Well, that was an interesting week… If you haven’t read Mike McVay’s recap, please do so. Dolly was one of those moments where you saw stations really step up and be relevant, in the moment, and a part of their audience’s shared experience.
I was able to get “stuff” to my stations right away, and it was nice to see brands that were able to react quickly and decisively to the story as it unfolded. And again, you’re there; I’m not. You know better than me what is right and appropriate, but you needed to acknowledge it somehow. “How” depends on your station in your very unique market.
Remember that radio was the first social media. People would come to us to share in a moment. So obviously with events like this, posting to Facebook and Instagram is a given. As exciting as some corporate-dictated content can be, if you can localize it, that’s the best.
Can you find old reviews of their concerts in your market or archived local interviews? Or just open it up and let people share. An iPod can’t do that. A streaming service can never evoke emotion. Great brands evoke emotion.
One thing to consider is the immediacy that is needed, so anything that you can do to cut down on lag time is going to be important.
These kinds of events happen infrequently, but it would be good to have a plan. A “who is expected to do what” checklist. Imaging. Social. Who can you get in and LIVE? So everyone knows their roles.
This is the stuff that Radio has sadly, always done best, whether it was John Lennon or Michael Jackson. You can be a part of the audience’s collective memory, kind of like that night in 1980 when all my friends and I were listening to KQRS.
Was Dolly Parton John Lennon? No. But she was someone who was beloved and lived 80 years without apparently pissing anyone off, as witnessed by the world’s reaction to her passing. So be ready because it’s inevitable that a similar circumstance is going to happen, and the smart stations will always have at least an inkling of how to handle it.
No dumpage! Enjoy the holiday weekend.
