It goes without saying that our industry is on the ropes. These are days of massacred budgets, viewers zapping commercials and increasing television audience fragmentation, all in a world where post-Sept. 11 Americans are dealing with a sense of a loss of community, the death of irony (thank God), the re-birth of irony (thank God) and an ever-increasing cynicism toward marketing. If it sounds dire, it is.
On the horizon, however, is a remarkable new medium, one of such incredible magnitude and forward thinking that it will unite the advertising industry, its practitioners and its audience. Rising from the ashes of the Internet and the failures of television, comes a profoundly interactive vehicle on the cutting edge of modern marketing, highly mobile and capable of being woven into modern lifestyles. Early adopters have dubbed it "the radio."
While radio has its complexities, the concept is fairly simple. Radio radiates O’s of audio energy. These ripples wash over listeners, bathing them in information and entertainment while allowing them to relax, drive, knit and generally proceed with their lives (as opposed to television, where the viewer is enslaved to the visuals and thus cannot proceed with their lives or interact meaningfully with friends or loved ones). By allowing listeners to multitask, the increased use of radio could have a profound impact on our gross national product.
Radio is an astoundingly local medium—neighbors can gather around their "sets" and experience a sense of community. And with listeners aligning themselves with their favorite "stations" (hubs for music, talk and news), the early sponsors of radio programming can enjoy their patronage, both on local and national levels. Unlike Internet sites, radio stations seem to be working profitably on an advertising revenue model.
Radio’s mobility can have a profound effect on consumers and shopping patterns. A radio can be mounted in a car or carried on the hip, the sound transmitted through speakers or earphones. This positioning in people’s lives means that a radio advertisement could be the last thing consumers hear before shopping—an exciting media concept and opportunity.
Advertising’s response to radio has been disappointing, probably because of the medium’s daunting novelty—advertising on radio is a cacophony of shouting and one-upmanship. I am certain that over time, such hijinks will ebb as creative people discover the opportunities that 60 entire seconds afford. Until then, radio’s bleak landscape could provide the ideal setting for standing out creatively.
To this end, radio can learn something from its beleaguered cousin, television. Commercial-skipping technologies were designed in response to advertising messages that did not keep pace with the entertaining programming that surrounded them. If advertising on the radio does not improve, someday the medium will be challenged with new technologies of its own. Imagine a world where custom radio programming could be beamed from, say, satellites! It could happen.
It is clear that radio is the right medium for our troubled world and the perfect antidote for our industry’s doldrums. There’s just something about radio that makes it feel like it’s been around for a long time—a sign of truly great technology—and advertising unit costs appear to be at introductory rates, making the medium that much more enticing.
Soon the language of radio will be on everyone’s lips as we sit around "radio cafés," extolling the wonders of radio’s reach and frequency, discussing our favorite DJs and tossing out words like "playlists" and "formats." Can you feel the energy? It’s like 1997 all over again.
