When Neighbors Call Their Favorite TV Station

Recently my one-year term as head of public relations in Iowa for Toastmasters International ended. It was an interesting year, including providing me with some perspective of the "other side" of news - the customer's side. It was an effective lesson of just how much demand there can be for "hyper-local" news, and prompted the thougth that maybe it's time for newsrooms to think about those "filters" you have for sorting out "real" news - or, at least, how you deal with the "rejects."

As a local TV station, you own some very valuable property. At a time when stations are fighting to find a local identity and reinforce a "neighborhood coverage" image, dozens of community organizations are begging for your attention. Toastmasters is a self-help non-profit group designed to help members become speakers and leaders. I know first-hand that there are some great stories to be told - stories of sucess and encouragement (and all from people who are trained communicators who'd give a great interview).

And there are stories of similar interest in such organizations as Kiwanis, Optimists, the Jaycees, and many others. Each would be thrilled to catch your attention.  Good stories. Positive stories. Local stories about your neighbors. Stories about local teams, churches, service organizations, and accomplished individuals are all part of the glue that holds a community together. Consider that while urban newspapers struggle, the typical community or neighborhood weekly thrives, because it fills a need not being served elsewhere.  Of course, you're not going to have time to run many of these little stories on the air. But just give each a moment of consideration - you may just have a gem hidden under the surface. And it's certainly fodder for your web site. 

In my volunteer job for the past year, many of my calls and emails to news outlets were ignored. Oh, heck. Let's be honest. Nearly ALL of my calls and emails were ignored. And certainly for every one of mine, there were dozens of others who were equally treated with apparent disdain. For every one of those ignored requests for attention, there were many people in left in the wake grumbling about a perceived arrogance and lack of caring from that TV station or newspaper.

At a time when it's vital to embrace and serve your community, are you accidently sending messages that you have no interest in doing so? Don't overlook those opportunities to connect with the interests of your audience that happen to drop in your lap. Should you decide there really is no airtime or web site space that day, then at least thank the person who submits the story, and say, "Maybe next time."  And mean it.

- Mike Anderson

 

 

 

Reporter, a.k.a. Multi-media Information Gatherer and Distributor

What do we call people who report the news these days?  I find it amusing that the industry is struggling to come up with new names for reporters.  Are they VJ's?  Backpack journalists?  Multi-media journalists?  Multi-platform reporters?  Perhaps you prefer the old-fashioned "one-man band" name.

Since when does a change in technology dictate finding a new name for yourself?  Musicians didn't become digital recording artists when they started putting their songs on iTunes.  Hearst recently announced that their reporters were all being trained to create and distribute material in all sorts of places - but they were sticking to the "reporter" name.  Good call.  In the newspaper world, photographers who grew up shooting film now shoot digital still pictures and take video, too.  So are they photographers or videographers?  Or digital jounalists? 

One thing is certain -- for the readers/users/viewers who receive information, it really doesn't matter what we call ourselves.  This new identity crisis of ours is just a reflection of the industry's temporary uneasiness with technology change. A reporter who filed a story by telegraph 100 years ago was still reporting. Yes, it's cool and it requires some new skills, but does sending a story using a Droid phone really require a title change?   

- John Altenbern

Targeted Studies the Trend in Media Research

It makes sense. The trend we're seeing away from looser, broad "everything" research to tighter, more focused studies targeted to specific issues. For example: how to recruit the early evening cable news audience to local news; messaging on the Web or in text alerts to recruit viewers to local news; which kind of topical promotion works best for each night's specific primetime lead-in audience; content that's most appealing to "information seekers" in the morning... to name a few.

Station budget constraints are part of the reason for the trend, but changing lifestyles are too. Viewers today are time starved but plugged into technology. So they're more willing and able to view a sample of the newscast, or new anchor candidates, or a different promotional approach... give their opinions and move on.

And the great thing about it is stations seem to be more focused too. They take their results and zero-in on a time period or one goal, like launching a new image campaign, or even targeting one segment of the audience. Many see immediate results. The more focused the study, the more specific the findings, which makes the tactical decisions easier for stations.

Yes, I'd say it's a positive trend. That doesn't mean stations shouldn't still measure the competitive environment of their markets or ask big picture questions. Effective positioning in today's media world is more important than ever. But if you want to focus on an issue and see a real return on a small investment, try one of our small, targeted studies. If I had to give it a name, I'd probably call it CJ&N Pinpoint Research. Hmm. Maybe not.

- Mary Beth Marks

News viewers are a lot like Netflix customers

No one will ever accuse me of being a very early adopter of new technology. But I think I understand now why Blockbuster video is going broke. My kids encouraged me to sign up for a Netflix trial, and instead of asking Netflix to send me DVD's in the mail, I hooked up a computer to the television set and used a wireless broadband connection to watch instantly. It works like a charm. HD movies, recently run television shows, all the series like Madmen that I never had time to watch - they are all there. Streaming works without a hitch. I can pause the movie and come back to it or quickly "rewind" to see that great scene again.

