Write Great Commercials. Here's How

5-20-14

We've been hearing it a lot lately. Radio runs too many awful commercials and it could be costing us money. And, as Marketing Evolution CEO Rex Briggs pointed out LAST WEEK, great creative moves product, which means great creative should bring you more revenue. If there's even the slightest chance, writing and producing better sounding spots gives an advertiser a better chance to succeed and gives radio a better chance to increase revenue, why isn't this changing? Yaman Coskun is the Founder and CEO of Yamanair Creative. The former Clear Channel emplyoyee went out on his own in 2007 with a goal of focusing on writing and producing creative ads for radio. He now has 14 employees and contractors doing just that. In this interview, we picked his brain about what goes into a great ad, what to avoid so you minimize bad ads and how you can increase your chances the ads you write will drive traffic to the client. We also have audio of Coskun's top three commercials from the past ten years. Here's our interview

Here are Yaman's three favorite ads from the past ten years: 
typing-tutorial-talk-like-you-type
Subway
Dinnerdate

Reach out to Yaman at yaman@yamanair.com
Follow on Twitter @yamanairdc

(5/20/2014 1:08:25 PM)
{Typing tutorial" shoulda been a :30. (Meee-yow!)
Still.... very nice work.
There might be a chance for spots yet.
(5/20/2014 12:12:48 PM)
Only "Lately?"
Surely you jest.

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Here's What I Learned at C.E.S.

1-17-2014

Another edition of the Consumer Electronics Show is in the books and it's time to reflect on what was learned from the experience.

The show has always been a guiding point to important takeaways that can be applicable in our everyday radio life. This year, every facet of CES comes back to connectivity, no matter what brand we are thinking about.

Wearable devices seemed to be the big story this year at CES and this marked my first event that I attended that Google Glasses were semi-prevalent. I actually saw someone looking hideously weird wearing Google Glasses on top of their own glasses. Can you say ?super nerd??

This year?s show also continued the trend of being a car show where automotive companies show off their new technology. Frequently, you could hear some variation of discussion from presenters about some form of self-driving mobility coming in our lifetime. BMW was touting its "Auto Drive "Capabilities. Ford talked about its "Adaptive Cruise Control." Mercedes highlighted its capabilities around "predictive user experience."

We are not only talking about a car that drives but now the manufacturers talk about "car physics."

If you want to see the next generation of mobility, look at Zoox.com and you'll see one of the companies that is certainly seeing the future. They would make The Jetsons proud!

Here are some thoughts that, hopefully, you'll find valuable after my CES experience:

1) We need to have a thirst for deeper behavioral understanding

To me this key starting point matches the goal of many of the exhibition companies and how they pursue their business ventures. They seek, through behavioral analysis research, the best "real-life experience data" that guides them on the final creation of the product.

So, as I was privileged to be walking the convention floor with Nielsen Audio?s Dr. Ed Cohen, we both took into account our own behavioral questions: when we saw things in the kitchen-aid category that included a Whirlpool  refrigerator with Blue Tooth speakers, or the "smart refrigerators" which gave you exact readouts of what?s in the fridge.

Are these products part of an over-connected cultural fad or will they catch on and become habit? Let's see where the category of smart refrigerators is in popularity next year at this time.

If we in radio can be stronger in data interpretation, both in the raw number that Nielsen provides, and in the other metrics that matter, we can better serve our clients and customers.

2) Generosity in sharing

There is a spirit and a generosity in sharing that seems to be prevalent at CES. Maybe it?s the daze we all get in from the sensory overload that disarms us, but among attendees and journalists there appears to be generosity in sharing.

The shared experience among those in attendance is a great communal vibe of best-and-brightest experts.

As you ponder how to be better in your own job, finding ways to manage and expand your own network of the best-and-brightest is a great place to focus.

3) Make your street team brilliant

The street teams that circle CES are all fun and beautiful (male and female). Their nuisance factor is minimized and they carry the image and vibe of the brand very well.

As we fight to stand out, we have to challenge this specific point at our radio station. Do you have your full-timers on their A game when they work the street? (Do they even have an A game?)

Just as you want your street team to take their appearance (or the van?s appearance) seriously, do they take their physical appearance seriously? I didn't see one CES street-teamer shoveling food into his mouth while finishing his cigarette on his break.

4) Curiosity

Nolan Bushnell talked about how events like CES nurture your curiosity and how critical that factor is to further breakout thinking.

Wandering over 2 million-square-feet of convention space with 150,000 of your nerdy best friends, you see people of all shapes and sizes and multicultural background, all on a curiosity mission.

There is no one code to be cracked.

Just being around smart and different people with a curious backbone makes us sharper.

As Nolan said about CES and tradeshows in general, "Surround yourself in areas where your mind is being creatively challenged, and tradeshows are one of these...that represent the best and the newest of an industry. Collections of talent and creative people...they plasticize your brain just a little but."

5) Partnerships

A partnership mentality seems to grow every year at CES, the examples of which are too numerous to mention. Everywhere we look companies are finding and succeeding with integration philosophies that produce win/wins for both parties. Who can you partner with to create another product/product category or to enhance existing products? Some partnerships might have no immediate financial or strategic reward today but can or will in the future. Let's be willing to take that risk with an eye on honing partnerships for the future.

CES is all about seeing the future, and the future is in partnerships.

6) Innovation incubation

Failing fast and cheap while increasing innovation incubation is key to our long-term success. Sometimes this incubation occurs after following someone who is or has already tried something and gotten there first.

That?s okay, as long as you put your take on the project/harmonize it with your brand and make it better. Studying the Google innovation process is interesting because many times they aren't first into the category but they figure their own spin and execution and their own definable difference.

We should all be motivated from CES innovation and at the very least set small but realistic goals to grow.

7) Nurture your own professional alliances

Professional alliances grow the knowledge base of individuals and organizations and CES is a driver of this for me. Many existing relationships have gotten stronger as a result of the event, and it?s also afforded me the opportunity to create some new ones.

8) Simplicity

Going to CES reminds me that simplicity and ease of use are important for everything that we undertake with our brands. Whether it?s a promotion, a digital initiative, or a device, it has to be easy to use and easy to understand. Bells and whistles are great but if the user experience is clunky it makes for a negative experience.

