Keeping Up With The Connected Car

9-5-13
Audio entertainment  in the car is facing a new future -- and radio will be a part of it. In fact, radio, the first and most relied-on staple of in-car audio, can have a leading role in the future of audiotainment. At the DASH conference, set for October 23-24 at the Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport, you can hear from experts who already have a place in the connected car and learn what it took to get and keep that place on the dash, what they've learned, and what the future holds.

"The car radio is rapidly moving beyond a traditional two-knob experience," says Roger C. Lanctot, associate director in the global automotive practice at Strategy Analytics and moderator of the "Audio in the Connected Car" panel. "The faster we understand the nature of that change the sooner we will be able to capitalize on it. These panelists are grappling with this change and helping to make it happen every day."

Paul Jacobs, GM of DASH conference partner Jacobs Media, adds, "This is an important panel because these companies are true partners of the automobile industry and can pave the way for all broadcasters. Additionally, we will learn about the road ahead for the dashboard from the perspective of companies that are heavily engaged in the design and planning process."

Moderator:
As associate director in the rapidly growing Global Automotive Practice at Strategy Analytics, Roger has a powerful voice in the definition of future trends in automotive safety, powertrain, and infotainment systems. He draws on 25 years' experience in the technology industry as an analyst, journalist, and consultant. Lanctot has conducted and participated in major industry studies, created new research products and services, and advised clients on strategy and competitive issues throughout his career.

Panelists:
Brian Lakamp is president of digital for Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, overseeing the company's digital strategy, including iHeartRadio, Clear Channel's free, industry-leading digital radio product, as well as the infrastructure, tools, and social media integration for its local stations' branded Internet properties. He also works closely with the company's key partners to develop cutting-edge tools and products for all of Clear Channel?s radio, media, and entertainment properties.

George Lynch is vice president of automotive business development at Pandora, where he is focused on all OEM vehicle manufacturers and their audio suppliers. Lynch has more than 30 years of experience in the automotive, radio, and consumer electronics arenas and has relationships with all major automakers and many of the biggest names in automotive audio. At Pandora Lynch is focused upon applying his insights to the latest radio technologies, combined with how consumers interact within their vehicles, to take Pandora's personalized radio experience on the road. Before Pandora, Lynch spent 11 years at Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.

Rahul Misra is director of sales engineering for the Harman Cloud Platform. After joining the company in 2011, he has helped HCP grow from one OEM integration to more than 10 globally. He formerly managed the infotainment portfolio for a leading luxury OEM and lauched its telematics, SiriusXM, advanced driver assistance systems, navigation, iPod integration, and Bluetooth products in North America. Misra speaks globally on automotive and infotainment topics.

Carl Rohling is a vice president of business development for TuneIn Inc., managing strategic alliances, licensing, and distribution for the consumer electronics, automotive, and mobile business units. His focus for consumer-facing services is centered on the distribution and licensing of the TuneIn application across multiple platforms, while TuneIn's OEM business is based on servicing prominent third parties across automotive, TV, mobile, and digital appliance platforms. Previously, Rohling spent two years at Creative Labs, overseeing business development for the portable audio, speaker, and Web camera business units.

DASH
October 23-24, 2013
Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport
Detroit, MI
www.dashconference.com

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Cumulus Keeping The Thunder

7-18-13

From the fast-growing and competitive sports radio format, Cumulus will continue to broadcast the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder games on WWLS-FM. The two sides have signed a multi-year deal that will keep WWLS as the flagship station. Spanish-language coverage of Thunder home games will continue on Cumulus' WKY-AM.

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(LEGAL) Keeping Your Rates Straight

11-2-2012

It's election time and that means a boon for advertising. But be careful with those rates. Sometimes, even when you act with all good intentions, things can go awry and you're faced with a moral decision. Fortunately, we have our resident legal expert John Garziglia to help you sort through just such dilemmas.

Radio Ink asks:  We just discovered we did not charge the lowest unit rate to a candidate running for local mayor. We did charge lowest unit rate to the incumbent mayor who won the election. Neither candidate knows. What should we do?

John Garziglia says:  If a candidate was entitled to the lowest unit charge for a class of time and was overcharged, the overcharge must be promptly refunded. 

 The FCC requires that stations periodically review their political time buys during the election season to determine whether refunds are required, and to issue any refunds promptly. The FCC expects stations to issue refunds to candidates before the election in order to allow candidates to maximize their campaign funds.

