Mel Taylor Media

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Compared to past years, there is a dramatic increase in the number of Internet oriented panels at the upcoming NAB Radio show, next week in Charlotte. Good thing too. Locally focused advertisers are spending more money online, and Radio (as well as TV & Newspapers) are in a good position to leverage this. But will they do what it takes to win ?

When posing this question to really smart, seasoned broadcast managers, they inevitably respond “ I don’t want to cannibilize my broadcast money, and I don’t want my sellers chasing Web dollars. We’re in the RADIO business !”

This is where I cautiously launch into my patented reply: “I understand exactly what you’re saying. Many broadcasters feel the same way. Yet, I know of a growing list of broadcasters that are starting to realize: We’re really in the business of connecting marketers to consumers.  We enable commerce, and luckily, we have the ubiquitous power of the Radio transmitter to help enable that advertiser/consumer relationship. Let’s use ALL of our assets: spot, promos, Web, database, live remotes, and events to accomplish that.”

Traditional ‘spot’ revenues for Broadcasters are mainly flat or slipping. This puts local traditional media companies in a tough spot. Do we put our nose down, and work even harder at selling our traditional advertising inventory, or do we re-direct some of our sales efforts towards growing our interactive share? A somewhat sobering take on this issue is well communicated by Ken Dardis from AudioGraphics here.

Radio is in a much better position than they think. It’s easy to see from the graph above. Traditional media needs a strong gameplan to go after these growing online dollars. As more dollars are being allocated to ‘measured media’ like the Internet, some smart broadcasters realize that they own some pretty powerful tools to grab a piece of fast growing Web expenditures.

Radio’s not so secret weapons:

Relationships with media buyers/planners, especially on the local front. Broadcast reps will always have a shot to pitch interactive or cross platform programs. They already have a built-in trust with the buyer. All the while, the exploding volumes of pure-play dot coms are finding it hard to get in front of these key decision makers. There is only so many hours in the day for media planners to take meetings with the growing list of online-only media sites.

The Broadcast transmitter and tower. Think of how valuable it is, to be able to promote a client’s online destination, or a sales based promotion that is housed within the broadcaster’s website. Radio has it’s very own megaphone on steroids; the transmitter. The dot com pure-plays don’t have this luxury. They have to pay for offline promotion.

Broadcasters are well positioned to re-invigorate their business by leveraging the assets they already have in place. Now all they have to do is put more skin into the game. How? Devote appropriate resources, and make the Web a strategic part of every sales, programming and marketing innitiative……. not just as an ‘add-on’.

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Took a break from posting for a few days due to some business travel in the Sunshine State. And as you could imagine, there are some nice benefits of having clients in Florida: getting a tan, taking a swim, and visiting the Orlando theme parks. Nothing like putting the Blackberry away, turning off the cell phone and getting lost in fantasy land for a bit.

But being the communications/marketing nerd that I am, I found myself noticing all of the interesting and creative ways that Disney and Universal studios were utilizing product placement within their attractions and rides.

One of the most compelling examples of this, was how Volkswagon was integrated into one of Universal Studios most popular rides: Revenge of the Mummy. See slide show above.

While this marketing investment from the German car maker was most certainly from a national budget, it lead me to believe that this was yet another example of the creative fragmention of marketing dollars. I bet that some of these dollars used to primarily go to Broadcast and Print.

If you have a local online Media property, are you doing more that just offering banners and pre-rolls to your clients? Are you coming up with innovative ways to embed your clients brand or message within your content? Maybe you are building special sections, or landing pages? How about unique podcasts, contests, or video programs ?

Yes, amusement parks are now one of your many, growing list of competitors.

The end of an era.

Had some great times in that building at 5th and Market in Philly. WYSP radio, KYW 1060 Newsradio, and CBS-TV 3. But as of this week, the wrecking crew is on site, tearing it down to make way for a new structure, and another tenant.

Loved doing Mid-days there at WYSP in the late 90′s. I also did some TV work for CBS-3; music reports and technology features.

I also remember how cool it was to bump into the well known on-air reporters from KYW newsradio, also housed within those hallowed halls. Sometimes I cringed when I saw them order some nasty stuff from that hotdog cart out front.

As you may know, the TV station moved over into new digs, up near the Art Museum area. And the 2 Radio stations moved just down the street on Market.

Is your staff comfortable in a Web 2.0 world? Do they have skills in things like blogging, RSS, video, podcasting, online sales, CPM or sponsorship selling, digital editing, convergence packages, etc ?

This question applies to TV, Radio, Newspapers and all other media properties.

The four ladies above are Web producers on a mission. They are an example of what MUST be done at local media properties. “Tell a great story with our dinky little camera and to put your video stories online via our vlog.” They work for Knox News. Take a look at their work here.

Jeff Jarvis from www.BuzzMachine.com, approaches this topic from the Print side. Rosenblum Associates  goes at it from the TV side. Radio is ramping up as we speak.

In terms of Web training for traditional media, this space is wide open for someone to step into, in a big way.

Jeff Jarvis says: But what’s appalling is that newspapers are not retraining their staffs in the new skills of new media.

There are lots of cynical excuses for that: The papers want to lay off expensive people and hire cheap kids. Or the old dogs won’t — or some would say can’t — learn new skills.

Well, why not try? I have been arguing — to little result … so far — that news organizations of all sorts should train every person in the newsroom in the skills of new media: how to make video, audio, and blogs. That wouldn’t take long, just a day or two. It’s that easy. That’s why everybody out here is doing it.

Read more here.