Buzz Knight is the Vice President of Program Development for Greater Media and he can be reached at bknight@greatermediaboston.com. Knight was named among ?Best Programmers? by Radio Ink Magazine in 2007 and 2010. He has served on the programming subcommittee of the National Association of Broadcasters(NAB) and is currently a member of the Arbitron Radio Advisory Council and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) COLRAM Committee.

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Here's The Bit That Got Them Fired

6-17-13

It may be uncomfortable to listen to, as it should be. Cumulus' "The Ticket" in New Orleans posted the audio from the Atlanta morning team -- "Mayhem in the AM" -- mocking Steve Gleason. It's hard to understand how the hosts made the decision to allow this to happen. How does anyone get to a point where they believe making fun of someone suffering from any horrible disease is humorous? If you were the General Manager and this happened at your station, what would you have done? LISTEN

Our Atlanta Discussion Board is talking about the incident HERE

And, of course, with social media playing such a huge role in our lives today, listeners to the station are sounding off on the station's Facebook page

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And Here's The Entire 2013 Class

2-27-2013

The class of the 2013 Country Radio Hall of Fame in both the Radio and On-Air categories were officially at a ceremony at the Nashville Convention Center.  Pictured are (L to R):  (back) Crook & Chase (Charlie Chase and Lorianne Crook); CRS Executive Director, Bill Mayne; Eddie Edwards; ACM Executive Director, Bob Romeo; Bill ?Dex? Poindexter; CRS President Mike Culotta. (front) Gaylon Christie  Not pictured: Dr. Don Carpenter

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Here's How to Tell Your Story

12-10-2012

by Melissa Kunde

"To thine own self be true" were famous words from Shakespear'?s Hamlet, and ?Differentiate or Die? are the echoing raw words from respected marketing strategist Jack Trout. While each of these quotes stand alon,e they are dynamic co-conspirators in the mindset of businesses that grow.  As an industry, radio has spent the majority of its years after "the golden age" justifying its worth in the marketplace.

Now, we face our relevance in the digital age. Our battle is with new seductive suitors (Google, Facebook, Youtube and even worse, Pandora and Spotify) who boldly position themselves as necessary advertising vehicles in the Age of the Internet. They claim daily and persistently, in advertising conferences, digital conferences, colleges, press releases, whitepapers, advertising organizations, blogs, and webinars that they are the new models of connection and brand development. Your clients and prospective advertising decision makers believe what they hear and read. They want to feel smart, relevant and cutting edge so they seek knowledge through all those venues and Radio is not there. They are converted with the ?story? way before anyone sells them anything. 

I asked Jack Trout what Radio needed to do to grow its business when I interviewed him in 2010. This is what he said, ?Reposition Radio as a primary medium and the reason you can do that is because of the power of sounds? you have to explain to people that sound is more powerful, even more powerful than pictures.?
This is what I have done. I have repositioned Radio.

Superpowers Are Hard to Ignore.
Radio in the 21st century is a primary entertainment, information and advertising media and the only superpower of sound and story. It is these qualities, sound and story, that profoundly set Radio apart from our competitors. Neuroscientists, social scientists and sound experts have our back. These kinetic and humanistic assets amplified are the key to changing perceptions from ?Radio is dead? to ?Radio is necessary.?

Norman Corwin, the poet laureate of Radio said, "Sound itself attracts. Ask any eavesdropper? Sounds have a romance. The sound of a cricket at night to establish a mood in a radio drama?There is no sound on the moon because it takes air to support it; the vibrations of air create the sound. And Radio was a medium which employ(s) that magic.? Sound is irresistible and when linked with story the combination is even more magical.

Braithwaite Communications explains the leverage that story possesses. ?Human beings are wired for narrative. That?s why stories work. Information in story form outperforms any tactic and transcends any media. Audiences retain up to seven times the information shared via a story versus statistics. More than recall, stories create ownership. Stories work to create movies in the mind ? engaging more of the person with more of the message. Stories have greater impact on key metrics, including awareness, recall, understanding, persuasion and loyalty. When people own information, they tend to act on it and share it. And isn?t that what you want your marketing efforts to do??

This is what we do. Best-in-class Radio campaigns increase recall, understanding, persuasion and loyalty. Radio engages and connects with humans so uniquely that even listening passively doesn?t escape the mind?s attention: You can?t shut your ear lids.

Results
What results has this new position accomplished? I co-wrote and produced this video ?An Audio Explosion in a Digital World? with the ?sound and story position? for a Radio Summit in 2010, hosted by the Portland Area Radio Council (PARC), for advertising prospects and non-radio users. When asked in our survey did the video and the summit contents change their perception of Radio 95% said, ?It changed their perspective and gave them a excited feeling about Radio.?  KXL, a Portland news talk station, currently hosts the aforementioned video on their ?Advertise on KXL? web page, the GSM says that the video has been a persuasive asset for new advertisers.

Another example, PARC brought in Tim Miles, a partner of the Wizard of Ads, to speak to 300 small businesses. I chose Tim because he fully embraced my ?sound and story? strategy and held true to his intent to be a strategist advocate for small businesses. PARC surveyed all the attendee?s after his very informative seminars: 54% responded and 99% said his presentation change their perception of Radio for the better and they would consider Radio in their advertising strategy. (I should note not one classic radio statistic was used in Tim?s presentation.)

And one last insight, I was asked to create a pro-radio presentation for a big agency that represents two big automotive brands. My gut told me to only present sound and story content but I questioned myself and compromised only dedicating four slides to sound and story and completed the rest with expected statistics. The presentation went well but a day later my gut was confirmed the VP of this agency sent me an email expressing her gratitude and also added that she would have really like more information on the neuroscience of sound and story. 

United We Grow Radio?s strength and renaissance starts with you. It is essential we speak with a unified voice. Join me as ambassadors and supporters in every aspect this new story. Let?s gather great storytellers and movement makers inside and out of our industry to support our new position. Helen Keller was once asked, if she had to choose between sight and sound, which would, she pick? She said sound because the lack of sight only separates a person from things while the lack of sound separates a person from people.

Radio is the peoples? media and the superpower of sound and story.

