What's New January 15, 2018

Forget the hype in 2018

As this year’s shows begin to return to the airwaves – some for the first time – thoughts start to turn to the blood, sweat and tears that will go into the next 12 months of work.

Jase and PJ, plus the afternoon duo Will and Woody kicked things off last week – and the new kids on the KIIS block already garnered plenty of media coverage. Em, Grant and Ed returned today, with more to come next week, including Hughesy and Kate at their “new home” The Hit Network and Nova’s Kate, Tim and Marty.

But no matter how long you’ve been on-air, there is one New Year’s resolution that applies universally – and probably the best one you could make if you work in the radio industry.

This year, forget the hype.

There will be all sorts of spin, puff and absolute fluff in coming weeks, especially surrounding new talent and new shows. No more so than on survey Tuesdays.

Remember these two things. Just two simple elements will determine a listener’s acceptance, enjoyment and recall of a show, and the subsequent rating results:

The quality of the show
The quality of its competition

No amount of marketing and promotion – tabloid headlines, TV commercials, billboards or social media – will change a listener’s opinion of a show.

In the end, creative marketing and great promotion won’t help a mediocre product shine and grow.

Marketing and promotion can aid only a healthy product with clear listener benefits. On breakfast, for example, it’s humour and comedy.

So this year, ignore the hype machine and remember the Law of Hype, one of the 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout. This classic read is just as relevant today as it was when first published 2003.

“The situation is often the opposite of the way it appears in the press. The amount of hype isn’t proportional to success. Often failed products are heavily hyped.”

When things are going well, you do not need hype. When you need to roll out the hype machine, it often means you may be trouble.

A good lesson to remember for the New Year ahead.