(By Lisa Goldberg) When I started in radio, my station of focus was Country. As a newbie, back in 1993, I naively thought the key advertiser targets would mostly be western wear stores, feed/tackle, farming equipment etc. Of course, I quickly learned the Country audience was more closely aligned to the A25-54/W25-54, families with kids, homes and way more than “cowboys.”
Fast forward almost 30 years, and a recent format flip to Rhythmic CHR and I can’t help but notice stereotyping cropping up again. This time, it’s not on my end, but on that of some advertisers. I’ll use this format as an example to detail the significance of this mistake and missed opportunity.
I’m sure we still come across clients or prospects who may dismiss a station because it’s not their format of choice—still amazes me. Then there are also those who don’t see or understand, the subtle shift in the listener audience. These are typically the same folks who can’t understand why Jazz or Oldies stations have largely lost their mass appeal. The older segment phases out, and we welcome more young consumers into the spending cycle every day. These young consumers are the future of ROI. They are getting their lives started, and entering the years of acquisition.
So, jumping back to Rhythmic CHR as an example, the top Billboard songs and artists aren’t necessarily what we might expect to be “mainstream,” but times have changed. The rappers, Hispanic influence, loads of cutting-edge females, unique artist pairings & collaborations all blend to make a pretty solid correlation to the average community in most cities. The stereotyping comes in when advertisers make an assumption that these are “all” less educated, lower income, young singles that don’t have the spending power. In fact, this younger consumer segment is forefront to be extremely influential on the economy (and much more mainstream) than assumed. They are young adults that can be influenced to spend. They are young families. They are going back to school. They are the future consumer sweet spot.
Just think about the music heard in any football stadium these days, it tends to be in the Rhythmic CHR vertical. It’s the music that gets people hyped from kids to seniors. It’s become universal. I’m surprised to hear my 70-something mother know the words and sing along to Nelly’s “It’s Getting Hot in Here,” but hey it is a snappy ditty! I’ve never seen format stereotyping quite like this. Bottom line, radio maintains a key role in music discovery and advertising. So, no matter the format, don’t let a prime viable prospect get away with stereotyping. If they are serious about growing their business, and open to developing their brand and market share, help them understand. Of course there are certain formats that may have a heavier skew for a certain client, but their personal preference and stereotyping just doesn’t make sense.
Evangelize radio, embrace the options and explain the benefits beyond personal perspective. The market, the music, the content is dynamic as is the spending consumer market. Now is the time to embrace options and opportunities and dispel some of the incorrect assumptions of radio, whether it be format or the medium itself. It’s up to us!
Lisa Goldberg is The Director of Sales in Florida for JVC Broadcasting and can be reached at [email protected]
Awful take. She gives one example about a football game and her 70 year old grandma? Also, Lisa; blacks and hispanics have dominated the Top 40 charts for decades. In case you didn’t know, your example, Nelly, yea, he’s also black.
It’s OK that black artists had hits when your Grandma was 50, Lisa.
It’s also OK that in 1993 you believed that white people who listened to country music spent all day fishing and chewing tobacco at the feed store. We’re not all like you, Thank God!
Also, did Lisa just claim that advertisers are stereotyping based on race? Jeez, Lisa. You’re in a business where revenue is running away from radio stations and this is your message?
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