While a candidate may not be aware of an overcharge, the FCC requires broadcast stations to keep political files for two years. Therefore, anyone reviewing a station?s political file may see that one candidate was charged one rate for a particular class of time, and the opposing candidate was charged a different rate for the same class of time.

No station should wish to take the risk that an inspection of its local public file, by a member of the public or by an FCC inspector, would reveal an apparent lowest unit charge violation. The dollar amount of the overcharge to be refunded likely pales in comparison to what the station might spend defending itself at the FCC for failing to review political time buys and refund any overcharges.

With the election being just days away, now is the time for stations to review their political files for any overcharges. Charges in excess of the lowest unit charge can and do happen for a variety of reasons. For stations that sell broadcast time on an auction or quasi-auction basis, the lowest unit charge for a particular class of time will always be a moving target. Even for stations that try to hold rates, there is always the possibility of a particular class of time clearing at a lower rate than anticipated.

The FCC will take a dim view of any radio station that waits until after the election to identify and refund charges in excess of the lowest unit charge. Conversely, a station that does its review of political charges now, prior to the election, and immediately rebates or refunds overcharges will be doing exactly what the FCC expects of stations. 
Overcharges will happen. Radio stations are required to periodically review political time buys and immediately issue refunds for overcharges where required.

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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SALES - Are You Keeping Your Customers Satisfied?

1-25-2012

I worked for a media rep firm whose CEO was fond of saying ?our most valuable assets go down in the elevators every night.? As an employee I appreciated the sentiment; however, he was wrong. The customer is the most important asset of any organization. Period. You can?t underestimate the significance of customer satisfaction, especially in this digital age of the savvy consumer.

Remember when you were seeking the customer?s business?  Smart salespeople treat their clients as good, after the sale, as they did before. Selling and service are inseparable parts of the marketing function. Everyone talks about customer service, but few deliver on it. If you do, your customers will not only be satisfied, but loyal advocates.

It?s a relationship, stupid. How do you feel when someone takes you for granted?  Everyone wants to be appreciated. Show your client you care about THEM and not just their business. 

Don?t treat them all the same. Each customer is unique. Treat them in the way that best suits their personality and needs. When I encounter a problem and a customer service rep tells me ?if I do this for you, then I have to do it for everyone else?? I cringe then say ?No, you don?t and why should I care?? Think about it, how does that remark make me feel? Don?t ever make a customer feel like everyone else and don?t tell them why you can?t do something?solve their problems.

Ask and they will tell. Your clients will tell you what is important to them if you take the time to ask. Lack of communication is the biggest problem that plagues most doomed relationships whether they are personal or professional.

I switched dentists recently and was not satisfied with my first cleaning. When I shared this with the office manager, hygienist and dentist they all started talking about how they did cleanings, and were defensive. Finally the office manager asked what I wanted. No one else thought to do that. By asking a simple question, she addressed what would it take to satisfy me and salvaged the relationship.

Establish value. Anticipate your client?s needs by staying one step ahead of them. Follow their business through social media sites like LinkedIn. Introduce them to connections of yours that might benefit them. Keep them apprised of what the competition is doing. Establish yourself as a valuable resource beyond your product.

Make yourself available 24/7. My clients have my home, work and mobile number. If there is a problem, I want to be the one that handles it. Return calls, as soon as possible, always within 24 hours.

Be prompt in your follow-through. Don?t wait until the contract is up for renewal to follow-up with the client. Regularly schedule on-going reviews of your product?s performance. Use these as a way to gain more insight into their organization and look for ways to exceed their expectations.

Be consistent. A major part of building relationships is based on consistency. Doing what you say you are going to do and following through. Simple, but so often this falls off after the deal is sealed.

Help your client?s customers. Send relevant articles that would interest them and their customers. Provide value-added ideas not directly linked to your business. Make your clients look good. Offer up breakfast meetings where you share some expertise that would be valuable to their customers or co-workers. 

Have ownership. Don?t leave to others what you should be doing yourself. If someone else in your organization is providing a service, confirm and double-check that they do so. It?s your client, you?re getting the commission from this deal, don?t expect anyone else to care as much.

Remember it is easier to keep an account than it is to regain a new one. Satisfied customers will provide you with referrals and repeat business?take the time to earn their loyalty.

Theresa Merrill is the Director of Business Development for Anovick Associates. She has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience in NY, Boston and Atlanta working for Katz Communications, CBS, Tribune and Cablevision and can be reached at 201.444.2991 or by e-mail merrill.theresa@gmail.com
For more article from Theresa GO HERE

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