Melissa Kunde is the Executive Director of the Seattle Area Radio Association (SARA) Sound. Action. Result. Advertising. http://www.seattleradio.org
E-mail Melissa directly mkunde@comcast.net

(12/10/2012 8:07:53 PM)
Melissa - Do your feet smell?
(12/10/2012 1:38:01 PM)
Great article, Melissa and I could not agree more with your position! Also, Tim Miles is an excellent choice for anyone trying to move prospects/customers through the Communication Process/Buying Funnel on the value of telling great stories and radio as a powerful vehicle to deliver them. The Mind truly does work by EAR!
(12/10/2012 1:05:51 PM)
Nice piece, Melissa! Deserves widespread publication.
- Rod Schwartz - Radio Sales Cafe(12/10/2012 12:30:14 PM)
Unfortunately differentiaion doesn't stop there. Competing individual groups in a market with overlapping formats default to rate discounting as the primary share building tool.
(12/10/2012 11:33:02 AM)
Really excellent article and audio/video presentation....should be the "flag" all radio stations should be waving.

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Here's Why You Should Take Digital Seriously.

8-31-2012
by Jay Clark

Saga's decision to suspend ad-insertion has me thinking about the bigger picture; sticks verses new media. I've been an audio-product guy all my life, from programming WTKS-FM, one of the first successful FM talk stations in the country, to heading up the programming department as Executive Vice President at Sirius Satellite Radio. Those of you who know me, understand that I've been lucky to be on the cutting edge of our business, and have delivered listeners and advertisers without breaking the bank. The product radio is delivering via the stream is not something we should be proud of.

We all know that the use of new media, social media, portable media with smart phones etc. has grown and will continue to grow at an alarming rate. We also know that, for the first time in history, all of this is available in the automobile, our previous bastion of security. As EVP of Sirius, I along with Lee Abrams at XM, were the first to infringe on radio's live programming, in-car monopoly, but Sirius/XM is a paid-subscriber-based model, unlike what is facing us now. To add insult to injury, the cost of streamed music rights is too high to make economic sense. This needs to be dealt with and a compromise made sooner than later. That said, I strongly believe that new media is important to our future and that we have to be in this business.

Unfortunately much of the product I've heard on radio websites and through iHeartRadio, is embarrassing. With no ax to grind, I must say it is not the fault of computers or available equipment, it's the fault of us. Us, radio folks, not taking the job of serving our listeners and advertisers seriously by not investing in the future. I can hear it now! "So few go to our website that the receptionist, or some other employee who has more on his or her plate than they can deal with, can handle this." Then, we tell our advertisers they also have to be on our website, or radio app. That brings me to sales.

Have we hired more sales personnel? Do we have a sales manager who understands that Web or phone app audio advertising is different? Have we bothered to institute new media sales training? This is not brain surgery, this is just good business. I also ask the same questions regarding product. Have we hired more staff to assure that our new media is up to date? Have we given our on-air staff, and/or producers video cameras, told them they must file on a regular basis, and showed them how to create decent video? Do we have people in the building assigned to be sure that blogs are written and sound from the morning show is up and taken down in a timely manner? Is there a manager of new media content for your cluster?

As broadcasters, we need an attitude adjustment. Our sticks still work and many of us still have solid brands that enjoy large core audiences. We should be using our over-the-air signals as barkers for our new media product. (Clear Channel is doing a decent job of this to bolster iHeartRadio.) We cannot expect even our core listeners to continue to believe in us if we constantly lie to them! Inviting our existing audience to a website, stream, or app by telling them how great it is, or how it will help them in their daily lives and then giving them less-than-great product loses confidence and loyalty.

Younger listeners in particular can smell deception and will not put up with it for long. To not put thought, some extra dollars, time, and staff into assuring that these audio outlets represent our sound, look, and image, is a fool's errand. Another thought: Utilize or hire some younger employees. Give them reasonable guidelines and goals, take their suggestions, and let them be part of the overall team. If you get the right people, it's not that expensive and you'll probably learn something.

I understand debt service. I understand what the economy has done to our business. I certainly understand the need to make a buck. Many of my friends are out of a job, so I know that times are tight and investors are uneasy. I also understand that without an investment -- over and above the aforementioned rights fees, which I agree is a barrier -- we stand to eventually not have a bottom line. Remember, horses to cars, trains to planes, new technology needs to be acknowledged. It won't go away, let's let history be our guide.

Reach out to Jay about his thoughts via e-mail at jay@jayclark.biz

(8/31/2012 11:06:07 AM)
Great piece, Jay. Here's hoping someone pays attention before it's too late...which it almost is.
(8/31/2012 10:30:34 AM)
Technology and programming are not at odds, let alone at war.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3000934/quick-write-down-notebook-maker-moleskine-goes-analog-digital

(8/30/2012 10:22:27 PM)
Great read. Couldn't agree more, if you're lucky enough to be on the air as a personality, you have to deliver when telling your listenership how great you are digitally. You can't lose their trust

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Here's The Joint WOR Announcement

8-13-2012

Buckley Radio President and CEO Joseph Bilotta says, ?For more than 23 years, Buckley Radio has been the steward of one of the most legendary radio stations in broadcasting history and I would like to sincerely thank all of the wonderful people who devoted their time, energy, and efforts over the years to WOR Radio. By passing the baton to Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, WOR listeners, advertisers, and employees will gain access to the unparalleled resources of a worldwide, multi-dimensional media and entertainment company. We have had a great run with WOR and could not be more confident that it is poised for another great run as part of the Clear Channel Media and Entertainment team.?

Clear Channel Chairman and CEO John Hogan said, ?WOR is an iconic New York City brand with a rich history and an exciting future. Clear Channel is excited to add WOR as a powerful, high-potential complement to our New York brands. We believe WOR makes our already incredible platform even more interesting for listeners, advertisers, and strategic partners and we look forward to the tremendous potential WOR adds to Clear Channel Media and Entertainment New York.?

(8/13/2012 6:37:53 PM)
So Romney buys control of another station:

Romney->Bain Capital->Clear Channel->WOR.

(8/13/2012 6:06:06 PM)
I bet they will continue the tradition of all the other cia controlled media and censor all Jewish Holy Days and ban Chanuka music in order to get Jews in nyc to assimilate. I believe clear channel is a front for the usa govt as was wor's prior owner
(8/13/2012 5:45:08 PM)
Great, since the father died Wor has been a mess. Maybe now they'll get rid of NBC news and stop cutting up the Savage Nation. Greg
(8/13/2012 5:44:55 PM)
Will we conservatives be spared the liberal blah-blah from NBC now? For a while, I was betting that the Peacock network was moving in on WOR. Will Joe Bartlett, raving liberal, finally be forced to read the news without his snarky editorial comments? (Let's hope so.) And Yes: Gambling is a RINO wuss.
(8/13/2012 5:42:02 PM)
The Obama regime devalued most everything we're familiar with. From homes to family net worth, it is a buyer's market for those few left standing. Clear Channel will make out like a bandit as the economy soars from Obama's defeat.