The last time I went inside a down-at-the-heels Blockbuster store I rented a movie and paid $4 for the privilege. They told me I owed them another $3 for a rental my teenager didn't return on time two months ago. What a lousy customer experience. It's almost what I will pay now for a month of Netflix service, with unlimited viewing.

It reminds me once again what we have seen for many years in consumer research. Choice and convenience win out every single time. When television stations in a market seem like dull carbon copies of one another, is it any wonder the audience gets bored and seeks out something new? If the only flavor on the menu is vanilla, I want to be the guy selling pistachio. And if I can be alone in a time period, or offer a product that has some unique advantages that give viewers a true choice, so much the better.

 - John Altenbern

Covering News with Social Media

Facebook and Twitter certainly aren't new. But using them as a primary source to cover high interest, developing news certainly is to traditional broadcasters. I've seen it happen a few times lately with big court cases. One, in particular, stood out. In Reno, James Biela was on trial for the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of college student Brianna Denison. The case had extremely high interest not only locally, but regionally and nationally. It was the event everyone was talking about.

All stations were relying on pool video so KTVN needed another way to serve their viewers and stand apart from their competition. So they made a commitment to keep their viewers informed every minute of every day the trial was on. That's not something you can do over the air in a traditional format.

Their reporter Tweeted and posted on Facebook from the trial every single day, often 10 - 20 times an hour for nearly three weeks. His posts gave people insight into jury selection, the judge's comments, the judicial process, and the evidence. He was able to share the comments, reaction in the courtroom, detailed descriptions of the defendant and even photos throughout the trial. He was also able to immediately answer people's questions about what was going on when they tweeted back or posted on Facebook.

As one Facebook follower said after the verdict was read, "Fantastically thorough! Thank you. It felt as though we were in the courtroom for the whole thing."

That was the goal and it paid off for Channel 2 News if the number of Facebook followers is any indication. The challenge now for KTVN and every station... how to keep all those fans and followers that were hungry for news about a specific case active and engaged with the product even when there is not big, breaking news. And further, how to get them to rely on your news broadcasts as much as they relied on your social network reports.

It's a whole new chapter in your marketing plan. CJ&N can help you write it!

 - Jill Johnson

 

Trucks, Pigs and Local TV News

There were two odd developments recently in the "branding" world that caused me to say, "Huh?"

Chevrolet issued an internal memo to employees telling them to stop using the shorthand name, "Chevy."  The author claimed the car company needed to have a single brand identity that was consistently communicated - Chevrolet.  When the memo leaked out, all those Don McLean fans from the 1970s howled.  How can you drive your "Chevrolet to the levy"?  Isn't this the company that famously built a model called the "Chevy II?"  After 24 hours, the company retracted the memo, saying it was proud of its "Chevy" heritage.  In other words, "never mind."  It was a bad idea from the marketing department. 

At almost the same time, here in Iowa the pork producers decided it was time to move on from their famous tagline, "The other white meat."  They're looking for a new brand identity after almost 30 years and with sales of pork sinking lower than the proverbial hog's belly. 

A "brand expert" made the comment that the pork producers were abandoning one of the most identified marketing messages ever created. His argument:  brand messages are a connection with consumers, and not intended to lead to actual sales. 

There are a couple of lessons here for television people like us.  Why would you ever want to get away from a nickname that is the audience's most sincere form of flattery?  In some markets, the vernacular is to refer to stations in some "shorthand" fashion: 'PVI is definitely Channel 6 to people who live in Philadelphia.  No one (even Chevrolet) should want to stamp out that sort of reference. 

But does a slogan or tagline need to change if ratings are sinking like pork bellies?  Maybe.  Something is wrong if you are losing customers and your competitors are gaining, but it probably goes a lot deeper than the slogan itself.  I don't know that saying "Chevy" or recognizing the "other white meat" slogan will sell more cars or pork ribs, but discarding well recognized taglines and slogans shouldn't be done lightly. 

As we've said in research presentations, when a slogan is evaluated and found to be weak, you can certainly change it - but recognition for the new slogan will be exactly zero. A new slogan by itself won't raise ratings.  Giving slogans real meaning and emotional value for the audience is a tougher, but more rewarding proposition. 

Someone tell GM and the pork producers they need to scratch below the surface and get to the meat of the issue. 

Don't Be a Railroad

If you've ever taken a marketing class, then you probably know the example about the passenger railroad industry and how it contributed to its own downfall by defining itself too narrowly (Marketing Myopia, by Theodore Levitt). It continued to focus on being in the railroad industry rather than the transportation industry. It didn't evolve and adapt to a changing world.

