It’s Time For Radio To Be Totally Unreasonable

Imagine you are ending a short vacation dining at one of the finest restaurants in New York and the world. It was a quick trip, but you and your partner are enjoying a fantastic meal and some unusually friendly conversation from your night’s server. In one of your exchanges, the server asks if there was anything you may have missed while in the city and you tell him that you really wished you could have gotten to eat a New York street hot dog.

Next thing you know, you and your guest are being served two genuine New York street hot dogs, with all the fixin’s on the house! What started as a cool dinner in a famous place ended up as a truly memorable dining experience for you.

This really happened at a restaurant called Eleven Madison Park as described in a book authored by its owner, Will Guidara, titled Unreasonable Hospitality. 

The book’s title and phrase evolved from something Guidara scribbled on a napkin as he was looking for what could set his establishment apart from everyone else. He wanted a place that would go above and beyond to create unique, personal experiences that would delight and surprise guests. That one hot dog “event” and several others devised by other employees led to the establishment of a position called the Dreamweaver, the designated “experiences” manager for the restaurant. 

EMP became the number one restaurant in the world using that philosophy. Of course, the food, service and atmosphere had to be exemplary, but it was being “unreasonable” that set them apart. 

What does this concept of being “unreasonable” mean to your station/group?

1. Pay Attention.

• Do whatever research you can afford to determine your listeners’ values.
• Encourage listener feedback and interaction on socials, with listener groups and in person. If you really connect with your audience, you’ll learn what excites and interests them – collectively and individually.
• Why not create your own “Dreamweaver” position for your most creative person on the staff for those special “hot dog” moments that come from your listeners?
• Make it cool to care.

1. Give more than what’s expected.

• Rather than those usual “family 4-packs”, create as many “experiences” as you can with your contesting. Seriously, can we move on from the 9th caller? Heighten the value of the prize and connect even closer with your listeners. (Sidebar – Gen Z’s are motivated by experiences. Hmmmmm!). 
• Use technology to your advantage, including A.I. If you’ve seen news from the most recent CES in Las Vegas, you know that the technology is moving to software and personal experiences. Check out what Delta Airlines is doing. Work on creating those moments that change every day listening. Explore all the A.I. techniques you can to help add to what you’re doing. 
• Use your heart, not your head. Show how much you care. Perfect example came out of an NFL Playoff Weekend a few weeks back when the broadcast team of Kevin Burkhart, Tom Brady and Erin Andrews talked Fox Network into offering a grand prize weekend experience with them at an NFL game in ’25 in return for making donations to those displaced LA residents from the devastating fires. It started with Andrews and went from there. They took it one more “unreasonable” step.

1. Elevate the Listening Experience

• This is the toughest part. Draw on you and your staff’s creativity to be original on-air. Dare to be different and don’t be shy about it. Live artist performances, music features, named guests, etc., of course, but find ways to go beyond that. The ball’s in your court!

I’d highly suggest reading the book. It’s hard to put down and you will, voraciously, take notes as I did. Strive to be “unreasonable” and I bet your music rotations won’t matter as much.