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(DIGITAL) Here's What You Can Do About Pandora

5-25-2012

Pandora's been in the news again this week. Here on RadioInk.com, "Pandora Offers Better Solutions for Advertisers Than Radio" and "It's Hard To Deny, They Are Growing The Revenue" pretty well summed up that their fans consider their personalized music streams to be a form of radio as good as any other, as Pandora works aggressively to monetize that listening.

So what's radio to do? Here's a list of three things. One's for programming, one's for sales, and one's for the market manager or GM.

Programming: Embrace Your Stream

Our heaviest users just don't want to be limited by the transmitter anymore. For one thing, more and more listening is moving inexorably online. For another, mobile listening is growing like a weed. Too many PDs either pay no attention to their brand's stream, or they've mentally set far lower standards for it than they do for what gets delivered via the transmitter.

Start by regularly listening to your stream instead of just your radio receiver. Listen on your computer, your smartphone, your tablet; use whatever you have. You're the brand manager; make sure you know what the experience is like any of the different ways that your product might be delivered.

You might have to realign some of your priorities throughout the day to make sure that what people hear is the best you can deliver, every way you can deliver it. Your stream is just as worthy of your attention as your broadcast, and there's much more growth potential in your online stream. Plus, stay aware of new developments relating to what you can do with your streaming experience. There are a lot of changes coming that our fans will enjoy.

Sales: Learn the New Targeting

Back in the good old days, radio WAS the targeted medium. Now we have some learning to do to really understand how much targeting we can do using our digital tools.

Ads on all your digital platforms can target customers for your clients in new and exciting ways. The place to start is by realizing some of the key differences. For one, you know exactly how many people listen to your stream, or visit your website, or open your emails. You can track every click. You can even figure out regular patterns that people tend to follow. This means that you're dealing with real numbers, not listening estimates. In addition, you own the data; there's no Arbitron showing your competitors the same information about your brand and others.

For clients, both big and small, being able to hone a message efficiently and measure performance is a huge plus. Spend time learning what your tools allow you to do, and break out of the "selling spots" mold. You have exciting new ways to solve your clients' marketing problems. Don't let Pandora be the only one in your market doing so.

Top Management: Lead and Don't Let Up

Today, broadcast revenue budgets are still many times bigger than the digital numbers we have to hit. At some point that will change. Even now, where is it easier to get revenue growth from?broadcast, or digital? I think we all know that digital revenue is the under-tapped resource with the most growth potential.

General managers, market managers, and corporate leaders have a key role to play. Unless they make digital growth and improvement a priority, people in the programming and sales trenches tend to remain focused on what's in front of them -- reaching their broadcast goals -- rather than spending time learning what's up with the digital parts of their jobs. Change management is tough. If you want even your most talented people to make digital headway, you have to be keeping it on the front burner all the time.

Chris Miller has been a major-market PD in Atlanta, Portland and Cleveland. He now operates Chris Miller Digital, which he launched. Visit his website at www.chrismillerdigital.com.
Contact Chris via e-mail, chris@chrismillerdigital.com or 216-236-3955.

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LEGAL - Want Your Own FM? Here's Your Chance

1-4-2012

I note that the FCC is now accepting applications for new FM stations in mostly rural areas, including an opportunity for an FM station in the town I grew up in, for an auction to be held later this Spring. What is this all about? We took that question to John Garziglia and asked him to give us the details.

John Garziglia says:  The FCC periodically auctions off construction permits for new FM stations at locations where the FCC has previously allotted an FM  channel.  The FCC on January 3rd started accepting Form 175 auction applications for 119 FM channels upon which new commercial FM stations may be built and operated.  The deadline for filing its Form 175 auction application is January 12, 2012. 

The FCC?s listing of FM channels to be auctioned is at:  http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db1221/DA-11-2046A2.pdf   What the FCC is auctioning is the opportunity to file for an FM construction permit for the allotment.  There is no assurance of actually being able to build a  station at the auctioned allotment.  Therefore, having good engineering and legal assistance prior to actually bidding is a must. 

Filing a Form 175 application to participate in the auction for one of these FM channels entails almost no risk.  The risk comes when actual money is bid at the  auction to be held in March.  Therefore, if you have an interest in one or more of the FM channels on the FCC?s listing, it would be advisable to file the Form  175 application now, and assess later whether and how much you might bid. 

Once the Form 175 application is filed, the FCC, between now and the start of the auction, will specify a date by which upfront money specified on the auction  listing must be submitted.  That upfront money will be refunded by the FCC shortly after the auction if you do not bid, or if you are not the successful bidder.   The actual monetary risk comes once the auction starts and bidding commences.  FCC information on this FM auction is at: www.fcc.gov/auctions. 

It is impossible to speculate what are the chances that any one of these FM stations will actually be a reasonable business proposition.  Like most business start- ups, success will inure to the person who sees an opportunity that others did not see, and is able to develop the opportunity into a viable business. 

If there is a channel in your home town and you know something about the growth or strength of the area that others may not, or you and your engineer believe  that the new station could be built in such a way that is not readily apparent to others, that FM channel may be an opportunity for you.  Also, for new  broadcasters, the FCC gives a 33% bidding credit to encourage new entrants, as well as a lesser 25% credit to bidders with up to three stations not in the same area. 

There are many small towns that no one has heard of in this auction.  If you know something about a particular community which will get a new FM station, and you know how to make a station work there better than others might, there may be an opportunity for you in this upcoming FCC FM auction.  The first step is to file an FCC Form 175 prior to the January 12, 2012 deadline. 

John F. Garziglia is a Communications Law Attorney with Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice in Washington, DC and can be reached at (202) 857-4455 or jgarziglia@wcsr.com. Have a question for our "Ask The Attorney" feature? Send to edryan@radioink.com.

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I Was Fired Too. Here's What I Did.

by JJ Duling
I think it's safe to say the radio talent world was rocked last week by hundreds of 'R.I.F.' firings at the two biggest companies.  It's put a lot of you (even those still employed) in the position of having to soon ask yourself, "what's next for me?" Earlier this year, I found myself in a similar position and it can be...well, challenging. 