It's time to drag that example out again and apply it to local television... well, any media really. Are you in the local television business or are you in the business of providing local information? It seems as if many stations are still narrowly defining themselves, and then have a few things going on the side - like a website or cell phone delivery. These things are seen as separate add-ons.

But if you want to survive this technology/media revolution, it's going to take full integration and an all out culture change. Survival in the future (right now, actually) will require embracing a broader consumer-focused definition. Now... who's still working at a television station?

Brush up on Marketing Myopia and why it's so deadly to your business by reading this article. http://management.thinkahead.net.in/marketing-myopia-definition-example-and-explanation-theodore-c-levitt-theory-of-marketing.html

-Donna Petersen

It's Time to Make a Change

Dad always told me not to get too attached to "things," especially cars. They're just machines, he said, that can be replaced - usually with something newer and better.  Almost 20 years ago I bought one of those fancy new Dodge minivans. They were newly restyled: spacious, yet sleek and modern. I was proud of that van, and the first weekend I had it I drove it 350 miles to show my dad.  Dad had brain cancer, but he almost literally crawled to his front porch, looked to the driveway, rasped out "Nice car," and returned to his bed.   Those were the last words I heard him say. So much for not getting attached to a "thing."

I've been driving that van for 19 years. Oh sure, I wanted something new. I wanted fancy electronics and those new safety features. But I just never seemed to get around to it. Buying cars for other family members and paying for my daughter's college tuition always seemed to be the higher priority. Besides, despite Dad's words of caution, I had grown attached to it.

Over the past few weeks, all the "character traits" of the car started to bug me.  The small dents. The rust spots. The missing hubcap. The hood ornament flopped on its side. And I started to see the van for what it was.  Functional. Reliable. But outdated. Inefficient. Yucky.

It was time to make a change.

In many TV newsrooms, it's time to make changes. New technology, and the sleek new practices that have evolved from that technology, have made some traditions look outdated in comparison. New economics have changed the environment, and conservation is more important than ever.  Maybe it's time to lose that attachment to some of the old things in your newsroom, and to old ways of doing things.

I have to go now.  I'm heading out to my new car to program the NAV system, synch up the cell phone, and set my favorite satellite radio stations.  Dad liked new things; he would have approved.  

- Mike Anderson

News Media Gatekeepers In a NY State of Mind

If you look at an aerial map of Nashville, it's easy to see the Cumberland River winding through the city. It's not as easy to see the faces of the 1.5 million people in the metro area - thousands of whom are flooded out this week. And it's not easy to see those flood victims on  television, either. They can certainly be seen and heard on WSMV, our client in Nashville which is doing yeoman's duty the last few days, broadcasting literally life-saving information around the clock on-air and online. But in terms of national attention, the guy with some fireworks and three gas grill tanks in his SUV in Times Square is getting top billing. Oil in the gulf is - rightly so - competing for attention, too. Both are legitimate and big stories worthy of coverage. But it does make you wonder how it would be handled if the gatekeepers of big media were flooded out in Manhattan and the guy with the SUV had parked on a busy streetcorner in Tennessee.

There's a lot of speculation about what newscast rundowns will look like when citizens take control from the media "gatekeepers" and build their own lineups. It's already possible online, and the trend is building. Somehow I think we are speeding up the audience's dissatisfaction with some of the TV news judgments being made today. The "East of the Hudson" view can sometimes be a little too narrow in a country of 330 million. It especially looks that way if you're flooded out of your house in Nashville.

-John Altenbern

An Upbeat May for Local Television

As a history fan, I often think of events in the past that seem to apply to current happenings.  Back in the 1930's, F.D.R. supporters passed out lapel buttons to Depression-weary Americans that said, "The worst is over, business is better." That seems to be the common sentiment at television stations these days.

I've been in a half-dozen stations in the last several weeks - in all parts of the country.  While no one is rejoicing at their good fortune, the gloom and doom phase is definitely lifting.  Managers are thinking about the future again, not just trying to deal with day to day problems and cutbacks. 

But as the Great Depression turned a whole generation into compulsive "savers," there will be lasting effects in the local television business because of what we've all been through.  Paying big bucks to a syndicator for an untested lead-in program now appears dangerous.  Hiring that expensive out-of-town anchor to make a splash seems like an old, quaint idea. 

At the same time, making smart and cautious bets on the future seems like the right thing to do. Creating a new local program that's "advertiser friendly," buying everyone an iPad or iPhone, and using research to figure out how to squeeze an extra demo point out of a lead-in makes perfect economic sense.  And it seems in-tune with where this business is heading.  It's facing the future with some common sense. 

So as May sweeps begin, the mood is upbeat.  It's not only business that's better - so are attitudes.  I'm looking forward to May.

- John Altenbern