In case you were unaware, FOMO stands for the Fear Of Missing Out? And it was part of the Edison Research presentation at CRS this week. FOMO is radio’s big advantage over the competition according to Edison, and with smartphone use increasing and more competition in the automobile for ear time, making sure your radio station creates that Fear of Missing Out with listeners is key. Edison’s Larry Rosin says, “FOMO protects you from the competition.”
Rosin even suggested DJ’s push new songs more than they do now and gave a great example of how syndicated host Bobby Bones took a chance and played Chris Janson’s song Buy Me A Boat, before country radio jumped on it, simply because he liked it and thought it was going to be a hit. Of course, that song turned out to be huge for Janson. Here are some listener comments from Edison’s latest research on Country music that helped push them toward the conclusion that radio needs to always be creating that Fear of Missing Out.
– “I love the way radio interacts with people. It’s a great way to start the day.”
– “I love the people. It makes me feel good that they know who I am.”
– “They care a lot about the community.”
Although my suspicion is unconfirmed, I wonder if there is a sale on Kool-Aid over to the Wally-Mart.
Radio is in the business of suppressing, crippling and eliminating talent – never mind paying attention to any “hit-pickers” that might still be lurking around the stations.
The standard reality for so many listeners isn’t one of FOMO. It’s FOFA (Fear Of Falling Asleep).