You may decide to hang in or opt out and re-invent yourself, perhaps in a completely different profession. I'm sure you know you are not alone. You'll hear a lot of noise in the near term, some affirming your love for your craft and others telling you it's the end of the road.  It can be terribly confusing and demoralizing.

I can't tell you how many times, during my year-long job search, I've heard the following from colleagues, friends and even some family:
? "Dude, get out of radio.  The business stinks-it's over"
? "Radio isn't what it used to be...no way I'd stay in this business"
? "There are no jobs!  Why bother?"
? "Hey, you had a great run- but it's time to go to work for a living"
? "Radio sucks.  It's all corporate!  Why would you still want to do it?"

Sorry to disappoint but I honestly don't find myself ready to "give it up" or "get out now".  Why? It isn't a matter of me being stubborn, in denial or not realizing the reality that the business has changed so dramatically during the past dozen years.

I simply can't imagine abandoning radio because I really, truly, genuinely love what I do.  How many of us are so blessed we can say that about our jobs and really mean it?  I love my craft a great deal.  There is nothing like building a fun, exciting, compelling radio station, creating a hot buzz, getting those numbers in and knowing you have something unique and special going on. There's nothing quite like helping on-air talent grow into greatness.  Nothing like bringing a team together and being on a mission. Nothing like brainstorming an event idea and having it turn out way better than you envisioned.  Nothing quite matches the thrill of being part of a group of winners all doing something great.

I love being part of all the cool stuff we get to do. We were almost thrown in jail with the WSNX "Mystery Money Man" stunt.  We set a Guiness Book mark with the "World's Biggest Musical Chairs" and won a free MTV concert for Notre Dame with "Rock Alike" when we were in South Bend.  We debuted 98 Surf FM/ Pensacola-Ft Walton Beach #1 in about 100 days on-air.  Our facility at WOLL/West Palm Beach was a dive with bars on the windows in a crack neighborhood but we banned together and rocked the house (Radio Ink's Eric Rhoads did a weekend shift for us and was shocked his car wasn't stolen). 

We got to do an Arrow station in Nashville and cranked it up to #2 for several years (no shame in being second to WSIX in those days) and were honored to have Peter Frampton play St. Nick at our "Breakfast With Santa" event. We had an all-star line-up in Orlando at Big 100 that was the only FM not to simulcast with a TV station during Hurricane Charlie and did a 50kwAM/100kwFM simulcast with our N/T station...their news folks with our seasoned pros (like Mike Harvey, Bob Berry and  Chris Rivers) that kept listeners informed and feeling safe during an amazing, destructive event. How fun it was to do an Adult Hits launch in Louisville (Louie FM) and have immediate success working with Atlanta legend J.J. Jackson and wonderful pros like Lori Bradley and Traci Taylor (one of the few in this format genre that was a big success).

This isn't reminiscing about 'back-in-the-day'.  It's reveling in being a part of show business.  Radio really is the most personal, intimate, interactive part of show biz. And, save for a day or two here and there, I've loved every minute of it; despite all the changes and challenges, I wake up every day wanting to do it all over again.

Does this mean I don't get the occasional creeping negative thought? Of course not. Staying positive is the one of the biggest challenges when one is looking for work (as millions in America can attest, including many in my home state of Michigan whose families grew up in the auto industry).  It really is vital to have enough true faith so I view any opportunity that closes as a new one about to open right around the corner.

To my friends and colleagues who, out of love and caring, suggest "give it up, dude", sorry but this is what I was gifted to do, the fire still burns within me and I intend to keep doing it until some fat lady insists on singing directly to me. 

JJDuling@aol.com

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Make Your Website Social. Here's How

by Loyd Ford

Is your actual website social?  Social media is having a more meaningful impact for those who are truly and consistently working content for listener engagement and benefit.  However, many radio stations don?t put a lot of real effort into making sure their website is ?today friendly.? How important is your website?  It is your home base on the internet, right?  Of course, you have your social media icons on your website, right?  But more than this, does the site encourage actual engagement?  Is the content updated regularly?   

Is the content on your website reflective to listener opinion with a call to action for listeners that focuses on them? 
Do your listeners know there is content on the station site that regularly gives them information, photos and video about stars in your format?  In fact, can listeners easily listen to the station?  Can they find the ?listen now? link quickly and without stress?  Is it easy for listeners to sign up for your loyal listener club?  And will they regularly receive actual benefit for them by being a member?

Much of our lives in radio are spent in meetings or making sure we have this promotion or that one is on the air at certain times during the year, but often times the website, social media, database and public relations efforts fall below the radar or don?t exist at all. 

When it gets right down to it, the most glossed over parts of a programming job today may be:
1. Database (how it is managed, how to learn more about high participators and influencers and use that information in your regular contact to enhance ratings).

2. Station website.  Go ahead and look at stations all across the country.  It is easy to tell the active and engaged stations from those who are ?phoning it in.?  Chances are you won?t like what you see.

3. Personality social media focused on returning listeners to the station.  Lots of personalities are using social media, but often the effort is without coordination and is not focused on station goals and higher engagement with the primary signal.

4. Public relations.  Radio stations don?t often treat special public relations events as special or treat their best moments like it?s important outside of the speakers.  You are the way you represent, right?  Why should you get positive attention if you don?t have a designed public relations strategy to take advantage of what makes your radio station special?

Your social media should push people to your website and your actual broadcast.  If this is not a part of your social media goal, you are largely spinning your wheels.  You should be using your website to help you build a more loyal following.  Fresh content that is focused on true listener benefit and desires is a path to building a consistently engaged loyal following that can lead to real enhanced ratings (especially against a format competitor).

Our job at radio is to provide great content that people want and to maximize the ways people engage our product.  It sounds like that should be your goal in social media, too.  Building a loyal and engaging presence on the web and in closed social media environments can be an important factor in engaging listeners and moving that engagement to loyalty. 

