100 person gatherings to exhibits in the top 10 biggest trade shows in the country. The negatives are starting to significantly outweigh the positives for exhibitors and this valuable and worthwhile marketing channel is in trouble.

And this pending change, this economically mandated evolution if you will, will impact your business no matter what it is and no matter whether you are an exhibitor, an attendee or a show producer.

THE FACTS FROM SOMEONE WHO KNOWS
Direct your attention, if you will to a blog post by Tim Bourquin, who owns TNC New Media, a company that produces multiple trade shows each year.

The post offers a fairly naked behind the scenes view of the problems with the trade show industry. You should read the whole thing. He’s saying exhibitors and attendees can spend their marketing dollars elsewhere and will. That is a smack on the back of the head of the trade show industry from one of its benefactors.

WHETHER AT THE RAMADA OR THE PEPSI CENTER = MONEY
Convention Centers are going to be in trouble if they don’t change their ways, trade unions and non-union workers in these facilities are going to be out of job if they don’t significantly adjust their attitudes and convention dependent hotels and vendors are going lose more money than they could ever have possibly imagined.

Trade shows as we know them WILL change. The internet has given people the knowledge that bigger is not always better. That centralization (having one big industry convention) is effective only to a point and that “point” will be determined by cost. That threshold, Bourquin’s blog post and my experience tells me, is now cracking.

Is it the end of the world? No.

But the evolution, in my opinion, will be drastic. So what’s it to you? If you don’t think the trade show industry touches your personal business, industry and global economies like a largely mutated octopus, you are not paying attention.

Tags: advertising, blogs, commentary, internet, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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