On the heels of last week's R&R article I was offered the opportunity to share my programming perspectives regarding the Alternative format in the weekly Sands Report. When role call includes Jon Coleman, Steve Masters and Lee Abrams buzz words and catch phrases don't cut it. Here was my contribution to the discussion:
Q: As you know, Alternative radio has lost WHFS and WPLY in the last few weeks. I'm writing about the formats "resurrection" and it's renaissance! (yep, the power of positive thinking!) To that end, can you give me ONE tip that you feel would help revive terrestrial alternative radio? Is there anything they can do to improve, in your mind? If so, what?
Me: Become cultish again!!!
I'm talking about our station's personality around the records. We each have our own unique circumstances and marketplace opportunities that require us to cater our musical approach individually. But outside of music, in the moments that define our station's psychographic target, we need to get back our alternative sense of humor! While to a GM it may be frightening to suggest our role as a cult brand vs. targeting the mainstream, I submit the following examples to show the amazing profitability of investing in cult brands:
"Napoleon Dynamite" - This little cult film was made for only $400,000 and has grossed of 45 million at the Box Office to date, DVD sales will more than double this figure.
"Family Guy" - The Fox animated comedy was too "inside" and didn't reach a mass appeal audience so Fox cancelled the show. 2 years later the Family Guy Volume One DVD is released and quickly rose to 4th all time on the TV shows on DVD sales list (Behind Simpson's 1&2 and the first season of Sopranos). An amazing example of what word of mouth did for a show with only a cult following. Fox quickly renewed the series for 35 more episodes and a full-length movie is slated for release this summer.
Our station's should reinvest in making the alternative fans laugh...yes even at the expense of some folks who "don't get it". Be bold, dangerous, surprising, but most of all funny! Lets entertain the alternative culture, those people who see the world a little left of center, folks with an odd sense of humor, the fashionably avant guarde and early tech adopters. If we win the loyalty of this audience and their endorsement to friends and neighbors our stations will have the same word of mouth success that Napoleon Dynamite, Family Guy, and countless other cult brands have enjoyed. Focus narrow on the alternative culture and the voyeuristic mainstream will follow.
Check out the entire piece to read thoughts from other leading minds in the format.
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