Loyd Ford programmed very successful radio brands in markets of all sizes for years, including KRMD AM & FM in Shreveport, WSSL and WMYI in Greenville, WKKT in Charlotte and WBEE in Rochester, NY.  Learn more about Loyd here:  http://about.me/loydford.  Reach out to Loyd via e-mail HERE

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We're Helping You Move On. Here's How

by Radio Ink Publisher Eric Rhoads

A "perfect storm" is the convergence of various events to cause a perfect disaster scenario. The dark cloud hanging over radio at the moment is a rash of firings because of the convergence of events:
-Clear Channel recently turned the CEO position over to Bob Pittman, who now holds complete bottom-line responsibility. He has to lead Clear Channel out of its debt problems and improve its balance sheet, but he insists these are not cost cuts, but a change in how the company is approaching programming. In any case, it has resulted in lost jobs.
-Cumulus recently completed its purchase of Citadel and has been systematically eliminating people throughout the company. Though there is no official word on this, it appears some of the first to go are the people who have a long legacy with the company and thus have large compensation packages from decades of employment with ABC/Disney and Citadel.
-Dial Global's acquisition of Westwood One has meant the elimination of some duplicated positions.
It's a dark time for many in the radio industry who have found themselves out of work. Others are wondering if they are next. Judging these employers and their motives is simply not useful. Name-calling and second-guessing aren't productive, and calling them evil serves no purpose. Like it or not, this is a reality of the radio industry today.
What is productive is to help these displaced people move forward, help them find work or retrain for other industries, and help them deal with the issues they are facing.
Our Role In Helping
We each have a social responsibility to help others in the industry. Any of us could be next. Here is what I plan to do. It may not be much, but at least I feel like I'm helping:
1. Free classified ads at RadioInk.com for all out-of-work radio people. We will run these ads for free as long while you are out of work, and they'll be seen by more than 30,000 people every day. I encourage all the trade press to do the same. We've created a "Pros On the Loose" page at www.RadioInk.com where these listings will appear, to help those who need employees to find readily available people. Send your information to Ed Ryan at edryan@radioink.com.

2. We will create a webinar for displaced radio people.  I have asked my team to orchestrate a webinar as rapidly as possible. Our plan is to find experts to help you deal with the emotion of the situation, and experts to advise you about the steps you need to be taking now, and advise you on retraining since there will be fewer radio opportunities. Plus we will find a marketing expert to teach you the best techniques for finding work, crafting a job search strategy, and marketing yourself. Everyone who's out of work should attend.
3. Free subscriptions for out-of-work radio people. Any out-of-work industry executive can receive a free subscription to the Radio Ink Digital Edition, which is the same as the Radio Ink printed magazine, with expanded content. This will help you stay informed about industry trends. Simply e-mail subscriptions@radioink.com, and we'll set you up. We'll waive the subscription fee for the time you're out of work.
4. The Radio Brain Trust. You may be out of work, but you're not out of ideas. Radio Ink will soon be creating an interactive page called the "Radio Brain Trust," where you'll post your comments, suggestions, and ideas for a stronger radio industry. I'm convinced that radio cannot cost-cut its way to success. (If Apple had done that, it would be Dell.) Ideas, creativity from the best minds in the business to reinvent the business are important. Make your ideas known (you don't have to be out of work to participate) for all to use. The spirit of giving ideas to radio will return to you tenfold because you'll be helping the industry we love. Don't assume the people running radio groups or stations won't listen. A single station picking up on an idea and turning it into a success will result in emulation throughout the industry.

Here is what you can do to help those out of work:
1. Moral Support.
People need you to listen and be there for them and to keep them upbeat. Give them hope.
2. Self-Esteem Preservation.
The first time I got fired, my self-esteem crashed. Though people know that the company made changes, we must not forget that others did not lose their jobs, and the self-esteem of those who did may be suffering. Do what you can to help them.
3. Introductions to Possible Employers.
Introduce out-of-work friends to people in and out of the industry that you think might be in need of good people.
4. Check In Often.
When I was out of work, I heard from lots of friends in the first week and then I was forgotten. People need to feel others are interested in them.
 
5. Buy Lunch.
My rule is that when someone is out of work, I buy. Help them keep their expenses low. They may need every dime. And invite them to lunch: They need someone to bounce ideas off of.
6. Offer Feedback.
When you're out of work, it's hard to see the forest for the trees. Help with the resume, the aircheck, the demo tape. Offer perspective.
7. Offer Help.
Those who have jobs should do what they can to help those in need. If there is a way you can offer anything to help them save money, reduce an expense, or help in a pinch, it will go a long way.
8. Keep It Positive.
Pity parties do no good. Slamming the former employer does no good. Negativity breeds negativity, and no one wants to hire a negative or bitter person.
9. Project Work.
Many of us have projects we need done, and there are a lot of very qualified people who would be willing to make a few bucks extra and to be busy. Throw some projects their way.
Let's Not Demonize Radio Companies

Radio boards and blogs will be buzzing about how badly people were treated, how terrible this is for the industry, and how this industry is sliding downhill and not taking care of its people. As much as you think these companies are run by heartless villains, they have to protect their businesses and make them as effective and profitable as possible, or even more jobs will be lost. I know that many a CEO lost sleep over these decisions as well. No one likes it. Plus, like it or not, change is usually good and can strengthen radio and radio companies. Let's not live in the past. We cannot return to "the good old days," but we can turn these into great days by keeping a positive outlook. Let's move on. Though it's not easy to say when you've been impacted, businesses have to make tough decisions to remain strong. Negativity about radio companies brings negativity about radio. Don't buy in to it.
Radio Remains Strong

Radio has always been a survivor. No one ever likes change, especially forced change. But at the end of the day, radio will remain strong, and we'll all live to continue our mission of great broadcasting another day.
Know We're Rooting For You
To those who have found yourself out of work, I think I can speak for most of the industry and say that our hearts go out to you. I personally will do what I can to help you make a positive leap to the next opportunity in your life, and I suspect that you'll get the same positive support from your sisters and brothers in this industry. You will emerge from this darkness to bigger and better things.
Thanks for listening and I look forward to reading your comments

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Here's What Your Listeners Want From Social Media

We live in a world today that is dominated on a person level by companies that use technology to ?handle? their customers. Average consumers can feel that companies want their money and not the work of dealing with them.  Imagine it:  customer avoidance  through technology.  This causes the general population extreme frustration, but it is generally accepted as the ?new normal.?  

Have you ever been on the phone screaming in a selection into voice prompts because you are frustrated you can?t ever seem to get a person on the phone?  Your listeners are having these experiences and the frustration is higher than ever.
Customers and listeners want to be recognized and respected.  They want to be validated in today?s world.  This is why social media is so popular and it is also why people are retracting to trust mostly or only advice from their own circle of friends.  They don?t trust  companies.  It is also why your radio personalities should be in the front of every social media philosophy you have today.  People care about people.  They don?t want to be ?handled? by technology.

