Radio...Creating a PR Campaign for the Entire Medium

Mark Ramsey runs a company called Mercury Radio Research.  I read his blog everyday.  I find his ideas challenging, multi-dimensional, imaginative, and unique among the radio profession.  All in all, I respect the heck outta this guy.  Recently, he's been discussing the strategy radio has employed to attack our bad press and the positive momentum of rivals like XM and Sirius.  Here is the back story:

From Radio Ink:

Radio Industry To Launch Campaign To Promote Over-The-Air Radio

Over the next six weeks, radio stations from virtually all major radio groups will air a series of spots featuring superstar artists as well as new and emerging acts, explaining how it was radio—not iPods or the Internet—that gave them their first break. The tag line used in all spots, which will be aired primarily on Urban and other alternative stations, is: “Radio: You Hear It Here First.” Stations programming to listeners on other formats, including Country and News/Talk, are expected to air the campaign when customized spots are developed.

Thus far radio groups have committed $28 million air time to run the 30-second spots, featuring such artists as Nellie, Ludacris, Ashanti, Avril Lavigne, Hoobastank, and others. Up-and-coming artists include John Legend, the Ditty Bops, and the Bravery.

Where's the Magic?

There's is something missing (maybe a lot missing) from the current PR campaign.  I wrote Mark an e-mail last week and he posted it on his website.  Here's the transcript of my e-mail:

Subject: Where's the Magic,

It is the reason I went into radio and I have always felt that there was something magical, romantic and glamorous about radio. Reading your response to the RBR piece today struck a nerve. Radio was never those things to me because it was free. If we are going to mount a national campaign to make radio matter, shouldn't we try to re-spark the audience's imagination about the medium? Free doesn't accomplish that goal, nor does a few pop-stars saying "you heard it first".

Radio has a romantic history, and I feel that a successful PR campaign should tap into an emotional vein that ignites the magical feeling people had about radio for so long. When the movie Industry felt threatened by VHS they mounted an emotional marketing appeal that really emphasized the magic of movie making and the essential nature of seeing a movie on the big screen. There is nothing endearing about Avril saying you heard it here first or you heard it here free. What if Avril said, "I set out to make music because I one day I wanted to hear my music on the radio just like the artists I grew up listening to Madonna, Alanis, etc..." It better defines the medium as relevant and important and it emotionally invests Avril in radio.

The current campaign requires no real personal connection for the spokes person, so they are just hollow talking heads. I am playing the PR game in my own head to find a way to capture those original ideals and emotions I had about radio and create a meaningful campaign.

Thanks,

Chris Williams
www.chriswilliams.biz

Check out Mark's blog http://www.radiomarketingnexus.com/

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