Here are five (5) Steps to give listeners what they want from YOUR social media:

1. ?Listen? to how listeners interact with radio stations and radio personalities in social media.  Do this before you do anything else.  This is not about only looking at the interactions on your radio station?s Facebook page.  Look at competitors and stations in your format all across the country. 

2. Recognize listeners when they make themselves known in any way in your social media.  Reach out to them in the public  platform of their choice and follow up with them via email as well. 

3. Let listeners know that your product is populated by actual people.  This may seem simple (and it may be difficult for some radio stations that are mostly voice tracked from other places).  But it is important.  Don?t do the corporate thing; make your social media  as personal as possible.

4. Give them the baby.  Media has become intensely focused on ?the tease.?  Teasing is important for our purposes, but your overall social media plan should involve a strategy that does NOT simply tease them all the time.  Sometimes you should make it easy for them to get what they want immediately.  This is part of having a specific plan for your whole social media efforts.

5. Keep your focus them.   Make sure your content is focused on their benefit.   It is so easy to fall prey to what humans do all the time: Talk about ourselves.  Be careful to point your voice toward giving participators benefits important to your listeners. If you really want to encourage true participation with your brand in social media, you must make sure your engagement is truly the opposite of the experiences people are having with these corporations who ?handle? their relationships with customers from a distance. 

You must focus your efforts to make your engagement as personal as you can possibly make it.  That will take effort, but is certainly is not impossible.  Radio performs best when we are a great companion.  Give people the opportunity to connect with you and make them feel important in a world that largely does the opposite.  Do this and you will see excellent results in social media that leads to better engagement, better loyalty and better ratings.

Loyd Ford programmed very successful radio brands in markets of all sizes for years, including KRMD AM & FM in Shreveport, WSSL and WMYI in Greenville, WKKT in Charlotte and WBEE in Rochester, NY.  Learn more about Loyd here:  Reach out to Loyd via e-mail HERE.

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Here's What's Going to Happen to Radio

Mike Stiles

I put off writing this particular blog for a while.  I suppose I was waiting to be wrong, or looking for a development that would change my mind.  But gazing into radio?s future as things stand now, I?m pretty confident this is where we?re headed.  As always, there are choices: adapt and evolve to put yourself in the best position possible, or cling to old technologies & old business models, hoping the whole ?Internet thing? goes away.

Some feel social has little to do with radio, or is just a promotional tool deserving a tiny sliver of attention.  Having spent a career in radio, and now being inside the premiere social marketing platform used by the globe?s most recognizable brands, I can tell you that everything you?ve known and all your radio conventional wisdom is going away.

Don?t glare at me.  In your gut you can already feel it.  You already know it.

Despite the grasping of any stat showing radio still has listeners and advertisers, the writing on the wall is?people want what they want, where they want it, when they want it.  Their patience for sitting through songs they don't like or 5-minute stopsets is coming to an end.  Advertisers want hyper-targeting and accountability.  Their patience for not knowing who heard their spot or what they did after they heard it is coming to an end.

Social addresses, or is well into the process of addressing, all of these wants and needs.  That?s why not only does social have something to do with radio, radio will one day be absorbed into social networks entirely.  I?ll give you a second to recoup.

In case you haven?t noticed, Facebook is setting itself up as the primary delivery vehicle for ALL content; audio, video, gaming and shopping.  The new Open Graph capabilities allow for the creation of apps by everyone from Pandora to Spotify to Netflix to iTunes to Zynga to Electronic Arts to JCPenney to Best Buy and beyond.  Anyone can integrate into Facebook and tap into the incredible sharing, engagement, discovery, and marketing powers it brings to bear. 

Content creators have access to Facebook?s audience of users, which if you haven?t heard, is a bit large.  The numerous ways they can engage that content (Like, share, comment, play, listen, watch, buy, want, etc.) not only grows the content?s audience, it builds relationships between brands and the fans who like them.

Marketers have access to these same engagement, sharing and discovery powers, with the added bonus of more comprehensive, accurate analytics, and more targeting by demo and location, than ever before.  And oh yeah, people can buy their products right there on Facebook via sCommerce.

Your near future: a user who used to listen to radio will head to work in their car, listening through a Facebook app to a high-quality stream of a station they?ve customized to their personal taste.  They can switch between custom stations via voice command.  If they want news, weather or traffic, they can call up instant, accurate reports.  What they?re listening to is being automatically shared.  A friend may initiate an audio chat session to talk about a song or news item.  A display ad on the car?s screen will offer a deal.  Saying ?buy? will put the item in a cart for later purchase at a computer.  Or, since your car knows where you are and what time it is, the ad may offer a deal on a breakfast sandwich at this place right up the road.

Seriously?what are you going to throw against that? 

The above is what ?radio? will mean.  It?s what it will be.  You?re about to jump off a ledge, and whether or not you have anything to land on will depend on how serious you?re being right now about your social strategy.

But I like leaving you with good news.  You are, at the core of your business, content creators.  And the demand for content is skyrocketing.  Without it, there can be no engagement for advertisers.  Screw commercials. You can give marketers branded content.  No, you don?t make the songs.  But you can creatively showcase them.  And you can go back to finding and fostering local entertainers (NOT jocks?I said entertainers), who know how to attract, build and hold audiences.  Their value as product endorsers is about to explode.  Got rid of them all?  Sucks to be you.

You have a known, local brand that, with the right content, can be leveraged into a meaningful Facebook destination.  But that is what you?ll be, a Facebook destination.  Can you be cool with that?  Build your app.  Integrate.  Create your Facebook station. Build a solid place to land. 

Mike Stiles is a writer/producer with the social marketing tech platform, Vitrue, and head of Sketchworks comedy theatre. Check out his monologue blog, The Stiles Files.
Find him on Facebook or on Twitter @mikestiles

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PD's Here's How To Keep 'Denise' Out Of Your Life

I recently wrote an article about the new 'artificial intelligence' radio personality, 'Denise' and got a lot of feedback. The spirit of my piece wasn't that a computer-generated disc jockey is the answer for anybody or that developing her was radio blaspheme, but that if today's radio talent want Denise's aircheck relegated to programmers' junk mail folder, you should make sure you don't sound canned, generic or like everybody else. 

I guess I'm just one of those delusional programming types who still believes in the value of our on-air talent and how you can be what distinguishes us from being just a jukebox or a Pandora.  In these days of smaller staffs and more duties, it's not uncommon to take an assembly line approach (even unintentionally), however it shouldn't be an excuse for being ordinary.  Much of what you'll see over the next several postings will seem terribly obvious to many but I'd challenge you to listen to a lot of radio in various markets and tell me that, save for a few driven, motivated stars, there's much inspired, passionate, fired-up radio going on.

SMILE, HAVE FUN AND GET INTO WHAT YOU DO!-  There's nothing more boring than hearing a radio personality sounding detached or uninterested.  Whether live or pre-recorded, think of some sort of 'pre-game' ritual to get fired up before your show.  Deliver your station's calls/logo and positioner with passion and enthusiasm (never just rush through it just to get to what's next).  If you don't sound pumped and interested in your listeners, they'll likely never be interested in you.

GO IN WITH A PLAN- It's been said that great radio talent is in show prep mode 24/7/365 and that makes a lot of sense.  What's the day's big buzz?  Who's saying crazy things?  What are your listeners talking about?.  It could be a hot movie or major local event, tonight's big game or some unusually great/ bad weather...there's always something.  If your listeners are talking about it, you should be talking about it.  The best talent aren't just great at talking but also at listening...hearing what's going on around you and your audience.  Prepare your breaks and how you're going to get in and get out of it so you're totally confident.  More than ever, being totally focused and concise is vital.

YOUR VOICE IS YOUR GIFT...SO IS YOUR MIND- When I got into radio as a teenager, I was worried I didn't have a good enough voice to be much and was told "it's not what voice you have but how you use it".  How true.  Examine your pacing, intensity, inflection.  And, use the great range God gave you as an artist uses different hues and colors.  The calls/logo doesn't necessarily have to sound exactly the same all the time, nor does your pacing.  Tailor your approach to the song you're presenting or coming out of.  If you just rip through breaks, they'll all tend to sound the same.  Just think of going through a fast food drive-through and how much of their introduction tends to sound like 'noise'.  Why?  Because they repeat basically the same thing the same way hundreds of times a day, smoking through it so they can take your order.  That's why many of us think, "huh???" when we hear them.  Since you're far more talented and skilled, please don't allow yourself to fall into that trap.

DITCH THE CLICHE WORDS/PHRASES:  In other words, speak your listeners' language.  "On your Tuesday", "your chance to win", "keep it here", "register to win", "by request"...many jocks say this sort of thing hour after hour, day after day, week after week, all at about the same pace, tone and intensity.  There are about a thousand ways to say nearly everything but most talent don't get much past #2 or 3.  If you have a crutch you're having a tough time breaking, one exercise is to get a legal pad and write your crutch phrase at the top; then, give yourself sixty seconds or so to jot down alternative words or phrases.  You won't even have to take that into the studio- the exercise itself will stimulate your mind and help steer you out of the ditch.

I realize a lot of these things might seem like Radio 101...basic, fundamental, obvious stuff.  Yet, as multi-tasked as you're asked to be, it's sometimes easy to just crank your show out and not put lots of thought and preparation into crafting your content so it sounds fresh, different and uniquely you.  None of us wants radio talent to become irrelevant and if we're constantly finding ways to stand out from the crowd, we'll more easily maintain our value.  Radio is, after all, the most intimate form of show business.  Are you putting on a show or just whipping through to get it out of the way.  That is our choice.

Reach out to JJ at JJDuling@aol.com or visit his blog at http://www.jjduling.blogspot.com

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Ready to be PD. Here's How To Approach Your GM?

7/21/2011

by Kipper McGee

You?ve put in the time. You?ve done everything that?s been asked of you, and then some. YOU know that you?re the glue that?s holding the station  together. So how do you make the case to your GM that you?re ready for that first PD shot? While there is not any one route that will work in every situation, there are some basics that every prospective PD should know in pursuing the ?next step? of career growth in radio, whether at the station you're currently working for, or another station.  These 5 tips will prove useful to current PD?s as well as the GM?s and corporate types responsible for their care and feeding, too!

1.)It?s not just about the product!   
As any experienced PD will tell you, they all wish that they would spend more time focused on ?what comes out the speakers? (and in these days of digital, what comes off of any co-branded screen).    However, in the real world, the PD is responsible for much more than just brand management.  You will need to be able to demonstrate mastery of the product, along with other key skills sets such as talent management and coaching, branding, administrative tasks such as HR requirements, the FCC pubic file, and of course, being a collaborative, solutions-seeking partner with the sales team.   In short, demonstrate a passion for brilliance at the basics.     

2.) Dig your well before you?re thirsty.  Start planning and working NOW to prepare yourself for advancement. Get to know the key players, both in your station and on your corporate team, to learn what they do and how they expect their PD to fit in and contribute to the overall operation.  

3.) Understand the ?Win?.  Be sure you understand how the operation is being measured, how your boss is being measured, how YOU will be measured (hint:  it?s rarely just ratings!) and give some thought to how you would measure your team.  

4.) Perform your own ?S.W.O.T.? Analysis.   This age-honored exercise works well in evaluating any station or company, but it is often overlooked as a tool for individuals.  Write down your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.   Be brutally honest.  Seek input from colleagues and mentors you trust.

5.) Never Stop Learning. There is no question we are operating in an ever quickening world.    Just as we must learn to work faster, we must also learn to work smarter. This means digesting more than just the trades (although they are important, too)!  With all the areas in which you will need to show proficiency, make sure that you are up to speed ? and up to date ? on the fundamentals as well as the ?latest and greatest?. Pick several resources that you read regularly. Sources like the Wall Street Journal (even if you only have time for the Marketplace section), Advertising Age, The Week and Wired are merely among the list that I check out.   Then there are the occasional ?thumb through?s?, which may catch your eye at your local magazine stand.   And of course, there are countless blogs on every subject. NOTE:   If you see something noteworthy, don?t be shy passing it along to your GM, GSM, Marketing/Promotions Director, or any other person who might benefit from it.   

This is all about creating what Tom Peters coined ?The Brand YOU?.   Whether you like it or not, you ARE a brand. What that brand stands for is up to you.  As Peters put it, ?You are the C.E.O. of your own life?.   So now is the time to start thinking and acting like it. There are many undiscovered geniuses, but few undiscovered marketers. How will you market your personal brand into the position you ultimately want?

Kipper McGee is Chief Media Brandwidth Specialist at Kipper McGee LLC. E-mail: kippermcgee@gmail.com

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